U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Washington could carry out another military strike against Venezuela after the detention of President Nicolas Maduro, warning that further action could follow if remaining members of the government fail to cooperate with U.S. efforts to stabilise the country.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump’s remarks raised the prospect of additional U.S. military involvement in Latin America. He also suggested that Colombia and Mexico could face military measures if they do not curb the flow of illegal drugs into the United States, adding that Cuba, a close ally of Venezuela, appeared close to collapse without U.S. intervention.
Maduro is being held in a New York detention facility ahead of a court appearance on drug-related charges. His capture has triggered widespread uncertainty over Venezuela’s future. Trump said the United States intends to work with remaining officials from Maduro’s administration to combat drug trafficking and reform the oil sector, rather than immediately push for new elections. Senior figures in the Maduro government remain in office and have described the detention of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, as an abduction.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello insisted Maduro remains Venezuela’s legitimate president, warning against what he described as foreign provocation. Images of the 63-year-old leader blindfolded and handcuffed shocked many Venezuelans, marking what analysts describe as Washington’s most contentious intervention in the region since the 1989 invasion of Panama.
Venezuela’s defence minister said the U.S. operation killed soldiers and civilians, as well as much of Maduro’s security detail, and confirmed the armed forces had been placed on alert. Cuba said dozens of its citizens were killed during the raid.
Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who also serves as oil minister, has assumed interim leadership with the backing of Venezuela’s top court, while maintaining that Maduro remains president. Although regarded as one of the more pragmatic figures in Maduro’s inner circle, Rodriguez has publicly rejected Trump’s claim that she is prepared to cooperate with Washington. Trump later warned she could face harsher consequences if she failed to comply.
The Trump administration has framed Maduro’s detention as a law-enforcement action linked to U.S. criminal charges filed in 2020, including alleged narco-terrorism. Trump, however, also said U.S. oil companies require full access to Venezuela’s reserves and cited mass migration from Venezuela as a factor behind the operation. Venezuelan officials accused Washington of seeking control over the country’s natural resources, particularly oil.
Once among Latin America’s wealthiest nations, Venezuela’s economy deteriorated sharply under former president Hugo Chavez and worsened under Maduro, forcing around one in five citizens to leave the country.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Venezuela’s next leadership must prevent the oil industry from falling into the hands of U.S. adversaries and halt drug trafficking, pointing to an ongoing U.S. blockade on oil tankers.
In Caracas, small groups of Maduro supporters gathered for a government-backed protest, while daily life in many areas continued cautiously, with shops open and residents stocking up on essentials. Opposition figures have been hesitant to celebrate Maduro’s detention, amid uncertainty over what comes next.
Trump dismissed the idea of opposition leader and Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado assuming power, saying she lacked sufficient backing. Machado has argued that her ally Edmundo Gonzalez won the 2024 election and holds a legitimate mandate.
Questions are mounting in Washington over the scope and duration of U.S. involvement. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the administration has not clarified how long U.S. forces might remain in Venezuela, raising concerns about a prolonged conflict. International criticism has also grown, with calls for respect for international law and scrutiny over the legality of detaining a sitting head of state. The U.N. Security Council is set to discuss the situation, while Russia and China have condemned U.S. actions.
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