Overview
- President Donald Trump told The Atlantic that Delcy Rodríguez will “pay a very high price, probably higher than Maduro,” if she does not “do the right thing,” while leaving open the prospect of further action.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington will judge Venezuela’s leaders by their actions and retain leverage through an oil export blockade, seizures of sanctioned tankers, and drug interdictions, adding that no U.S. troops remain on the ground after the raid.
- Nicolás Maduro is in U.S. custody in New York following a U.S. operation in Caracas that bombed military targets and extracted him and Cilia Flores.
- Venezuela’s Supreme Court and top commanders recognized Rodríguez as interim president as she demanded proof of life for Maduro and vowed to defend the country’s natural resources.
- U.S. officials broadened warnings to Mexico, Colombia, and Cuba, while signaling no immediate backing for opposition figure María Corina Machado and promoting prospective U.S. oil investment if Caracas aligns with U.S. demands.