Trump Says US Not at War With Venezuela After Maduro’s Capture

News Blog
১১ জানু, ২০২৬

 The U.S. president said he will be the top person in charge of U.S. actions in Venezuela.


The United States is not at war with Venezuela but is working to combat drug trafficking, President Donald Trump told NBC News on Jan. 5, after the surprise capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro over the weekend.

“No, we’re not,” Trump told the news outlet. “We’re at war with people that sell drugs. We’re at war with people that empty their prisons into our country and empty their drug addicts and empty their mental institutions into our country.”

Trump said the United States wants to fix Venezuela before the country can hold its next election. He did not give a timeframe, but projected that the process would take a while.

The effort could include the United States subsidizing oil companies seeking to rebuild Venezuela’s energy infrastructure, which could take less than 18 months, he noted.

“We have to fix the country first. You can’t have an election. There’s no way the people could even vote,” he said. “We have to nurse the country back to health.”

Trump said that top U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller, and Vice President JD Vance, would be among those in charge of U.S. efforts in Venezuela, with the ultimate authority resting with him.


“It’s a group of all. They have all expertise, different expertise,” the president said, adding that he would ultimately be the top person in charge of U.S. actions in Venezuela.

U.S. forces carried out airstrikes on Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, on Jan. 3 and captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, to face drug and arms-related charges in the United States.
At least 32 Cuban officers deployed to assist Maduro in Venezuela were killed in the attack, accounting to the Cuban regime.
Following Maduro’s capture, Trump said on Jan. 3 that the United States will run Venezuela until it considers a “safe, proper, and judicious transition” to a new government possible.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was appointed interim leader by Venezuela’s Supreme Court and sworn in on Jan. 5.

Trump did not say during the interview if he personally spoke to Rodríguez, but said Rubio has been communicating with her in Spanish and has built strong relations with the interim leader.

When asked if there was a deal made with any Venezuelan officials to oust Maduro, Trump said, “Well, yeah, because a lot of people wanted to make a deal, but we decided to do it this way,” adding that none of Maduro’s aides were involved in the operation.

Maduro and his wife appeared in court on Jan. 5 and pleaded not guilty to all charges. They have been charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess those items.
Previous Post
No Comment
Add Comment
comment url