U.S. Snatches Maduro in Military Raid, Trump Vows to "Run" Venezuela and Claim Its Oil

The United States military captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a series of strikes on Saturday, yanking the longtime leader from power and setting off a leadership crisis in the country [41033][41227][41379]. The couple was flown out of Venezuela and is now in U.S. custody, facing terrorism and drug trafficking charges in a New York court [40942][40970][41136].

Former President Donald Trump immediately announced he plans for the U.S. to "run" Venezuela in order to fix its broken oil infrastructure [41227][41525][42114]. "We will take back the oil," Trump said, citing the nation's vast reserves — the largest in the world — as a primary target [40871][41525]. The White House has suggested Trump's administration may temporarily administer the country and even directed Maduro's deputy, Delcy Rodríguez, to follow U.S. orders as interim president, though she has so far refused [41525].

The raids — described by Trump as a "large-scale strike" — mark a dramatic escalation after years of U.S. sanctions and diplomatic pressure against Maduro’s government [40942][41088]. The Biden administration had long labeled his presidency illegitimate and backed opposition leader Juan Guaidó, but no previous administration had taken direct military action to remove a sitting head of state in the hemisphere [40668][41379][40505].

With Maduro now in custody, no clear successor has emerged. The sudden power vacuum has plunged the country of 30 million people into uncertainty [42114][41136]. Venezuela's government has yet to release an official response, and the nation’s military has not publicly commented on the situation [40505][41379].

The seizure has drawn immediate criticism from legal experts and some U.S. allies, who say the operation violates international law and sets a dangerous precedent for sovereign nations [40737][40942].

[41033] U.S. Forces Capture Venezuelan President in Military Strike [41136] Venezuela Leader Ousted in U.S. Strike, Faces Charges in New York [41227] US Strikes Venezuela, Captures President Maduro [40871] U.S. Captures Venezuela's President in Secret Operation [40668] U.S. Forces Capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro [40942] US Captures Venezuelan President in "Large-Scale Strike" [41379] U.S. Military Strike Captures Venezuelan Leader Maduro [42114] U.S. Captures Maduro: What Now for Venezuela? [41525] US Seizes Venezuelan President, Vows to "Run" Country and "Take Back the Oil" [40505] U.S. Claims Capture of Venezuelan Leader in Military Strike [41088] U.S. Strikes Venezuela, Captures President Maduro [40970] Venezuelan President Captured in U.S. Military Raid