U.S. President Donald Trump at a press conference at the Mar-a-Lago residence confirmed the conduct of a large-scale military operation against Venezuela and the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro together with his wife Cilia Flores, who, he said, will be taken to New York to face charges of narcoterrorism and related crimes in the Southern District of New York in the form of a conspiracy to possess machine guns and explosive devices against the United States. Against the backdrop of strikes on Caracas's military infrastructure and command centers, Washington announced its intention to temporarily oversee a transitional period of power in Venezuela, while simultaneously declaring the continuation of the oil embargo and prioritizing the interests of American energy companies.
According to open sources, strikes on targets in Caracas and several Venezuelan states were carried out at night, which led to widespread power outages and the disabling of a significant portion of the military infrastructure. The American side characterizes this action as one of the most effective demonstrations of military power and refers to joint actions by U.S. armed forces and law enforcement in the detention of Maduro.
Trump publicly emphasized that Maduro and Cilia Flores "will stand before American justice" and that the U.S. will "run Venezuela" until the completion of a "safe and fair transition period," which in effect amounts to an announcement of an external protectorate during the change of power. At the same time, he declared readiness for a second wave of strikes if necessary, signaling Washington's preparedness for further escalation in the region.
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi reported that Maduro and Cilia Flores have been formally charged in the Southern District of New York, including conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism, smuggling cocaine into the U.S., and unlawful trafficking of heavy weaponry and explosive devices against the United States. These charges rely on an existing line of U.S. policy begun in 2020, when similar narcotics-trafficking and terrorist allegations were brought against Nicolas Maduro, and a reward was announced for information leading to his arrest.
The Venezuelan government issued a harsh official statement, characterizing U.S. actions as "gross military aggression" against a sovereign state and the population in Caracas and several key states. Caracas points to a clear violation of the UN Charter, in particular the principles of sovereignty, equality of states, and the prohibition on the use of force, and warns of a threat to international peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Venezuelan side interprets the strikes as an attempt to seize control of the country's strategic resources by force, primarily oil and mineral wealth, and to break its political independence. According to authorities, President Nicolas Maduro ordered a review of all national defense plans, indicating a move toward a long-term confrontational agenda in relations with Washington.
