(NewsNation) — Following the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, President Donald Trump said Saturday the United States will “run” the South American country.
“We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said during a televised address.
Who is in power now?
During the press briefing at Mar-a-Lago, NewsNation’s Libbey Dean asked Trump who is in power at the moment in Venezuela.
“We’re going to be running it with a group, and we’re going to make sure it’s run properly,” Trump replied. “We’re going to rebuild the oil infrastructure, which will cost billions of dollars. It’ll be paid for by the oil companies directly. They will be reimbursed for what they are doing.”
When asked if there would be any U.S. troops deployed to Venezuela, Trump said, “We’re not afraid of boots on the ground.”
“We’re designating people, we’re talking to people. We’re designating various people, and we’re going to let you know who they are,” Trump said.
Where is Maduro being taken?
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are in U.S. custody and heading to New York, where they’re expected to face criminal charges, a senior government source tells NewsNation.
They could be in court as early as Monday, the source tells NewsNation, but exact timing has not been determined.
What charges is Maduro facing?
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a social post on X that Maduro and Flores had both been indicted in the Southern District of New York and “will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.”
She said Maduro faced charges of “Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States.”
Maduro was indicted in March 2020, during Trump’s first term, but the indictment against Flores was not previously made public.
In an indictment made public Saturday morning, U.S. authorities accused Maduro of leading a “a corrupt, illegitimate government that, for decades, has leveraged government power to protect and promote illegal activity, including drug trafficking.” It alleges the drug trafficking “enriched and entrenched Venezuela’s political and military elite.”
What prompted the strike?
The attack on Venezuela followed months of escalating pressure by the Trump administration, which has built up naval forces in the waters off South America and, since early September, has killed at least 115 people in 35 strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean. Last week, the U.S. struck Venezuelan soil with a CIA drone strike at a docking area alleged to have been used by drug cartels.
President Donald Trump referenced the “Donroe Doctrine” while speaking about the decision to strike Venezuela and capture Maduro.
The term is one coined by foreign policy experts to describe Trump’s approach to foreign policy and exerting increased U.S. control in the Western Hemisphere.
The name is a play on the Monroe Doctrine, using Trump’s first name as a pun to coin the term.
Reaction from Maduro’s government
Maduro’s government accused the United States of an “imperialist attack” on civilian and military installations and urged citizens to take to the streets.