‎Trump Signals U.S. Will Oversee Venezuela After Maduro Arrest, Leaves Door Open to Troop Deployment

‎U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated that the United States will take an active and prolonged role in Venezuela following the arrest of Nicolas Maduro by American forces, with the Venezuelan leader set to face drug-related charges in New York.

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‎Donald Trump says the U.S. will administer Venezuela following Nicolas Maduro’s capture, with control over oil resources and potential troop presence.

‎Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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‎Speaking to journalists on Saturday, Trump said the United States would assume responsibility for governing the country and did not rule out deploying American troops on Venezuelan soil.

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‎He stated that Washington intends to oversee Venezuela until a secure, orderly, and carefully managed transition can be implemented.

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‎Trump also said Venezuela’s oil resources would be used to finance the U.S. mission and compensate American companies that previously operated in the country before their assets were nationalized under Maduro’s socialist government.

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‎He further projected that U.S. energy firms would invest billions of dollars to restore Venezuela’s oil facilities and significantly increase production. Despite this, Trump confirmed that the existing U.S. oil embargo on Venezuela would stay in place.

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‎According to Trump, the U.S. State Department and the Pentagon would manage Venezuela’s administration, working alongside certain officials from Maduro’s government.

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‎He revealed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has communicated with Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who allegedly told U.S. officials they would comply with American requirements.

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‎Trump remarked that while Rodriguez appeared cooperative, he believed she had limited alternatives. He emphasized that the U.S. would not remove Maduro and then withdraw, insisting that abandoning the country would leave it with no chance of recovery. He said the United States would govern Venezuela in a structured and professional manner.

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‎Trump rejected the idea of opposition figure María Corina Machado—who received the Nobel Peace Prize last year—becoming the country’s next leader, arguing that she lacks sufficient domestic backing. Machado, meanwhile, said online that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, whom the opposition claims won last year’s election, should immediately take office as president under the constitution.

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‎When questioned about the future involvement of the U.S. military and the possibility of deploying troops, Trump said it remained an option.

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‎He said the United States is not opposed to placing troops on the ground and would ensure Venezuela is properly governed, stressing that the intervention would not be pointless.

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‎Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, told reporters that U.S. military forces in the region remain on high alert.

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‎Trump added that while the military is prepared to launch a much larger operation if required, he believes further action is unlikely due to the success of the initial strike. He said the U.S. naval fleet positioned in the area will stay until American demands are completely fulfilled.

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‎Based on Trump’s comments, U.S. efforts are currently centered on Venezuela’s energy sector. Although the country holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, output has declined sharply, and the economy has deteriorated amid U.S. sanctions and what Trump described as Maduro’s mismanagement.

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‎Trump said the United States will maintain a presence in Venezuela related to oil operations, providing expertise to increase extraction. He explained that the resulting wealth would benefit Venezuelans, foreign entities that previously operated in the country, and the United States, which he said would receive compensation for damages attributed to Venezuela.