Donald Trump announced Saturday that America will “run” Venezuela—and steal its vast oil reserves to sell to other nations.
WHAT’S GOING ON: In the early morning hours of Saturday, U.S. forces launched what Trump called a “large-scale strike” on Caracas, Venezuela’s capital.
At least seven explosions rocked the city around 2 a.m. local time as low-flying aircraft swept through. Within 30 minutes, Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured from their home on a military base and flown out of the country aboard a U.S. warship.
Maduro—wearing a sweatsuit and blindfold, according to a photo Trump posted on social media—was later transported to New York to face prosecution on “narco-terrorism” conspiracy charges from a 2020 indictment.
THE DETAILS: Trump didn’t hide his intentions. At a Mar-a-Lago press conference, he revealed plans to “fix” Venezuela’s oil infrastructure and sell “large amounts” of oil to other countries. “
We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said.
The operation was conducted without congressional approval—the most assertive American action to achieve regime change since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Some Venezuelan civilians and military members were killed, according to Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, though she didn’t provide numbers.
BUT BUT BUT: Legal experts immediately raised questions about whether any of this was lawful.
Congress has not specifically approved an authorization for military force in the region. Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said he’d seen “no evidence” justifying the strike without congressional approval.
The U.N. Security Council plans to hold an emergency meeting Monday on U.S. operations in Venezuela.
OF COURSE: Trump also dismissed Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado—who actually won the 2024 election by a 2-to-1 margin before Maduro’s loyalists declared him the winner—saying she lacks the “support” or “respect” to run the country. So much for democracy being the justification here.
WHY IT MATTERS: The Trump administration is framing this as a drug enforcement operation, but the quiet part is now very loud: this is about oil and regional dominance.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio even suggested Cuba could be next, saying if he “lived in Havana and was in the government, I’d be concerned at least a little bit.” Meanwhile, the people who actually live in Venezuela are left wondering who’s in charge as protests break out on both sides—some demanding Maduro’s return, others celebrating in the streets.