US will run Venezuela until safe transition can take place, says Trump

US President Donald Trump has said that the United States will run Venezuela until a transition of power takes place, adding that American oil companies will operate in the country.

Addressing a press conference in Florida, Trump announced criminal charges against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, stating that Maduro and his wife are being transferred to New York where they will face trial. He said they would be brought before the law and held accountable.

Trump claimed that on his orders, the US military carried out an extraordinary operation in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. He said the operation showcased the full strength of US air, land, and naval power, calling it an exceptional display of American military capability.

The US president said that Maduro and his wife were arrested by American forces from their bedroom, adding that Caracas was in complete darkness at the time due to a power outage.

Drawing comparisons with past US operations, Trump said similar tactics were used against Qasem Soleimani and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and also referenced attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, claiming that US forces hit their targets with complete precision. He said no other country in the world could carry out such operations.

Earlier, Trump stated that he watched the video of Maduro’s arrest live like a television show, alongside senior military generals in Florida. In an interview with a US television channel, he said that Maduro was being transported to New York aboard a US Navy ship, where he would face charges of drug trafficking and weapons smuggling in a Manhattan court.

Trump said the operation against Maduro had been secretly planned since early December, but added that the future leadership of Venezuela had yet to be decided. He also confirmed that some Americans were injured in a helicopter accident during the operation.

Meanwhile, US media reported that Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured by American forces inside their bedroom.

It is worth noting that the United States launched military strikes on Venezuela earlier today, with US warplanes and Delta Force units targeting key locations in Caracas.

Venezuela has strongly condemned the attacks, calling them an act of aggression, and accused the United States of attempting to seize control of the country’s oil and mineral resources.