CNA Trump says US will ‘run’ Venezuela after capture of Nicolas Maduro and wife

US President Donald Trump said the United States will “run” Venezuela until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” after US forces captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a “large-scale strike” on Saturday (Jan 3).

Speaking at a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida later that day, Trump confirmed that the Venezuelan president and his wife will face drug and narco-terrorism charges in New York.

“We can’t take a chance that someone else takes over Venezuela who doesn’t have the interests of Venezuelans in mind,” he said.

A plane carrying Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, landed in upstate New York on Saturday evening, multiple news outlets reported.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth touted the raid in the South American country, vowing to get back “the oil that was stolen from us”.

“This is peace through strength … welcome to 2026 and under President Trump, America is back,” he said

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