“We’re going to run the country” – Trump Declares US Has Taken Control of Venezuela After Military Operation

President Donald Trump announced the news on his Truth Social account, saying, “The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country. This operation was done in conjunction with US law enforcement. Details to follow.”

Later, speaking at Mar-a-Lago, Trump called the strike “one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays of American military.”

“Not a single American service member was killed, and not a single piece of American equipment was lost.”

He made it clear that the US plans to control Venezuela for now, saying, “We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.”

Trump also said US oil companies will help rebuild Venezuela’s economy, “We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure … and start making money for the country.”

He claimed the operation would not cost taxpayers anything, “It’s not going to cost us anything because the money coming out of the ground is substantial.”

Meanwhile, he warned that more military action could follow: “We are ready to stage a second and much larger attack if we need to do so.” Additionally, Trump defended not asking Congress for approval, saying secrecy was needed to avoid leaks.