Several congressional Democrats have come out in force to condemn President Donald Trump’s operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, but one broke from the pack to applaud the action. 

“The capture of the brutal, illegitimate ruler of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, who oppressed Venezuela’s people is welcome news for my friends and neighbors who fled his violent, lawless, and disastrous rule. However, cutting off the head of a snake is fruitless if it just regrows,” Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said on X. 

Wasserman Schultz, whose home state of Florida has harbored a significant number of Venezuelan refugees, continued that “Venezuelans deserve the promise of democracy and the rule of law, not a state of endless violence and spiraling disorder. 

“My hope is it offers a passage to true democracy and liberation,” she said. “This action offers beleaguered Venezuelans a chance to seat their true, democratically elected president, Edmundo González.”

While Wasserman Schultz’s praise of the Saturday strikes and subsequent capture of Maduro and his wife was markedly different in tone from her Democratic colleagues, some of whom dubbed it “unconstitutional, un-American and a direct threat to our democracy,” she still demanded answers as to why Congress was not notified of the operation beforehand. 

“The absence of congressional involvement prior to this action risks the continuation of the illegitimate Venezuelan regime,” Wasserman Schultz said. “Congress must be properly informed and hold hearings on this invasion. As always, I will work to bring about the promise of a liberated Venezuela.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry issued a new statement Sunday accusing the United States of violating international law in response to the U.S. military’s apprehension of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

“China expresses grave concern over the U.S. forcibly seizing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and taking them out of the country,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “The U.S.’s move is in clear violation of international law, basic norms in international relations, and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.”

China called on the United States to ensure the safety of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and to “release them at once, stop toppling the government of Venezuela, and resolve issues through dialogue and negotiation.”

The deposed Venezuelan dictator and his wife arrived late Saturday at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after being transported by helicopter from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Manhattan headquarters, following processing by federal authorities.

Maduro is expected to remain in federal custody while facing narcoterrorism and weapons charges filed in the Southern District of New York.

Starlink, the satellite internet service operated by Elon Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX, said it will provide free internet access in Venezuela for the next month.

“Starlink is providing free broadband service to the people of Venezuela through February 3, ensuring continued connectivity,” the company wrote on X on Saturday.

Musk reposted the announcement, adding, “In support of the people of Venezuela.”

The announcement came after the United States launched a large-scale operation in Venezuela on Saturday, with U.S. special forces capturing the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife.

The American Border Story, a national initiative that highlights the stories of families impacted by illegal activity at the border, praised President Donald Trump for ordering a U.S. military operation Saturday that led to the apprehension of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

In a video posted on X, the group featured families affected by crime and fentanyl who said the Trump administration’s operation holds the Venezuelan dictator accountable and helps combat cartel-linked violence in the U.S.

“Thank you, President Trump, for your decisive action in Venezuela that will go down in history,” the group wrote on X. “We’re hearing directly from Angel families, fentanyl-affected families, American citizens, and border policy experts—calling, texting, thanking President Trump for capturing and holding Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro accountable.”

The group added that the Maduro regime’s “ties to drug cartels fueled deadly drugs and violent crime in American communities.”

Trump told Fox News on Saturday morning that the U.S. military operations in Venezuela are “saving lives because the drug trafficking is so bad” and have “gotten so out of control.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass criticized the Trump administration on Saturday evening, calling the U.S. special operations mission that captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife a “reckless decision.”

“The Administration’s reckless decision to strike Venezuela to remove Nicolás Maduro risks chaos, violence, and entrenching the United States in a conflict that the American people did not ask for,” Bass, a Democrat, wrote on X.

She added, “Los Angeles will continue to stand for peace, democracy, and diplomacy.”

Maduro and his wife arrived late Saturday at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after being transported by helicopter from the DEA’s Manhattan headquarters, following processing by federal authorities.

President Donald Trump said earlier Saturday that the United States is “going to run” Venezuela until what he described as a safe, proper and judicious transition can take place.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Saturday evening that restrictions implemented by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over Caribbean airspace would expire at 12 a.m. Eastern time.

“The original restrictions around the Caribbean airspace are expiring at 12:00am ET and flights can resume,” Duffy posted on X. “Airlines are informed, and will update their schedules quickly. Please continue to work with your airline if your flight was affected by the restrictions.”

The FAA temporarily restricted airspace over parts of the Caribbean and Venezuela early Saturday in coordination with the Department of War to protect the flying public.

“Early this morning in support of the Department of War, the FAA restricted the airspace in the Caribbean and Venezuela to ensure the SAFETY of the flying public,” Duffy wrote in a prior X post, adding that the limits would be lifted “when appropriate.”

The FAA restrictions followed a U.S. military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife and fly them out of the country as part of “Operation Absolute Resolve.”

On the same day the U.S. military carried out an operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, outgoing FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino completed his last day with the bureau.

“It was a busy last day on the job,” Bongino wrote on X.

Bongino announced on Dec. 17 that he was leaving the bureau in January.

“Tomorrow I return to civilian life,” he said. “It’s been an incredible year thanks to the leadership and decisiveness of President Trump. It was the honor of a lifetime to work with Director Patel, and to serve you, the American people. See you on the other side.”

A federal source told Fox News Digital that the FBI handled the transport of the Venezuelan leader after he was captured, with the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team operating on the ground during the operation.

Florida Republican representatives Mario Díaz-Balart and Maria Elvira Salazar said they believe María Corina Machado, Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, has potential to rise as Nicolás Maduro’s successor following his capture Saturday by U.S. forces.

During a news conference, Salazar told reporters Machado proved with “empirical evidence” she won last year’s presidential primary election, despite the government’s declaration of Maduro as the victor.

Edmundo González Urrutia replaced Machado after she was banned from running for the presidency by the Maduro-run high court.

The U.S. recognized González as the legitimate leader of Venezuela after he defeated Maduro by a more than two-to-one margin.

“We also know that María Corina had been the person who won the primary, that the Venezuelans decided that she was going to be the elected nominee for the opposition party, and that Maduro decided that he didn’t like her,” Salazar said.

“We know that there is an opposition that has been organized by María Corina and her party, and they are a very legitimate force inside Venezuela,” she continued. “So we are supporting her, and we’re supporting everything that the opposition forces and the civil society decide to do.”

Díaz-Balart added he was “convinced” that the next democratically elected president of Venezuela will be Machado.

President Donald Trump on Saturday morning said Machado is “willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great.”

“She was quite gracious, but she really doesn’t have a choice,” Trump said. “We’re going to have this done right. … If we just left, it has zero chance of ever coming back. We’ll run it properly. We’ll run it professionally. We’ll have the greatest oil companies in the world go in and invest billions and billions of dollars and take out money. Use that money in Venezuela. And the biggest beneficiary are going to be the people of Venezuela.”

A small but vocal group of pro-Maduro demonstrators gathered outside the White House on Saturday, openly defending Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro and condemning the Trump administration following his arrest on federal charges, according to exclusive interviews conducted by Fox News Digital.

“I want to free Maduro,” one protester said bluntly when asked why he traveled to the White House to demonstrate.

Other demonstrators argued the United States had no legal authority to arrest the Venezuelan leader, calling Maduro “the leader of a sovereign nation” and accusing Washington of using “imperial” justifications to intervene abroad.

The protester compared U.S. actions in Venezuela to past American interventions in Iran, Iraq, Libya and Syria, arguing the United States “is never in the interest of humanity to invade” and should instead “keep the eagle at home.”

When pressed about longstanding allegations from human rights groups, including claims that Maduro’s government has jailed, tortured and killed political opponents, the protester did not dispute the accusations but argued they did not justify U.S. action.

“Let’s say all of these accusations are true,” he said. “The United States has never had a dictator it didn’t support. If Venezuela played ball with U.S. policy, Maduro could do whatever he wanted and no one would care.”

The demonstrator added that Washington selectively targets governments that oppose U.S. interests while tolerating or ignoring abuses by allied regimes, pointing to Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern governments.

The group outside the White House was small, but demonstrators said their opposition to Maduro’s arrest was part of a broader movement that extends beyond Washington, D.C.

Similar pro-Maduro demonstrations have also been reported in New York City near the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where the ousted Venezuelan dictator is currently being held.

Asked about President Trump specifically, one protester said his opposition went beyond the current administration, arguing that U.S. foreign policy has remained largely unchanged across multiple presidencies.

“Nothing started with Donald Trump,” he said. “This is the United States doing the same things it has always done.”

Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on Saturday praised the operation carried out by the U.S. military and multiple intelligence agencies to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as the “most successful” special operations raid of all time.

Speaking in an interview Saturday with CBS News, Hegseth said he met with some of the service members
at Joint Base Andrews who participated in the mission, describing it as “the most sophisticated, most complicated and most successful joint special operations raid of all time.”

“Nothing of this size, scope, when you actually unpack what was done kinetically and non-kinetically, that many people, that many moving parts, that consequential – and they got the job done,” Hegseth said. “It is incredible to be able to serve such courageous, brave, and skilled Americans.”

Hegseth added that President Donald Trump gave the service members a “clear mission, and they finished it.”

The FBI handled the transport of deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro following his capture overseas, with the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team involved on the ground during the operation, a federal source tells Fox News Digital.

The source said the Hostage Rescue Team was part of the assault element during the operation in Venezuela that led to Maduro’s arrest.

After being taken into U.S. custody, Maduro was transported from Venezuela to Guantanamo Bay before being flown to New York.

Maduro is now in federal custody in New York, where he faces charges in the Southern District of New York including alleged narco-terrorism conspiracy and drug trafficking offenses.

Federal officials have said Maduro is expected to be transferred to a federal detention facility ahead of an initial court appearance, which is anticipated early next week.

House Democrats are expected to hold an emergency caucus meeting on Sunday following the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, two sources confirmed to Fox News.

The virtual meeting is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET, according to the sources, and was first reported by Punchbowl News.

The move comes after several Democratic lawmakers said Saturday they were misled during recent Trump administration briefings that minimized any plans for regime change in Caracas, according to Reuters.

“Secretaries Rubio and Hegseth looked every Senator in the eye a few weeks ago and said this wasn’t about regime change,” New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim posted to X. “I didn’t trust them then and we see now that they blatantly lied to Congress.”

Fox News’ Kelly Phares and Tyler Olson contributed to this post.

New York Attorney General Letitia James on Saturday called ousted Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro a “brutal dictator,” while also raising concerns about what she described as the Trump administration’s “continued abuse of the rule of law.”

“Nicolás Maduro was a brutal dictator who caused the people of Venezuela pain and suffering. My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Venezuela here in New York and abroad,” James posted on X. “But I also believe in the Constitution. As such, I am deeply concerned with the administration’s continued abuse of the rule of law.”

Earlier Saturday, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani described the capture of the Venezuelan leader as an “act of war and a violation of federal and international law.”

Former Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday evening condemned the Trump administration’s capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, calling the operation both “unlawful” and “unwise.”

In a lengthy post on X, Harris acknowledged that Maduro is a “brutal” and “illegitimate” dictator but said that President Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela “do not make America safer, stronger, or more affordable.”

“We’ve seen this movie before. Wars for regime change or oil that are sold as strength but turn into chaos, and American families pay the price,” she said.

Harris also argued the decision was motivated by oil interests rather than efforts to combat drug trafficking or promote democracy.

“The American people do not want this, and they are tired of being lied to. This is not about drugs or democracy. It is about oil and Donald Trump’s desire to play the regional strongman,” she said. “If he cared about either, he wouldn’t pardon a convicted drug trafficker or sideline Venezuela’s legitimate opposition while pursuing deals with Maduro’s cronies.”

She also accused the president of endangering U.S. troops and destabilizing the region.

“The President is putting troops at risk, spending billions, destabilizing a region, and offering no legal authority, no exit plan, and no benefit at home. America needs leadership whose priorities are lowering costs for working families, enforcing the rule of law, strengthening alliances, and — most importantly — putting the American people first.”

West Virginia
Gov. Patrick Morrisey reacted to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, saying his state has buried “far too many sons and daughters” due to lethal drugs.

“I applaud President Donald Trump and his national security team for taking decisive action to hold Nicolás Maduro accountable,” Morrisey wrote in a social media post. “A global narco-terrorist, Nicolás Maduro has enabled drug trafficking operations that have fueled violence, addiction, and death across the United States, including here in West Virginia.”

The governor said the trafficking networks have pushed deadly narcotics into West Virginia communities and torn apart “too many families.”

“West Virginia has buried far too many sons and daughters lost to fentanyl and other lethal drugs,” he wrote in the post. “Actions that disrupt the global supply chains responsible for that suffering are a step toward protecting our people, and sending a clear message that those who profit from poisoning Americans will be held to account.”

GOP lawmakers said President Donald Trump
will be turning his attention to two other tyrannies following the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, R-Fla., said during a news conference Saturday tyrannies in Cuba and Nicaragua would not survive the Trump administration.

“The first of those tyrannies has not survived President Trump,” Díaz-Balart said. “The next two, their days are also counted.”

He added the administration has placed “very strong pressure” on the dictatorship in Havana, promising “you’re going to see more.”

“I am convinced that the two remaining ones will not survive the last three years of the President Trump administration,” Díaz-Balart said.

Following Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro’s capture on Saturday, Republican lawmakers said he was offered “many” options to leave the country on his own accord.

During a news conference Saturday afternoon, Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart, R-Fla., said Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered Maduro “many ways to find an exit path to get out of the country,” but Maduro did not accept, or “believe what the president was saying.”

“President [Donald] Trump decided on th[e] option to use the brave men and women … to go get him in Caracas and bring him to justice,” Díaz-Balart said. “Let’s remember who we’re dealing with. We’re dealing with a man who was under indictment in the Southern District of New York for drug trafficking and multiple other offenses.”

“We have been accepting and tolerating and seeing the death and the poisoning of countless young Americans,” he continued. “We’ve seen boats and airplanes come north from the south, and we were able to only intercept a very small percentage of those.”

Díaz-Balart said Maduro’s capture marks “an important day” for the American people, and “a crucial day for the entire hemisphere.”

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Saturday that he would “shed no tears” over the end of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s rule, reaffirming Britain’s long-standing opposition to his government.

“The UK has long supported a transition of power in Venezuela. We regarded Maduro as an illegitimate President and we shed no tears about the end of his regime,” Starmer posted to X. “I reiterated my support for international law this morning.”

Starmer said he hopes for a transition to a government that “reflects the will of the Venezuelan people.”

“The UK government will discuss the evolving situation with US counterparts in the days ahead as we seek a safe and peaceful transition to a legitimate government that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people.”

Ousted Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro was seen under heavy federal escort after landing in New York on Saturday, according to aerial footage and wire images.

Maduro appeared flanked by multiple agents and wearing what looked to be a light blue or grey hoodie as he was led from a U.S. federal aircraft at Stewart International Airport.

Law enforcement personnel wearing jackets marked Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration were visible on the tarmac surrounding Maduro.

Images provided by Reuters show Maduro being escorted from the plane across the tarmac to a helipad.

Meanwhile, Fox News was live at the West Side Heliport, where the aircraft carrying Maduro was expected to arrive for onward transport, an Associated Press source said.

Federal authorities have not publicly detailed the timing of Maduro’s transfer.

The U.N. Security Council is expected to convene an emergency meeting Monday to discuss U.S. operations in Venezuela, following the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

The meeting is reportedly set for 10 a.m. ET and will include ambassadors from 15 countries at the U.N. headquarters in New York City, according to the Washington Examiner.

This comes after both Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil requested the meeting on Saturday.

“In response to the criminal aggression perpetrated by the US government against our nation, we have requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council, the body responsible for upholding international law,” Gil posted to X. “No cowardly attack will prevail against the strength of this people, who will emerge victorious.”

A spokesperson for the U.N. did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

People believed to be Nicolás Maduro and his wife were escorted off a plane under the cover of darkness late Saturday after the aircraft landed at Stewart Air National Guard Base, according to Fox News reporting.

There has been no official confirmation yet identifying the passengers, but Fox News Digital is reporting that the individuals removed from the aircraft are Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Video from a news helicopter operated by WNYW shows law enforcement activity on the tarmac as the plane arrived.

Authorities are now awaiting a transfer to a nearby helipad, where the people are expected to be moved for onward transport.

Law enforcement officers wearing jackets labeled Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration were spotted flanking a Department of Justice aircraft carrying ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife on the tarmac at Stewart Air National Guard Base, according to video from a news helicopter overhead.

As of 5:15 p.m., Maduro and his wife had not yet been seen disembarking from the plane.

The heavy federal law enforcement presence on the tarmac included multiple agents positioned near the aircraft as authorities appeared to prepare for the next phase of transport.

Fox News Channel is reporting that officials are awaiting a transfer to a nearby helipad, where the pair are expected to be moved under secure escort.

Neither the Department of Justice nor federal law enforcement agencies have publicly confirmed the identities of the passengers or detailed the timing of their departure from the aircraft.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily restricted airspace over parts of the Caribbean and Venezuela early Saturday in coordination with the Department of War to protect the flying public.

“Early this morning in support of the Department of War, the FAA restricted the airspace in the Caribbean and Venezuela to ensure the SAFETY of the flying public,” Duffy wrote on X. He said the limits will be lifted “when appropriate” and advised travelers to contact their airlines if flights were affected.

The FAA restrictions followed U.S. military action announced overnight and came as officials emphasized safety and coordination across federal agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration.

Duffy closed his post by praising the commander-in-chief and the armed forces, writing, “God bless President Trump and the United States military.”

Argentina is moving quickly to tighten its stance following the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, with officials making clear the country will not serve as a refuge for anyone tied to his regime.

Argentina’s Ministry of National Security said new migration measures are being implemented to block entry for Venezuelan officials, military members, business figures and others linked to Maduro. The ministry said the goal is to prevent collaborators from using Argentina as a safe haven in the aftermath of Maduro’s capture.

President Javier Milei went further, celebrating what he called the fall of a “narcoterrorist dictatorship” and framing the moment as a clear moral divide between democracy and authoritarianism. Milei said Argentina is prepared to help support a peaceful transition to a free and democratic Venezuela.

Officials emphasized Argentina’s position is rooted in defending freedom, democracy and regional security, adding that there will be no tolerance for those associated with Maduro’s rule.

The announcements mark one of the strongest responses so far from a regional government following developments in Venezuela.

U.S. Gen. Dan Caine
, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said a broad array of military forces took part in an operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The mission, known as “Absolute Resolve,” began in the predawn hours Saturday.About 150 aircraft launched from 20 bases to dismantle Venezuelan air defenses, clearing the way for military helicopters to insert troops into Caracas.

The operation involved F-35 and F-22 fighter jets as well as B-1 bombers. The mission lasted approximately two hours and 20 minutes, Caine said.

Ahead of the operation, the Department of War directed a major buildup of U.S. forces in the Caribbean, deploying an aircraft carrier, 11 warships and more than a dozen F-35 fighter jets.

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman.

Past social media posts from President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden are drawing renewed attention following Trump’s confirmation Saturday that Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was captured in Operation Absolute Resolve.

In June 2020, during Trump’s first term, Biden criticized the president’s Venezuela policy, writing that Trump “talks tough on Venezuela, but admires thugs and dictators like Nicolas Maduro,” while pledging to stand “with the Venezuelan people and for democracy.”

One day later, Trump pushed back in his own post, vowing he would “ALWAYS stand against socialism and with the people of Venezuela” and saying he would only meet with Maduro to discuss “a peaceful exit from power.”

At the time, Trump was responding to reports suggesting he had expressed second thoughts about recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaidó. Trump insisted any engagement with Maduro would be aimed solely at removing him from power.

More than five years later, those posts are being viewed through a new lens as Trump, now president again, oversaw the operation that led to Maduro’s removal from office.

“This tweet did not age well,” one user wrote under former President Biden’s post.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum praised President Donald Trump for ordering this weekend military operation in Venezuela.

In a post on X, Burgum noted that border crossing have hit record lows and that Trump has fulfilled his “America first” promise.

“This administration has stopped the invasion at our Southern Border, and now we’re stopping the mass casualties caused by Maduro’s criminal network,” he wrote of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

“The U.S. will no longer allow cartels to make billions while drug trafficking kills hundreds of thousands of Americans. This is America First,” he added.

President Donald Trump and his administration have revived the Monroe Doctrine – rebranded as the “Don-roe Doctrine” – and used it to justify strikes in Venezuela and the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro. 

“The Monroe Doctrine is a big deal. But we’ve superseded it by a lot, by a lot,” Trump said Saturday. “They now call it the ‘Don-roe Doctrine’ … We sort of forgot about it. It was very important, but we forgot about it. We don’t forget about it anymore. Under our new national security strategy, American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again.” 

The restoration of the Monroe Doctrine, which sought to limit European influence in Latin America and to protect U.S. influence in the region, comes as the Trump administration released its National Security Strategy this month that redirects U.S. attention to the Western Hemisphere in an intentional effort to better prioritize protecting the U.S. homeland amid the Trump administration’s crusade against the influx of drugs into the U.S. from Latin America. 

“President Trump has prioritized enforcing the Monroe Doctrine unlike any other President in decades,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement to Fox News Digital in December. “He was elected on his promise to eliminate the scourge of drug deaths in our country, including his commitment to secure the southern border and take on the cartels. He has delivered on both fronts by stopping the flow of drugs by land and by sea.”

This is an excerpt from an article by Diana Stancy.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries are calling for immediate congressional briefings following U.S. military actions in Venezuela.

In a joint statement released Saturday, the two New York Democrats said Trump’s “announced plan to run Venezuela is unacceptable” and urged the administration to brief senior congressional leaders without delay.

“It is critical that the Trump administration provide an immediate Gang of Eight briefing, followed by briefings for all Members of the House and Senate early next week,” the statement said.

The request comes after Trump confirmed U.S. military strikes in Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro under Operation Absolute Resolve, a move that has drawn swift reactions from U.S. lawmakers and foreign leaders.

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., a ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said the U.S. military operation in Venezuela “has introduced more chaos and instability into” the country.

“It appears the Trump Administration gave no consideration or plan for what comes next in terms of a functioning government in Venezuela,” Smith said in a statement. “This vacuum threatens to destabilize South America, will likely have no impact on the drug cartels, and could make the situation worse.”

Smith also criticized Secretary of State Marco Rubio, for repeatedly stating that the Trump administration’s goal in the South American nation was not regime change.

“Today’s military action, taken without consultation with or authorization from Congress, shows that Secretary Rubio misled the Congress and the American people,” he said. “The administration must immediately and truthfully brief Congress on its plans in the region and Congress, specifically the Republican majority, must stop abdicating its responsibility.”

“These actions run counter to everything Trump campaigned on and rather than ending conflicts the president has chosen to drag the U.S. into further foreign wars,” he added.

Vice President JD Vance was ‘deeply integrated’ in the planning and execution of the U.S. operation targeting Venezuela
and the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, a spokesperson for the vice president told Fox News.

The spokesperson said Vance participated in multiple late-night meetings with national security principals via secure video conference in the days leading up to the operation. He also briefly met with President Donald Trump at Trump’s golf club in West Palm Beach on Friday to discuss the strikes.

Vance was not at Mar-a-Lago Friday night, the spokesperson said, citing concerns that a late-night motorcade movement during the operation could have alerted Venezuelan officials ahead of Operation Absolute Resolve.

Instead, the vice president remained engaged remotely, joining secure video conferences throughout the night to monitor developments as the mission unfolded. After the operation concluded, Vance returned to Cincinnati.

The spokesperson added that heightened security considerations have led the administration to limit how often and how long the president and vice president are “co-located” outside the White House.

Cuban leaders should be concerned following the U.S. military operation in Venezuela and the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday, as President Donald Trump signaled that his administration could shift its focus to the Caribbean island.

Cuba has long maintained a presence in Venezuela, with intelligence agents and security personnel embedded amid close relations between Havana and Caracas.

Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, said Venezuela’s spy agency was “basically full of Cubans,” as was Maduro’s security detail.

“One of the biggest problems Venezuelans have is they have to declare independence from Cuba,” he said during a news conference in which officials revealed details of the military operation. “They tried to basically colonize it from a security standpoint.”

He added that the communist island was “a disaster. It’s run by incompetent, senile men — and in some cases, not senile, but incompetent nonetheless.”

The secretary has repeatedly denounced Cuba and its leadership as a dictatorship and a failed state.”If I lived in Havana, and I was in the government, I’d be concerned — at least a little bit,” Rubio said.

Trump said Cuba was something his administration would “end up talking about because Cuba is a failing nation right now — a very badly failing nation.”

“And we want to help the people,” he added. “It’s very similar in the sense that we want to help the people in Cuba, but we also want to help the people who were forced out of Cuba and are living in this country.

“Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken by U.S. forces and brought aboard the USS Iwo Jima. They were expected to be transported to the U.S. to face federal charges.

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News Digital’s Louis Casiano.

Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of former Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, condemned President Donald Trump over the U.S. military operation in Venezuela.

In a statement, Kennedy said the military action violates U.S. and international law.

Furthermore, it sets a “dangerous precedent for Latin America and beyond.”

She also condemned the alleged widespread human rights abuses by Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

“At the same time, any actions taken in response must fully adhere to international and humanitarian law,” she wrote. “We urge the U.S. government to clearly articulate how its actions uphold these principles.”

Kennedy called for a peaceful democratic transition of power in the South American nation that “must respect the will of the Venezuelan people and be governed by the Venezuelan People.”

French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday that the Venezuelan people are “rid of Nicolás Maduro’s dictatorship,” welcoming the dramatic developments after President Donald Trump confirmed a U.S. operation that resulted in Maduro’s capture.

“The Venezuelan people are today rid of Nicolás Maduro’s dictatorship and can only rejoice,” Macron wrote on X, accusing Nicolás Maduro of seizing power and trampling fundamental freedoms.

Macron said the next phase must focus on a peaceful and democratic transition that respects the will of Venezuelan voters. He expressed hope that Edmundo González Urrutia, who was elected in 2024, can move quickly to guide the country forward.

The French leader said he is in active discussions with regional partners and added that France is “fully mobilized and vigilant,” particularly when it comes to protecting French nationals amid the rapidly changing situation.

Macron’s remarks add to a growing list of international reactions following Trump’s announcement of the U.S. military operation early Saturday morning.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised President Donald Trump on Saturday following the U.S. military operation in Venezuela, applauding what he called Trump’s “bold and historic leadership.”

In a post on X, Netanyahu congratulated Trump for acting “on behalf of freedom and justice” and commended the U.S. military for carrying out the mission.

“Congratulations, President Donald Trump, for your bold and historic leadership on behalf of freedom and justice,” Netanyahu wrote. “I salute your decisive resolve and the brilliant action of your brave soldiers.”

The message came after Trump confirmed that Nicolás Maduro and his wife had been captured and removed from the country to face U.S. charges in New York.

Venezuela, roughly twice the size of California, indisputably holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves.At an estimated 300 billion barrels, about 20% of the global total and nearly four times U.S. reserves, that endowment dwarfs that of any other nation.

Yet its crisis-stricken economy and persistent political instability have sharply limited its ability to convert those reserves into sustained production.

A similar dynamic has played out in countries like Iran and Libya, where political turmoil, economic crises and deteriorating infrastructure also constrain output despite vast resource wealth.

Venezuela’s stockpile, now larger than those of energy titans like Saudi Arabia, has become a central flashpoint in the geopolitical struggle surrounding the country’s future.

As Americans awoke to the news of U.S.
military strikes on Venezuela, and the capture and extraction of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, questions are being asked if Maduro was betrayed by someone from his secretive inner circle. 

That inner circle includes Diosdado Cabello, who currently holds the role of minister of interior, justice, and peace, is widely believed to be as powerful as Maduro.

Another member of that inner circle is Vladimir Padrino, the longstanding head of the nation’s Armed Forces, who wields enormous power. Both Cabello and Padrino quickly condemned U.S. actions, but their responses so far have rung hollow.

Cabello now stands as the undisputed heir to the Chavista movement, with Padrino and the nation’s military muscle seemingly in lockstep, yet the Venezuelan Armed Forces seemingly put up no resistance of any kind to the operation.

In an early morning video shared on X, Padrino lambasted the “criminal military aggression by the government of the United States…coming to strike with their missiles and rockets fired from combat helicopters in Fuerte Tuna, Caracas, and the states of Mirana, Aragua, and La Guaira.

“He repeated decades-old Hugo Chavez talking points, stating, “Venezuela rejects with all its strength the presence of these foreign troops which have only brought death, pain and destruction. This invasion represents the greatest tragedy that the country has suffered, which is motivated by an insatiable greed for our strategic resources.”

With a $50 million bounty on Maduro’s head, considerable domestic unpopularity, and the disputed 2024 election which the international community widely discredited as stolen, the writing appeared on the wall for Nicolas Maduro for years.

Now, Maduro and Flores are reportedly guests of the United States government on the warship Iwo Jima, bound for New York to face what is likely to be the trial of the decade. Maduro is facing weapons and drug charges.

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News Digital’s David Unsworth.

President Donald Trump released photos Saturday afternoon showing himself and senior members of his cabinet monitoring the early-morning U.S. military operation in Venezuela from Mar-a-Lago.

The images, posted to Trump’s Truth Social account, show Trump seated at a long table alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Homeland Security Adviser Stephen Miller, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, with aides and security personnel standing nearby. Computer screens and communications equipment appear visible in several shots.

The photos were taken in the early hours of Saturday morning as U.S. forces carried out what he described as a “large-scale strike” in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

The images offer a rare behind-the-scenes look at Trump and his national security team tracking the operation in real time from Florida.

Chevron, the only remaining U.S. oil company operating in Venezuela, said it continues to run its limited operations in “full compliance” with all applicable laws following the predawn capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

“We continue to operate in full compliance with all relevant laws and regulations,” a Chevron spokesperson wrote in a statement to Fox News Digital.

The company emphasized that its priority remains the safety and wellbeing of its employees and the integrity of its assets, declining to comment on the broader security environment in Venezuela as the political situation rapidly evolves.

Chevron has maintained a constrained presence in the country through joint ventures with the state-run oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), after other U.S. energy firms exited amid nationalization efforts, sanctions and political instability.

President Donald Trump said U.S. energy companies could play a central role in rebuilding the country’s oil sector. He added that the United States continues to enforce its embargo on Venezuelan oil.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., warned that President Donald Trump’s announcement that the U.S. would run Venezuela should cause alarm among Americans. 

Trump during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago told reporters that following strikes on Venezuela’s capital Caracas, and the subsequent capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife on Saturday that the U.S. would be running the country. 

“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said. “So, we don’t want to be involved with having somebody else get in and we have the same situation that we had for the last long period of years.”

But Schumer noted that moving ahead with the strikes and “without a credible plan for what comes next is reckless.” 

“The administration has assured me three separate times that it was not pursuing regime change or taking military action in Venezuela,” Schumer said. “Clearly, they are not being straight with Americans.”

“The idea that Trump plans to now run Venezuela should strike fear in the hearts of all Americans,” he continued. “The American people have seen this before and paid the devastating price.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump both weighed in on why Congress wasn’t notified of the strikes — Rubio warned it could have endangered Operation Absolute Resolve while Trump charged that lawmakers leak information.

Schumer demanded that the administration brief lawmakers on its objective in Venezuela immediately, and what plan Trump had to prevent a humanitarian and geopolitical disaster “that plunges us into another endless war or one that trades one corrupt dictator for another.”

Colombian President Gustavo Petro needs to watch his backside, according to President Donald Trump.

A reporter asked Trump whether Petro should be worried following the U.S. operation in Venezuela in which dictator Nicolás Maduro was captured.

“Well, he has cocaine mills. He has, factories where he makes cocaine, and. Yeah, I think I stick by my first statement. He’s making cocaine. They’re sending it into the United States. So he does have to watch his a–,” Trump said.

Petro posted a lengthy condemnation of the U.S. operation in Venezuela, claiming it was carried out in violation of the United Nations charter, an argument made by other foreign leaders.

President Donald Trump offered a simple answer as to why lawmakers weren’t notified ahead of Operation Absolute Resolve: Congress leaks. 

Several lawmakers are furious that they were not notified ahead of the surprise strikes, and subsequent capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife on Saturday.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago told reporters that lawmakers weren’t notified ahead of time out of concern that it could endanger the operation, but were called right after. He noted that “this is not the kind of mission that you can do congressional notification on; it was a trigger-based mission in which conditions had to be met night after night.”

“We watched and monitored that for a number of days,” Rubio said. “So, it’s just simply not the kind of mission you can call people and say, ‘hey, we may do this at some point in the next 15 days.’”

Trump interjected with a simpler explanation. 

“Congress has a tendency to leak,” Trump said. 

“This would not be good if they leaked, General, I think it would have been maybe a very different result,” he continued. “But I have to say they knew we were coming at some point, you know, we had a lot of ships out there, they sort of knew what we were. But Congress, Congress will leak and we don’t want to leakers.”

Despite the historic U.S. operation leading to the capture of Nicolás Maduro, the embargo on Venezuelan oil has not been lifted, President Donald Trump announced on Saturday.

“The embargo on all Venezuelan oil remains in full effect. The American armada remains poised in position, and the United States retains all military options until the United States demands have been fully met and fully satisfied,” the president said. “All political and military figures in Venezuela should understand what happened to Maduro can happen to them.”

President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the U.S. had “overwhelming evidence” against Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

“Maduro and his wife were soon face the full might of American justice and stand trial on American soil… But we have people where the overwhelming evidence of their crimes will be presented in a court of law. And I’ve seen it. I’ve seen what we have. It’s both horrible and breathtaking that something like this could have been allowed to take place.”

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., accused the Trump administration of running a smokescreen to hide the real reason that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured Saturday. 

“It’s not about drugs,” Ocasio-Cortez said on X. “If it was, Trump wouldn’t have pardoned one of the largest narco traffickers in the world last month.”

President Donald Trump’s pardon last year of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández of a drug trafficking conviction was already a sticking point for several congressional Democrats and some Republicans, but Ocasio-Cortez and her colleagues have since argued that it’s a point of hypocrisy by the administration in the wake of Maduro’s extraction.

Trump and top officials have long accused Maduro of drug trafficking and working with cartels and gangs that have been designated as terrorist organizations. Over the last year, the administration has carried out several strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean in an effort to stymie the flow of drugs into the U.S. 

But Ocasio-Cortez argued that the Trump administration’s motives were more sinister, and geared toward shifting the balance of power in Venezuela, along with pointing attention elsewhere from key issues in the U.S. 

“It’s about oil and regime change,” she continued. “And they need a trial now to pretend that it isn’t. Especially to distract from Epstein + skyrocketing healthcare costs.”

President Donald Trump
said on Saturday that U.S. oil companies would spend “billions” to fix the oil infrastructure in Venezuela.

“As everyone knows, the oil business in Venezuela has been a bust. A total bust for a long period of time. They were pumping almost nothing by comparison to what they could have been pumping and what could have taken place,” Trump said.

“We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go and spend billions of dollars to fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country.”

President Donald Trump said at a press conference at Mar-a-Lago that the United States will temporarily run Venezuela after the capture of Nicolás Maduro.

“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said from his Palm Beach, Fla., residence. “So we don’t want to be involved with having somebody else get in. And we have the same situation that we had for the last long period of years. So we are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition. And it has to be judicious because that’s what we’re all about. We want peace, liberty and justice for the great people of Venezuela, and that includes many from Venezuela that are now living in the United States and want to go back to their country. It’s their homeland.”

President Donald Trump shared an image of Venezuela dictator Nicolás Maduro aboard the U.S.S. Iwo Jima.

The dictator appeared in a gray sweatsuit and was seemingly blindfolded and restrained. He was also holding a plastic water bottle.

Overnight, the U.S. carried out strikes in Venezuela and captured Maduro and his wife. The duo are on their way to New York where they will stand trial for criminal charges.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., backed President Donald Trump’s decision to arrest Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife amid partisan praise and backlash for the early Saturday operation.

“Today’s military action in Venezuela was a decisive and justified operation that will protect American lives,” Johnson said in a statement on X.

“Nicolas Maduro is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans after years of trafficking illegal drugs and violent cartel members into our country — crimes for which he’s been properly indicted in U.S. courts and an arrest warrant duly issued — and today he learned what accountability looks like,” he continued.

Trump confirmed that Maduro and his wife were captured after strikes and taken from the country after strikes in Venezuela’s capital Caracas. He’s expected to address the nation on the operation at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Meanwhile, the strikes have driven yet another partisan wedge between the aisles in Washington, D.C. Johnson and congressional Republicans have largely come to bat for Trump and the administration. The speaker said the president’s move “will no longer allow criminal regimes to profit from wreaking havoc and destruction on our country.”

And the speaker noted that lawmakers would soon be clued in on what happened over the weekend.“The Trump Administration is working to schedule briefings for Members as Congress returns to Washington next week,” Johnson said. “Our brave military personnel who executed a precise, successful operation deserve our gratitude and congratulations.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned U.S. action in Venezuela, saying that it was carried out in violation of the United Nations Charter.

The Mexican president posted on X verbatim Article 2, Section 4 of the U.N. Charter, which reads “All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.”

In a statement, the Mexican government called for “respect for international law” after the U.S. carried out strikes on Venezuela overnight and captured its leader Nicolás Maduro. 

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres was “deeply alarmed” after the U.S. carried out strikes in Venezuela and captured its leader Nicolás Maduro, Stéphane Dujarric, spokesman for the Secretary-General, said in a statement to Fox News.

“Independently of the situation in Venezuela, these developments constitute a dangerous precedent. The Secretary-General continues to emphasize the importance of full respect – by all – of international law, including the UN Charter. He’s deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected,” Dujarric said. “The Secretary-General calls on all actors in Venezuela to engage in inclusive dialogue, in full respect of human rights and the rule of law.”

The U.N. Security Council (UNSC) could possibly hold an emergency meeting on Saturday following the U.S. actions in Venezuela, Fox News has learned. Reports indicate that Venezuela could have demanded the meeting. Additionally, Russia, which condemned the U.S. strikes, publicly called for an “immediate meeting” of the UNSC.

President Donald Trump told “Fox & Friends Weekend” that Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife were taken by helicopter to the U.S.S. Iwo Jima. The two were captured during an operation on Saturday morning in Caracas.

Fox News host Griff Jenkins asked Trump
, “Before we let you go, though, can you tell us where Maduro and his wife are right this second?””

Well, they’ll be heading to New York,” Trump said. Griffin interjected, “were they taken to a ship first?”

“Yes, the Iwo Jima,” Trump said. “They’ll be heading into New York. The helicopters took them out, and they went by helicopter on a nice flight. I’m sure they loved it, but they’ve killed a lot of people.”

“Even people in their own country. They killed a lot of people to maintain power. He’s a very vicious person.”

Earlier on Saturday, Trump confirmed on Truth Social that the U.S. carried out strikes in Caracas and captured both Maduro and his wife.

Fox News has learned that Maduro could make an appearance in federal court in New York, where he was indicted years ago, as soon as Monday.

Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) condemned
U.S. strikes on Venezuela, saying that the U.S. carried out “an act of armed aggression” that “gives rise to deep concern [and] warrants condemnation.”

“The pretexts used to justify these actions are untenable,” the Russian MFA wrote in a post on X. “Russia reaffirms its solidarity with the Venezuelan people.”

In a longer statement, Russia’s MFA called for the prevention of further escalation and urged the U.S. and Venezuela “to focus on finding a solution through dialogue.” The Kremlin added that “Latin America must remain a zone of peace, as it proclaimed itself in 2014.”

This comes as the Trump administration has been attempting to negotiate peace in the nearly four-year-long Ukraine-Russia war. Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 during the Biden administration.

President Donald Trump spoke with “Fox & Friends Weekend” on Saturday morning just hours after the U.S. hit Venezuela and captured its leader Nicolás Maduro.

The president said that he watched the operation from Mar-a-Lago.

“It’s just it was an amazing thing, the amazing job that these people did. There’s nobody else could have done anything like it,” Trump said of the historic operation.

When asked about critics who have emerged in the hours since the strikes, Trump brushed it off, saying that they were “weak, stupid people.”

Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro could make an initial appearance in federal court in Manhattan as soon as this coming Monday, Fox News is told.

The timing could change at this stage, but his appearance will happen “likely Monday,” Fox News learned.

President Donald Trump said the U.S. carried out a strike on Venezuela early Saturday and captured Maduro and his wife, who have been flown out of the country. Attorney General Pam Bondi reiterated that Maduro and his wife had already been indicted in the Southern District of New York.

Vice President JD Vance stood by President Donald Trump’s decision to carry out strikes in Venezuela and to capture dictator Nicolás 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. Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says,” Vance wrote on X.

“Kudos to our brave special operators who pulled off a truly impressive operation,” he added.

The strikes on Venezuela and capture of Maduro have been praised and condemned across the globe. While some countries expressed concern that the move would lead to chaos in the region, others cheered on the U.S.

World leaders were sharply divided Saturday after the United States launched a large-scale strike on Venezuela and President Donald Trump announced that the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, had been captured and flown out of the country.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez condemned what he called a “criminal attack,” writing on X that, “Our zone of peace is being brutally assaulted.” Communist Cuba is a supporter of the Maduro government and has been a longtime adversary of the United States.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said his government viewed the reports coming out of Venezuela “with deep concern,” and he warned against further escalation, claiming the U.S. strikes risked destabilizing the region.

“The Colombian Government rejects any unilateral military action that could aggravate the situation or put the civilian population at risk,” Petro wrote on X.

Meanwhile, President Javier Milei of Argentina, a close ally of Trump, praised the news by sharing a previous video of him denouncing Maduro’s “narco-terrorist” regime as a regional threat and urging Latin American leaders to back U.S. pressure to end it.

“Long live freedom, dammit!” Milei wrote, using his signature pro-freedom chant.

Days before he was captured by U.S. forces, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro
said that his government was open to negotiating an agreement with the U.S. aimed at fighting drug trafficking.

The pre-taped interview was staged with Maduro seated behind the wheel of a car and driving with Spanish journalist Ignacio Ramonet in the passenger seat while they discussed a potential deal. In the clip that aired on state TV, Maduro said Venezuela is “ready” to discuss a drug-trafficking deal with the U.S. He called on the countries to “start talking seriously, with data in hand.”

“The U.S. government knows, because we’ve told many of their spokespeople, that if they want to seriously discuss an agreement to combat drug trafficking, we’re ready,” he said. “If they want oil, Venezuela is ready for U.S. investment, like with Chevron, whenever they want it, wherever they want it and however they want it.”

Chevron Corp. is the only major U.S. oil company currently exporting Venezuelan crude to the United States.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., who was born in Cuba and serves on the House Armed Services Committee, praised the Trump administration for striking Venezuela and capturing Nicolás Maduro.

“President Trump has changed the course of history in our hemisphere. Our country and the world are safer for it,” Gimenez wrote on X. “Today’s decisive action is this hemisphere’s equivalent to the Fall of the Berlin Wall.”

“It’s a big day in Florida, where the majority of Venezuelan, Cuban and Nicaraguan exiles reside. This is the community I represent & we are overwhelmed with emotion and hope,” Gimenez added.

Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed Saturday that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores will face the “full wrath of American justice” following their capture by U.S. forces in Venezuela and extraction from the country.

In an X post, Bondi reiterated that Maduro and his wife had been indicted in the Southern District of New York.

“Nicholas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States. They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts,” Bondi wrote.

“On behalf of the entire U.S. DOJ, I would like to thank President Trump for having the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American People, and a huge thank you to our brave military who conducted the incredible and highly successful mission to capture these two alleged international narco traffickers,” she added.

According to the State Department’s website, Maduro was charged in the Southern District of New York in 2020 for narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., also reiterated on X that Maduro “was indicted in U.S. court nearly six years ago for drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.”

“Nicolas Maduro wasn’t just an illegitimate dictator; he also ran a vast drug-trafficking operation,” Cotton wrote.

The senator added that Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Maduro would “face justice for his crimes against our citizens.”

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro reportedly made a statement on television and radio condemning the U.S.’s “grave military aggression” against his country.

Maduro reportedly said the U.S. strikes were carried out in violation of the United Nations Charter and that Washington put peace and stability at risk across Latin America and the Caribbean, according to The Miami Herald.

“This is an attack against the sovereignty of Venezuela,” Maduro reportedly said. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reposted a reminder that he long asserted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was not the legitimate president of the country.

“Maduro is the head of the Cartel de Los Soles, a narco-terror organization which has taken possession of a country. And he is under indictment for pushing drugs into the United States,” Rubio wrote in a post on X in July that he reposted following Maduro’s capture.

President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the U.S. carried out overnight strikes in Venezuela and that Maduro had been “captured and flown out of the country.”

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez demanded in audio played on state TV that the U.S. provide “proof of life” for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

“We demand that President Donald Trump’s government provide immediate proof of life for President Maduro and the First Lady,” Rodriguez said, according to Reuters.

In August, the U.S. announced a $50 million bounty for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Maduro.

President Donald Trump announced on Jan. 3 that the U.S. carried out overnight strikes in Venezuela and “captured” Maduro and his wife.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said on Saturday that he spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio after the U.S. carried out A major strike inside Venezuela.

Lee said Rubio told him the actions carried out in Venezuela were to protect U.S. personnel executing an arrest warrant for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The senator added that Rubio said Maduro is expected to stand trial in the U.S. on criminal charges.

“He anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in U.S. custody,” Lee added in a subsequent post on X.

The Republican lawmaker announced his conversation with Rubio after  questioning the legality of the strikes in a previous post. However, after speaking with Rubio, Lee said he believed that “this action likely falls within the president’s inherent authority under Article II of the Constitution to protect U.S. personnel from an actual or imminent attack.”

The U.S. military carried out a “large-scale strike” in Venezuela early Saturday morning and took Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife into custody, President Donald Trump confirmed.

The president wrote on Truth Social that the operation was successful and Maduro and his wife were “captured and flown out of the country.” Trump said the operation was conducted with U.S. law enforcement and added that a news conference will take place at Mar-a-Lago at 11 a.m. on Saturday.

At least seven explosions could be heard in Venezuela’s capital city of Caracas
early Saturday morning, according to The Associated Press, and low-flying aircraft were seen flying over Caracas at about 2 a.m. local time.

The Venezuelan government said in a statement that “the civilian and military localities of the city of Caracas, capital of the Republic, and the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira” were impacted by the attack.