US will run Venezuela until judicious transition takes place: Trump

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States planned to run Venezuela until a “safe, proper and judicious” transition was achieved.  

“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said.

 

He accused the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's administration of supplying drugs to the United States and said it was unacceptable for such activity to take place in an oil-rich nation.

 

“It was horrible to allow this to happen in an oil-rich country,” Trump said.

 

He added that Washington did not want a repeat of past outcomes.

 

 

“We don’t want to be involved with somebody else getting in and we have the same situation we had for the last long period of years,” he said.

Trump warned of second, larger military action

Trump said the US remained prepared to carry out a second and significantly larger attack in Venezuela, though he suggested it might not be necessary.

 

“The US was ready to stage a second and much larger attack, but it was probably not needed,” he said.

 

He added, “We actually assumed that a second wave would be necessary, but it’s probably not. The first attack was so successful that we probably don’t have to do a second.”

Venezuelan military capacities were rendered powerless: Trump

Trump described the initial operation as an unprecedented display of American military strength.

 

“This was a stunning, effective and powerful display of American military might and competence,” he said.

 

“No nation in the world could achieve what America achieved yesterday. In a short period of time, all Venezuelan military capacities were rendered powerless,” Trump added.

No American casualties

He said the operation resulted in no American casualties or equipment losses.

 

“Not a single American service member was killed, and not a single piece of American equipment was lost. We had many helicopters, many planes and many people involved in that fight,” he said. 

Trump said US oil firms would enter Venezuela

Trump said the US intervention in Venezuela would pave the way for American oil companies to return to the country and invest in large-scale energy projects.

 

He said Venezuela’s oil sector suffered prolonged decline and remained far below its potential output.

 

“As everyone knows, the oil business in Venezuela has been a bust for a long period of time. They were producing almost nothing compared to what they could,” Trump said.

 

He added that major US energy companies would invest heavily to rebuild infrastructure and restart production.

 

“We’re going to have very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, repair the badly broken oil infrastructure and start generating revenue for the country,” he said.

Maduro and wife to face trial in US, Trump said

Trump also claimed that Maduro and his wife would be tried in the United States as he alleged that American courts possessed extensive evidence against the Venezuelan leader.

 

He described the alleged findings as deeply troubling.

 

“It’s both horrible and breathtaking,” Trump said.

 

Trump accused Maduro of remaining in power through violence and intimidation, and of posing a wider threat beyond Venezuela’s borders.

 

“He remained in power and carried out a relentless campaign of violence, terror and subversion against the United States of America, threatening not only our people but the stability of the entire region,” Trump said. 

Trump further said that Maduro attempted to flee to safety but failed to escape when US Special Forces located him. “He was trying to reach a safe place, but he didn’t succeed. He got as far as the door but could not close it,” Trump said, describing the moments before Maduro was found.

Trump's warning to Venezuelan political, military leadership 

Trump said the United States' action in Venezuela was intended to send a broader message beyond the immediate operation.

 

He said the move “should act as a warning to anyone who threatens American sovereignty or puts American lives at risk”.

 

“The American armada remains deployed and ready, and the United States continues to retain every military option until our demands are fully met,” US President said.

 

He warned that Venezuela’s leadership should take note of the consequences.

 

“All political and military figures in Venezuela should understand that what happened to Maduro could also happen to them, and it will, if they do not act justly and fairly towards their people,” he added.

Trump blamed earlier administrations for security lapses

Trump accused previous US administrations of failing to address what he described as growing security threats emanating from Venezuela.

 

He said the country increasingly hosted foreign adversaries in the region and acquired offensive weaponry, some of which he claimed was used against US forces overnight.

 

“Other administrations neglected or even contributed to the rise of these security threats in the Western Hemisphere,” Trump said. “Under this administration, we are reasserting American power decisively in our own region.” 

Not happy with Putin: Trump

Reacting to a question about Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said, “I am not thrilled with Putin. He is killing a lot of people.”

 

“People are being killed. I think that was a war that should not have happened. He admits that if I had been president at the time, this war would not have happened. That war has become a bloodbath,” the US President said.

Trump on what Venezuelans should expect

“You are going to have peace and justice. You’re going to have a real country,” he said, adding, “We want to surround ourselves with good neighbours, stability and energy.”

America can project its power anywhere: Hegseth 

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, speaking after Trump, praised American forces and the operation’s execution.

 

“America can project its power anywhere, at any time. The coordination, stealth, precision and reach of American justice were on full display overnight,” he said.

 

Hegseth added that the moment marked a turning point in US posture abroad. “Welcome to 2026. Under President Trump, America is back,” he said.  

 

Earlier today, the United States carried out large-scale strikes on Venezuela, which drew condemnation and calls for restraint from several world leaders.

 

In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that President Maduro and his wife were “captured and flown out of the country” following the operation. He said the action was carried out “in conjunction with US law enforcement.”