(NewsNation) — President Trump says the U.S. “will run” Venezuela after capturing its president, Nicolás Maduro, during an overnight military strike in Caracas.
“We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said. “We can’t take a chance at somebody else takes over Venezuela that doesn’t have the good of the Venezuelan people in mind.”
President Trump described Maduro’s capture during a press briefing Saturday at Mar-a-Lago, describing it as an “extraordinary military operation,” adding that no U.S. service members were killed in the process.
“Overwhelming American military power, air, land and sea was used to launch a spectacular assault, and it was an assault like people have not seen since World War II,” Trump said.
Maduro and his wife are currently in U.S. custody. They arrived Sunday in New York, where they are expected to face criminal charges.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced after Maduro was captured that the pair are being indicted on narco-terrorism, drug and weapons charges.
NewsNation partner The Hill contributed to this report.