US Gives Venezuela Ultimatum After Maduro Capture
BBC News
This video can not be played
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says America is not at war with Venezuela, a day after US strikes on the country and capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife
Venezuela's Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino says a large part of Maduro's security team and "innocent civilians" were killed in the US operation
Venezuela has denounced the "military aggression", and the army says it backs interim President Delcy Rodríguez
President Donald Trump says the US is going to "run" Venezuela "until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition"
A Venezuelan tells the BBC he's worried about a peaceful transition of power
Trump's remarks mark a reversal of what he vowed not to do in his second term in power – a pledge to be a president who would stop wars, not start them, writes chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet
Edited by Jemma Crew and Tinshui Yeung
Donald Trump is having conversations with Venezuelan Interim President Delcy Rodríguez about the running of Venezuela, says Kristi Noem, who heads up the US Department of Homeland Security.
She tells Fox News the conversations "are very matter-of-fact and very clear".
"You can lead or you can get out of the way. We're not going to allow you to continue to subvert our American influence."
Asked if Maduro could be extradited after his trial, Noem says: "I think we need to see them and let the process play out."
"What happens to Venezuela today could happen to any state or government," says Venezuelan Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino.
He’s calling on people in Venezuela to "restart their normal activities" in work, trade and education.
This follows comments we brought you earlier, in which Padrino says Maduro's capture saw a "large part" of Maduro's security team killed, along with "innocent civilians".
He also says the army is supporting Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as acting leader of the country.
More now from Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino, who's been speaking on television.
He says Venezuelan armed forces "firmly rejects the cowardly kidnapping" of Maduro and his wife after the "cold-blooded murder of a large part of his security team, soldiers and innocent civilians".
Earlier, the New York Times reported that an apartment complex was hit and that there have been at least 40 casualties – although it's not clear whether these are civilians or military targets. The BBC has not been able to independently verify these reports.
Venezuelan Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino has been speaking on Venezuelan television.
He says the army has given its backing to Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to act as interim president of Venezuela.
We'll bring you more on what he has said soon.
Daniel Pardo Vegalara
BBC Mundo
Interim President Delcy Rodríguez has taken over Maduro’s position with the support of all judicial and political institutions.
Rodríguez and her brother Jorge, now head of Congress, have been rising figures since Maduro took office in 2013.
Then there’s Diosdado Cabello, a former army captain close to the late Hugo Chávez, who’s remained a key military and business power broker.
All of them appear united in denouncing Maduro’s "kidnapping" and seem determined to preserve the power structures of recent years.
Behind the executive branch, there’s a huge – almost decisive – influence from the military, led by Vladimir Padrino, the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.
Over the last decade, the military has steadily gained power across all areas of life in Venezuela. For now, there’s no sign that this will change.
Donald Trump has said the US is in charge of the situation in Venezuela, and while it’s very likely he’s negotiating oil-extraction concessions with Rodríguez, on the ground it’s the military that continues to exercise power.
There, increasingly, illegal armed groups – such as Colombian guerrillas, especially the ELN – have consolidated their power and control over society and drug-trafficking routes. The fight among those groups for territorial control is now likely to resume.
In reality, the question of who exercises power in Venezuela has never had a single, clear answer.
Kristina Volk
BBC World Service
"A lot of people still feel confused after President Trump's speech," Tomás (not his real name), a Caracas resident, tells me.
He's concerned about how "vague Trump and his team were about the plans of running Venezuela".
Tomás is impressed by the operation to oust Maduro and thinks the regime has brought it upon itself, but warns that his country now enters "the most dangerous stage".
He fears a peaceful transition might be tricky after "three decades of a fierce totalitarian regime".
And if there isn't a peaceful transition, it's "well known" what can happen, he says.
Kristina Volk
BBC World Service
I’ve spoken to Alirio from Caracas, following Maduro’s capture by US forces.
On Saturday, he was woken by loud explosions. This morning, he went for a drive through his neighbourhood.
“Things are quiet right now,” he says.
He went to the market to stock up on some food. With the uncertainty and two children to look after, he says he doesn’t know what will happen next.
Alirio describes the market as calm and doesn’t think that “Venezuelans will turn against each other”.
He also says vendors are working hard to stay open for people and not overcharging, and that “things are slowly moving”.
For the future of his country, he hopes it will “bloom and flourish”.
“Being isolated from the world is one of the most harmful things that happened to this country. I hope the world will come to Venezuela.”
Vanessa Silva
Reporting from Caracas, Venezuela
It is quiet on the streets of Caracas.
People in the Venezuelan capital are going on as normal, but there is a mood of expectation, uncertainty and caution.
The only official information will be through the state TV channel, but they are broadcasting pre-recorded programmes with no news.
It's a moment of wait and see.
Delcy Rodríguez and the Venezuelan military are in power, but we are not sure about the conversations they are having with the US.
The US warns second strikes will happen if they do not co-operate, so we're unsure how this will be for us in the coming days.
As promised, here are the key points from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has spoken to US media outlets this morning.
In an interview with CBS, Rubio is asked why the US didn't arrest other members of Maduro's regime.
The US government has offered a reward of up to $25m (£18.6m) for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, and $15m for Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino.
"It's very simple," Rubio replies. "You're not going to go in and wrap up."
He says people can only "imagine the howls" the US would have faced if they had stayed in the country longer to capture more people.
"We got the top priority," he says.
Here are all the lines we've brought you from Marco Rubio, who spoke to US media earlier. We'll bring you a recap of the key points soon – stay with us.
Rubio has also been speaking to CBS, where he says the US will judge Venezuela "by what they do".
According to a transcript of the interview, the secretary of state says: "If they don't make the right decisions, the United States will retain multiple levers of leverage to ensure that our interests are protected."
That includes the "oil quarantine" in place, he says.
"We're going to judge everything by what they do, and we're going to see what they do," he adds.
Rubio tells NBC he expects to "see more compliance and co-operation from Venezuela".
He says that, with Nicolás Maduro, the US "could not make a deal or arrangement" despite giving him "very generous offers", adding that Maduro "could have left Venezuela as recently as a week and a half ago".
"There were opportunities for him to avoid all this," he says.
The secretary of state says the US is going to give Venezuela "an opportunity to address the problems" raised by Trump's administration.
Until then, says Rubio, Venezuela will continue to face the oil quarantine, pressure from the US, and have "drug boats" targeted and seized when necessary.
Now back to Rubio's appearance on NBC.
He's asked who's in charge of Venezuela and if he's running the country.
The secretary says the US "expect to see changes in Venezuela", with the "most immediate" being those "in national interest in US".
He describes a country where "people in charge of military and police are openly co-operating with drug trafficking organisations".
Rubio says these are threats to the US that his government intends "to use every element of leverage" to address.
In the interview with ABC a few minutes ago, Marco Rubio was asked why congressional authorisation wasn't sought before the US operation in Venezuela.
Rubio says it "wasn't necessary because this wasn't an invasion".
He describes it as a "law enforcement operation", and says Maduro was "arrested on the ground by FBI agents".
You can't notify Congress of an operation like this because "it will leak", he adds.
He also says "all kinds of conditions" have to line up, such as weather and individuals' movements.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is speaking to several US media outlets.
He has been on NBC, where he was asked if the US is at war with Venezuela.
"That's not a war," he says.
"I mean we are at war against drug trafficking organisations. That's not a war against Venezuela."
He says the seizing of boats "bringing drugs toward the United States" will continue.
Rubio is asked what happens if American concerns about migration and drug trafficking aren't addressed by Venezuela.
He says the US will "retain all options we had before the arrest [of Maduro] was made".
This means sanctioned tankers heading to Venezuela will be seized as permitted by US court orders.
"I cannot overstate how crippling this is for their future," says Rubio. He stresses that the alternative is "an oil industry that actually benefits the people" and not just a few.
Asked about the statement made by Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodríguez, Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the US is not going to judge by what is said in statements, but rather by what actions are taken.
He says the US will react based on what Venezuela does, asking if "drugs" will stop coming and if "migration patterns" will change.
He says those are among the issues America wants addressed, and they will be how the US judges the situation.
Rubio is asked if he thinks Interim President Delcy Rodríguez is now the legitimate president of Venezuela.
He says "this is not about the legitimate president" as the US does not believe the regime in place is legitimate.
Rubio says he understands there are people in Venezuela today "who are the ones who can actually make changes".
But he says this is different from recognising the legitimacy of Venezuela's government, which will come from a period of transition and an election.
Rubio goes on, saying Maduro is "not the legitimate president of the country", and describes him as "someone we could not work with".
He says he's "hopeful" there are people in place now who will make changes that lead to "a better Venezuela".
"But our number one objective is America," he adds, saying he wants "no more drugs" and gangs.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the US has quarantined Venezuela's oil, which gives them leverage they "intend to use".
Venezuela is at a "crossroads for many of our adversaries" and that they want to make it "no longer a drug trafficking paradise".
"Obviously we want a better future for the people of Venezuela," he says, adding that the US wants them to have an oil industry where the wealth goes "to the people".
He's asked under what legal authority the US has to achieve this.
"We have court orders… is a court not a legal authority?" he says.
Asked if the US is running Venezuela, he says the US is "running the direction" that makes things move forward.
Rubio adds that Venezuela is "running out of storage capacity" and will have to start pumping oil in a few weeks "unless they make changes".
Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.