President Donald Trump didn’t bother easing into it. Standing at Mar-a-Lago just hours after U.S. forces removed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power, Trump said the United States—alongside American oil companies—will run Venezuela and take control of the country’s oil.
“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago. “We don’t want to be involved with having somebody else get in and have the same situation that we had for the last long period of years.”
The comments came just hours after a dramatic overnight U.S. military operation that resulted in the capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Both are now being transported to New York, where they are expected to face multiple federal charges.
While Trump offered limited details on how the U.S. would govern Venezuela in the short term, he left little doubt about the administration’s economic priorities. American oil companies, he said, will take over Venezuela’s energy infrastructure.
“We’re gonna get the oil flowing,” Trump said.
According to the president, U.S. companies would help “fix the badly broken infrastructure, and start making money for the country,” signaling a hands-on approach to reviving Venezuela’s oil sector, once one of the most productive in the world.
Trump appeared almost amazed as he described watching the military operation unfold.
“I watched it literally like I was watching a television show,” he said in an interview with Fox News, praising the military for what he called an “amazing job.” He said Maduro had attempted to negotiate before being captured but failed to reach a deal.
The operation, Trump revealed, had been planned days earlier but was delayed due to conditions.
“The weather was not perfect. The weather has to be perfect,” he said, adding that there were no U.S. military fatalities and no loss of aircraft during the strikes.
Attorney General Pam Bondi later confirmed that Maduro and Flores have been indicted in New York. Maduro faces charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and possession of machineguns and destructive devices against the United States.
The raid marked the climax of a pressure campaign that began months ago. In September, the Trump administration launched military strikes in the Caribbean Sea targeting alleged drug traffickers operating from boats linked to Venezuelan networks.
Reaction in Washington was swift and divided.
Democrats criticized the move, arguing that Trump acted without authorization or consultation from Congress. Some warned the operation could drag the U.S. into a prolonged conflict with no clear plan for exit.
Republicans, particularly those from Florida, praised Trump’s actions, calling them decisive and long overdue.
For now, Trump insists U.S. control of Venezuela will be temporary, focused on preventing another failed regime from taking power and stabilizing the country’s economy. Still, his blunt language—especially about oil—has fueled debate over whether the mission is about security, justice, or strategic resources.
Watch the clips below.
🇺🇸🇻🇪 Question: You said the US will run Venezuela. So who is in power right now?
Trump: We will run it together with a group. We will ensure it's run properly. We will rebuild the oil infrastructure that will cost billions of dollars.pic.twitter.com/YTCXPSWhbv
— Oz News (@oznewsss) January 3, 2026
"We're going to run the country."
There it is.
Trump invaded a country and took it over to control their oil.
Maduro was a dictator. But this was not about liberating Venezuela. It was about oil and power, as it always is.
"Drug cartels" is the new "WMDs."
History repeats. pic.twitter.com/dRfmVMNSeB
— Zeo 🎄 (@ZeoVGM) January 3, 2026
