Tehran - BORNA - Donald Trump said on Saturday that he followed the operation to detain Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro live on television. In an interview with Fox News, Trump reported that several U.S. personnel were wounded during the mission, but no fatalities were recorded.
The U.S. President further claimed that, to his knowledge, no one was killed during Maduro's arrest, describing the timing of the operation as "absolutely perfect." He added that the mission was originally scheduled for four days earlier but was postponed due to unfavorable weather conditions.
According to Trump, Maduro was in a "heavily fortified fortress" at the time of his capture, but U.S. forces were fully prepared for such conditions. He asserted that Washington cannot allow anyone else in Venezuela to continue the path taken by previous leaders.
"We will have a role in who takes over the reins in Venezuela, and we are deciding on that right now," Trump said, noting that the U.S. is currently determining the next steps regarding Venezuela's political leadership.
The U.S. President also indicated that he would consider the possibility of handing the leadership of Venezuela to María Corina Machado, a figure close to Washington. He further stated that the United States intends to have a "strong" presence and intervention in Venezuela’s oil sector.
Trump revealed that he had spoken with Maduro about a week before the recent developments, advising him to surrender. However, he claimed that the U.S. was ultimately forced to "take action." He emphasized that the operation targeting Maduro was not merely a limited act but conveyed "signals and messages."
"Those who remain loyal to Maduro will face a very bad future," the U.S. President threatened.
Touching upon the issue of narcotics, Trump claimed: "We lose 300,000 people a year to drugs, and we will no longer allow this situation to continue with any country."
Trump claimed that following his arrest, Nicolás Maduro was moved to a ship and is expected to be transferred to New York.
Regarding Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Trump alleged: "She is a good woman, but the cartels run Mexico. She doesn't run Mexico; the cartels run Mexico. We can say out of politeness, 'Yes, she runs it.' But no, no; she is very afraid of the cartels. Something must be done about Mexico."
These remarks follow the U.S. aggression against Venezuelan territory earlier today. In its first official reaction, the Venezuelan government strongly condemned the U.S. military invasion, declaring that "the entire country must mobilize to defeat this imperialist aggression."
Earlier on Saturday, Donald Trump claimed in a post on his "Truth Social" platform: "The United States of America has successfully conducted a major strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro." He further alleged that "Maduro and his wife have been captured and removed from the country."
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