Hours after United States (U.S.) forces invaded Venezuela and captured President
Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, U.S. President, Donald Trump, said on Saturday that his country has taken over the affairs of Venezuela.
“We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said in a press conference from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida.
The U.S. launched a large-scale surprise attack on the country overnight.
The Venezuela operation “was 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, many helicopters, many planes, many people involved in that fight,” Trump said.
U.S. forces captured Maduro and Cilia Flores. The couple have been indicted in the Southern District of New York on drug-trafficking charges.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, said the mission involved “more than 150 aircraft launching across the western hemisphere in political coordination, all coming together in time and place to layer effects for a single purpose, to get an interdiction force into downtown Caracas, while maintaining the element of tactical surprise.”
Trump said the U.S. would be in charge of Venezuela until there is a safe transition of leadership. He also said the U.S. would be running the country “with a group” and “designating various people,” without providing details.
According to Trump, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as president and had been in contact with Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.
“She’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again,” Trump said.
