In a dramatic operation that caught the world off guard, US forces arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas and flew them to New York to face criminal charges. The move immediately upended Venezuela’s political landscape and sent shockwaves through international capitals.
Soon after the arrests, US President Donald Trump announced that Washington would assume temporary control of Venezuela, describing the move as necessary to ensure stability during a transition period.
“We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. He argued that the United States could not risk another leader taking power without acting in the interests of the Venezuelan people.
Washington Claims Interim Control
Trump said the US would oversee Venezuela’s administration “with a group” of senior American officials, gesturing toward Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, who were standing behind him.
Despite repeated questions, Trump offered few concrete details about how the interim arrangement would function. At one point, he claimed Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, had been sworn in as Maduro’s successor and was willing to cooperate with US plans. However, Venezuelan authorities have not confirmed any such swearing-in.
The announcement marked a sharp escalation after months of speculation over whether the US would take direct action against Maduro’s government. Trump made clear that military force remained on the table, saying the administration was “not afraid of boots on the ground.”
He also outlined ambitions for US oil companies to enter Venezuela, invest billions of dollars in repairing damaged infrastructure, and restart production. “We are ready to stage a second and much larger attack, if we need to do so,” Trump added.
Legal Justification and Political Backlash
Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected claims that the operation required congressional approval, framing it instead as a law enforcement action supported by the military.
“This was not the kind of mission that you can do congressional notification on,” Rubio said. He pointed to Maduro’s 2020 US indictment, calling him a fugitive with a $50 million reward on his head. “I guess we’re saving $50 million now,” he added.
Trump suggested Congress was not informed out of concern the plan might leak.
Democrats in Washington were quick to condemn the move, even as they distanced themselves from Maduro. Senator Mark Warner, vice chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, warned that the arrest set a dangerous precedent.
“If the United States asserts the right to use military force to capture foreign leaders it accuses of crimes, what stops China from claiming the same authority over Taiwan, or Russia doing the same in Ukraine?” Warner said. He also accused the administration of hypocrisy, pointing to Trump’s pardon of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández despite serious drug trafficking convictions.
Republicans largely rallied behind the president. Senator Roger Wicker, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, praised the mission and described it as the result of months of efforts to dismantle what he called narco-terrorist networks tied to Maduro.
Uncertain Future for Venezuela
Analysts warn that the operation could push Venezuela into a period of profound instability. Daniel DePetris, a fellow at Defense Priorities, said the country now faces a range of possible outcomes, from internal military splits to civil conflict or the rise of an even more repressive leader.
“None of these scenarios would be good for regional stability or US interests,” DePetris said.
He also noted that the Trump administration’s justification for pressuring Maduro has shifted repeatedly in recent months, ranging from fighting drug trafficking to reclaiming oil resources and promoting democracy. In each case, Venezuela has been portrayed as a direct threat to US security.
“But this gives the Maduro regime too much credit,” DePetris said. “Venezuela today is a bankrupt state whose economy has collapsed over the past decade.”
As the dust settles from the arrest and Washington moves to assert control, the long-term consequences—for Venezuela, the region, and global norms—remain deeply uncertain.
