US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States will temporarily administer Venezuela following the capture and removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, as Washington considers a political transition that could involve opposition leader María Corina Machado.
Speaking at a press conference from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump said the US would assume control of Venezuela in the immediate aftermath of what he described as a “large-scale” American military operation that rocked Caracas with explosions and aircraft activity.
“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump told reporters. “We don’t want to repeat the same situation we’ve had for decades. We are not going to let that happen again.”
Trump did not provide a timeline for how long the US-led transitional period would last, saying the focus was on stability, security and preventing another leadership outcome that would not serve the interests of the Venezuelan people.
“We want peace, liberty and justice for the great people of Venezuela,” he said, adding that millions of Venezuelans living in the United States want to return to their homeland. “We can’t take a chance on somebody else taking over Venezuela who doesn’t have the good of the people in mind.”
The US president said Maduro and his wife had been captured and transferred to the United States, where they now face terrorism and drug trafficking charges. Washington has long accused Maduro of running a so-called “narco-state” and undermining democratic institutions.
Trump described the military operation in Caracas as unprecedented in scale and effectiveness, claiming US forces carried out coordinated air, land and sea strikes to overwhelm Venezuelan defenses.
Trump: “It was an assault like people have not seen since World War 2” pic.twitter.com/ZbVrGemtHk
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 3, 2026
“This was one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays of American military might and competence in American history,” Trump said. “It was an assault like people have not seen since World War II.”
According to Trump, all major Venezuelan military capabilities were neutralized during the operation. He said no American service members were killed and no US military equipment was lost.
The president also warned that the United States remains prepared to launch a second, larger military strike if necessary, though he suggested it would likely not be required due to what he called the overwhelming success of the initial operation.
“We assumed a second wave might be necessary,” Trump said. “But the first attack was so successful that we probably don’t have to do a second.”
Trump said the goal of the operation was to bring “dictator Maduro to justice” and create conditions for a peaceful political transition in Venezuela, with Washington now assessing potential leadership options, including the role Machado could play in a post-Maduro era.
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