Trump-Venezuela stay updates: President reveals new particulars about US strikes after Maduro captured and charged
President Donald Trump hailed the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as “an amazing thing” as he revealed new details of the unprecedented U.S. operation.
The Venezuelan president and his wife are currently aboard a U.S. warship en route to New York, where they have been indicted with several offenses, including Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed.
“They will soon face the full wrath of American justice,” Bondi said.
At least seven explosions and low-flying aircraft were seen in Venezuela’s capital in the early hours of Saturday, as its government said the U.S. had attacked civilian and military sites in multiple states.
In a phone call with Fox News Saturday morning, Trump told how he watched the capture of Maduro unfold in real-time from his residence in Mar-a-Lago.
“If you would’ve seen the speed, the violence, it was an amazing thing,” Trump told the network, adding that he had “never seen anything like it.”
The military operation has drawn widespread condemnation around the world, but members of Trump’s administration, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, defended the action and denied accusations of illegality.
The president is due to address the nation from his Palm Beach residence at 11 a.m. ET/ 4 p.m. GMT.
U.S. Justice Department releases new indictment of Maduro and his wife
A superseding indictment just unsealed in New York federal court claims Nicolas Maduro has been at the “forefront of that corruption and has partnered with his co-conspirators to use his illegally obtained authority and the institutions he corroded to transport thousands of tons of cocaine to the United States.”
The Department of Justice alleges that Maduro and his wife enriched themselves with a “cycle of narcotics-based corruption” that “lines the pockets of Venezuelan officials and their families while also benefiting violent narco-terrorists who operate with impunity on Venezuelan soil and who help produce, protect, and transport tons of cocaine to the United States,” according to the document.
Watch: Trump says capture of Maduro was due to happen 4 days ago
President Donald Trump has revealed that the capture of Nicolas Maduro was originally due to take place four days ago, but it was delayed due to poor weather conditions.
Watch the clip from Fox News below.
Trump refuses to say if he consulted with Congress before Venezuela strikes
President Donald Trump refused to say whether he consulted Congress before carrying out airstrikes on the South American country during a phone call with The New York Times Saturday morning.
When asked by the Times whether he sought congressional approval before carrying out the “large scale” attack on Venezuela, he said, “We’ll discuss that, we’re going to have a news conference,” before hanging up the phone. The entire call lasted 50 seconds, theTimes reports.
Trump has repeatedly said he would not necessarily seek permission from Congress to launch a land war in Venezuela, saying instead that military assets are “just going to kill people” there instead.
“I don’t think we’re going to necessarily ask for a declaration of war. I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country, OK? We’re going to kill them,” Trump said during a White House roundtable with administration officials in October.
Also in October, the president said he “authorized” CIA operations inside Venezuela, granting intelligence operatives to take “covert action” against Maduro and his government, including as part of a wider military operation.
In remarks to reporters, Trump said he “authorized” CIA operations because Venezuela “emptied their prisons into the United States of America” and flooded the country with drugs.
Read more below.
Donald Trump reveals new details on US operation
Donald Trump has released some new information on the US military operation in Venezuela overnight.
Speaking to Fox News, the US president said he watched the operation in real time, and said he’d “never seen anything like it”.
He said: “They just broke in and they broke into places that were not really able to be broken into.
“Steel doors that were put there for just this reason and they got taken out in a matter of seconds, I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Trump said the US forces who captured Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro suffered a few injuries and no deaths.
He said the US is now deciding what’s next for Venezuela after Maduro’s capture, telling Fox News “we’ll be involved in it very much”.
Maduro and wife were captured at home, Venezuelan official says
Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández has said Maduro and his wife were at their home within the Fort Tiuna military installation when they were captured.
“That’s where they bombed,” he said. “And, there, they carried out what we could call a kidnapping of the president and the first lady of the country.”
Recap: Everything you need to know
It’s 10am in Venezuela and 9am in the US, with many around the globe waking up to news of a large scale US attack on Venezuela.
If you’re joining us now, here is what you need to know:
– At least seven explosions and low-flying aircrafts were seen in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, and rising smoke was spotted in numerous regions at approximately 2am.
– The Venezuelan government said attacks took place on civilian and military installations in Caracas, Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira.
– Hours later, Donald Trump confirmed the strikes were carried out by the US.
– The US president said Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro had been captured and flown out of the country.
– Venezuela said it rejected “military aggression” by the US, and said the goal of the attack is to “take possession of Venezuelan oil and minerals”.
– The strike came after months of escalated pressure on Mr Maduro, who has been charged with narco-terrorism in the US.
– The operation was largely condemned by world leaders, including Venezuelan allies Iran and Russia.
Vance: Maduro was offered multiple off ramps
US vice president JD Vance has spoken out after the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.
“The president offered multiple off ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States,” he wrote on X.
“Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says. Kudos to our brave special operators who pulled off a truly impressive operation.”
Pictured: Aftermath of attack on Venezuelan military base
UK advises against all travel to Venezuela
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has advised against all travel to Venezuela and warned Britons in the South American nation to shelter.
It said this comes after: “On 3 January, Venezuelan authorities announced a ‘state of external commotion’ due to air strikes on targets across the country. This could lead to closure of Venezuelan borders and airspace.”
The warning added: “FCDO advises against all travel to Venezuela. If you are a British National already living or travelling in Venezuela, you should shelter in place, but be prepared to change your plans quickly if necessary.
“Regularly review your departure options and make sure your travel documents are valid and accessible.
“You should have a ‘personal emergency plan’, including practical steps for leaving the country or staying safe during a crisis, that does not depend on support from the UK government.”
Source: independent.co.uk
