Overview
- American forces conducted a large, multi‑domain assault on Caracas that Trump said overwhelmed Venezuelan defenses, cut power in parts of the capital, and resulted in no U.S. deaths or equipment losses.
- Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken aboard the USS Iwo Jima and are being transported to New York to face U.S. indictments that include narco‑terrorism and weapons charges, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
- Trump said the United States will run Venezuela until a “safe, proper and judicious” transition, indicated advisers such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth would help oversee the effort, and vowed to bring in major U.S. oil firms to rebuild the sector.
- The president warned he is prepared to launch a second, much larger wave of attacks if necessary and said U.S. forces will remain positioned to enforce American demands.
- Venezuelan officials reported civilian and military deaths, denounced the operation as an imperialist attack, and international figures including Brazil’s President Lula and a UN special rapporteur questioned the action’s legality.