By Ginika Igboke
President Donald Trump said Sunday that the United States is prepared to launch a second strike on Venezuela if the country’s leaders “do not behave” following a dramatic U.S. operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this week.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said the administration is ready to escalate if necessary. “We’re prepared to do a second strike, if we need it. We’re totally prepared,” he said. “If they don’t behave, we will do a second strike.”
The early-morning operation, carried out around 2 a.m. local time on Jan. 3 in and around Caracas, resulted in the capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The mission also included airstrikes on key strategic targets such as infrastructure, ports, and communications facilities. U.S. officials said the operation lasted less than 30 minutes and was completed without American casualties.
Maduro is facing multiple charges in the United States, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons-related offenses. He is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and is expected to be arraigned in New York City on Jan. 5.
Following the operation, U.S. officials said Washington has assumed temporary control over Venezuela’s administration. Trump reiterated that point during his remarks, saying, “We are in charge.”
He said rebuilding Venezuela’s economy and infrastructure—particularly its oil sector—would be a top priority. “Venezuela right now is a dead country. We have to bring it back,” Trump said, adding that major oil companies are prepared to invest heavily in restoring the nation’s infrastructure.
Trump said elections would not be held immediately, emphasizing that stabilization must come first. “We’re going to run everything, fix it,” he said. “We’ll have elections at the right time. It’s a broken country. There’s no money.”
In the meantime, former Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has assumed the role of acting leader. She condemned the capture of Maduro and his wife and called for their release but has since signaled a willingness to engage with the United States.
On Jan. 4, Rodríguez wrote on social media that she was open to cooperation with Washington on shared development goals within the framework of international law. Her comments followed Trump’s warning that she could “pay a very big price” if she failed to cooperate with the administration.
When asked whether U.S. ground troops might be deployed in Venezuela, Trump said that decision would depend on how events unfold.
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