Ekaterina Girnyk11:41, 03.01.26

Trump promised to provide details at a press conference.

US President Donald Trump commented on the operation in Venezuela , where US forces have been striking the capital, Caracas, since the night of January 3. He confirmed the operation was successful and also announced the capture of the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro.

“The United States of America successfully carried out a massive strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who was captured and taken out of the country along with his wife,” Trump said.

Trump also announced that a press conference will be held at Mar-a-Lago today at 11:00 a.m. (6:00 p.m. Kyiv time) to announce further details.

Updated 12:34 p.m .: US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau stated that Nicolás Maduro “will face justice.”

“A new era for Venezuela! The tyrant is gone. Now he will finally face justice for his crimes,” he wrote.

Updated July 12, President Trump told The New York Times it was a “brilliant operation.”

“A lot of good planning, a lot of great troops and great people,” Trump said. 

According to CBS News , Maduro was captured early Saturday morning by Delta Force, the top special forces unit in the US military. This unit was previously responsible for the 2019 operation to assassinate former Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Venezuelan opposition sources told Sky News that they believe Nicolás Maduro’s capture was a “contract.”

Asked whether he had sought congressional authorization for the operation or what awaits Venezuela next, Trump said he would discuss those issues at his Mar-a-Lago press conference in the morning.

A US official said there were no American casualties in the operation but declined to comment on Venezuelan casualties.

(C)UNIAN 2025