Trump: 'The Venezuelan People Are Free Again'
BBC News
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Donald Trump is leading a press conference after the US launched strikes on Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro – press watch live above
The US president says the US is going to "run" Venezuela "until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition"
He says no US servicemen were killed in the operation and the US is "ready" to stage a second "and much larger" attack on the country if needed
Trump, a sharp critic of the US invasion of Iraq, now seems to be in the business of nation-building, our North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher writes
Just before he began speaking, Trump shared a photo he said was of Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima – the image shows him blindfolded and wearing ear defenders
A little earlier, Maduro was indicted in New York on drugs and weapons charges – the US attorney general says he'll "face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts"
Venezuela has declared a national emergency, denouncing "extremely serious military aggression" – BBC Verify identifies locations hit in the attack
Edited by Jemma Crew, Emily McGarvey and Dulcie Lee, with Latin America editor Vanessa Buschschlüter
General Dan Caine now takes the podium and shares some details of the planning for the operation dubbed "operation absolute resolve".
He calls it "discreet" and "precise" and says it required "every component" of the joint forces, citing soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and others "working in unison" with intelligence agencies and law enforcement.
He adds the operation leveraged "unmatched" intelligence capabilities and "years of experience in hunting terrorists".
Gen Caine says the "extraction" was so precise it required more than 150 aircraft all coming together in the right place and time.
On the preparation work, he cites "months" of intelligence work uncovering details about Maduro – including where he lived and what he ate – with the key elements then turning to choosing the right day based both on minimising the potential for civilian harm and maximising the element of surprise.
All political and military figures in Venezuela should understand that what happened to Maduro could happen to them, Trump says.
"Venezuelan people are free again," he adds. He also says America is a "safer" and "prouder nation" today.
He then hands over to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who begins by describing the operation this morning as "a massive joint military and law enforcement raid, flawlessly executed".
Maduro "had his chance, just like Iran had their chance", Hegseth says, but adds that he "effed around" and found out.
Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent
Donald Trump is describing the successful military operation in Venezuela with typical bravado. It was a display of “overwhelming military power” and a “spectacular assault”.
He called it “one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays of American military might and competence in American history”.
Supporting those boasts is the fact that no American military personnel were killed and, by Trump’s account, no US military equipment was destroyed, while the objective – capturing Nicolas Maduro and his wife – was achieved.Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent
If there were any doubts about the breadth of American involvement in Venezuela after the US action to remove Nicolas Maduro from power, Donald Trump has laid them to rest.
“We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” he said.
It’s a bold statement to make, given the economic and political turmoil the South American nation now faces.
Trump, a sharp critic of the US invasion of Iraq, now seems to be in the business of nation-building – and dealing with the consequences of American military action.
In the words of one of the American architects of the Iraq War, Secretary of State Colin Powell, “If you break it, you own it.”
The US now owns Venezuela’s future – for better or worse.
Trump claims the US "partnership" with Venezuela will make the people of Venezuela "rich, independent and safe", adding Venezuelans living in the US will be "extremely happy".
"They're not going to suffer any more," he tells the news conference.
Trump calls Maduro an "illegitimate dictator" who was responsible for the bringing of "colossal amounts of deadly illicit drugs" into the US, and accuses him of overseeing the Cartel de los Soles cartel.
Maduro has previously vehemently denied being a cartel leader.
Trump adds that Maduro and his wife are on a ship heading to New York, and a decision "will be made soon" between New York and Miami.
Trump now turns now to oil. He claims the oil business in Venezuela has been a "bust", and that large US companies are going to go into the country to fix the infrastructure and "start making money for the country".
He adds the US is "ready" to stage a second "and much larger" attack on the country if needed.
He says they were initially prepared to do a "second wave" and had assumed it would be necessary, that but given the success of last night's attack, it probably would now not be.
Donald Trump continues to speak, flanked by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (R) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L)
Trump thanks the military for their "breathtaking speed, power, precision and competence".
He says these "highly trained warriors" were operating in collaboration with US law enforcement.
Venezuelan forces were "waiting for us", he says, with "many ships out".
Despite being in a "ready position", Trump says Venezuelan forces were "completely overwhelmed and very quickly incapacitated".
Not a single US serviceman was killed, and no equipment was lost, he adds.
Trump says the US has "knocked out 97% of drugs coming in by sea", and alleges that each boat carrying drugs kills 25,000 people on average.
He also alleges that most of the drugs come from Venezuela. The BBC has not verified these figures.
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Trump says the US is "going to run" Venezuela until "such a time that we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition" of power.
Trump says the US force went against "a heavily fortified military fortress" in the heart of Caracas to bring Maduro "to justice".
He compares it to previous military operations against Iran – including against nuclear targets.
"No nation in the world could achieve what America achieved yesterday," he says.
All Venezuelan military capabilities were "rendered powerless" in the attack, he says.
He adds the lights of Caracas were turned off during the operation "due to a certain expertise" that America has.
Both Maduro and his wife "now face American justice" says Trump, adding they have been indicted in the southern district of New York for their "campaign of deadly narco-terrorism" against the US and its citizens.
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Trump begins by referring to the "extraordinary" military operation conducted in the capital of Venezuela overnight and into this morning at his direction.
He says "overwhelming" American military power by "air, land and sea" was used.
Stick with us as we bring you the key lines.
Two sources tell the BBC's US news partner, CBS, that the US military plane carrying Maduro is expected to land later today at New York Stewart airport.
It's a public military international airport in Orange County, New York, located in the Hudson Valley, about 60 miles north of Manhattan.
The sources say he’s in custody of the US military and is expected to be turned over to federal authorities when he lands.
Maduro is expected to be arraigned in New York Federal court in the southern district of New York next week – possibly as early as Monday.
Trump has just shared a new image on Truth Social that he says shows "Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima" – this is the boat he earlier told Fox News was bringing the Venezuelan leader to the US.
The image shows what appears to be Maduro, with an eye mask and headphones on and wearing a grey tracksuit.
Reporters are gathering at Mar-a-Lago
We're expecting the news conference at Trump's Florida residence Mar-a-Lago to begin shortly.
Earlier on, Trump told Fox News the conference would include Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and General Dan Caine.
"We're going to have a pretty open news conference," he said.
We'll bring you the key lines – stick with us.
A CIA source inside the Venezuelan government helped the US track Nicolas Maduro's location in the lead-up to his capture by the US Army's elite Delta Force, CBS News has learned, as first reported by NYT.
The human source was part of an extensive network of other intelligence inputs, including overhead and signals intelligence, that informed the operation, which was the result of months of meticulous planning and partnership between the CIA and Department of Defense.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe has previously said the agency would prioritise the recruitment of human sources.
It could not be immediately determined when the source was recruited.
The US government had offered a $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest.
Vanessa Buschschlüter
Latin America and Caribbean editor
As we wait for Trump, let's turn back to Venezuela for a moment, where supporters of the Maduro government are holding a rally in the capital, Caracas.
They're demanding that the US release the Venezuelan leader.
Some are chanting "we want Maduro" as they are being led in a march by Caracas Mayor Carmen Meléndez, who is a firm government loyalist.
Wearing a military uniform, the mayor said that she and others had taken to the streets to protest against what she described as Maduro's "kidnapping".
Opponents of the government meanwhile are expressing their hope that the capture of Maduro and his wife will lead to a change of government in messages they exchange with like-minded friends and family.
When protests erupted in 2024 after the government-dominated electoral council declared Maduro the winner of the presidential election, even though voting tallies collected by the opposition showed that their candidate had won by a landslide, the government cracked down hard.
Thousands of those who protested or expressed their opposition to Maduro's re-election were arrested and sentenced to lengthy jail terms.
Just a few weeks ago, the National Assembly, which is also dominated by Maduro loyalists, passed a law declaring anyone who expresses support for the US naval blockade a "traitor".
So the danger to those who speak out publicly against Maduro and in favour of the US's actions are very real.
Many of the close to eight million Venezuelans who have left Venezuela since Maduro came to power celebrated openly in the streets of the cities where they have settled.
A woman dances during a celebration in the Spanish capital, Madrid, after news of Maduro's capture broke
Ione Wells
South America correspondent in London
The opposition leader of Venezuela – and Nobel Peace Prize winner – Maria Corina Machado has welcomed the US intervention, saying the country’s “hour of freedom” has arrived.
She said on social media that President Maduro was removed from power after refusing a negotiated exit, and the opposition’s candidate for the 2024 elections – Edmundo Gonzalez – should now “assume” the presidency.
She added the opposition would restore order in the country and free political prisoners.
Such a transition is certainly what the US wants. But it may not be as simple as the opposition claim.
Maduro still has allies in the country, many of whom may not want to go without a fight if they fear repercussions themselves.
Even some fierce critics of Maduro are uncomfortable with US intervention, fear this could lead to further destabilisation, and have not supported Machado’s close alliance with the Trump administration.
But, some critics see this as a final resort to get rid of what they believe was an authoritarian and oppressive regime.
Maria Corina Machado waves to supporters during her trip to Norway in December, where she was awarded the Nobel Peace PrizeAnthony Zurcher
North America correspondent
Donald Trump spoke with Fox News for more than a dozen minutes in the last hour or so.
While he confirmed some details of the overnight strike on Venezuela, he left some big questions unanswered – we're expecting to hear more from him in the next few moments.
According to the president, Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro and his wife have been captured and are on their way to the US. No American soldiers were killed in the action, although there were some injuries.
The US is prepared for a “second wave” of strikes against any Maduro loyalists remaining in the country.
Trump also said he believes that American companies will be “heavily involved” in rebuilding Venezuela’s oil infrastructure.
What is less clear is how committed the US will be to rebuilding the rest of Venezuela – a nation that is both economically and politically in shambles. Trump was noncommittal about who would take over the country now that Maduro is gone.
Trump said last night’s action “sends a signal” that the US is not going to be “pushed around” by other countries anymore. The rest of the world – particularly America’s hemispheric neighbours – are sure to be anxious about exactly what an American president, who appears comfortable using military force, might mean by that.
Charlotte Hadfield
Live reporter
We'll shortly be hearing an update from the US president in a news conference at 11:00 EST (16:00 GMT) – which you'll be able to follow live.
We've recapped some of the key videos after explosions were heard across parts of the country this morning, including in the capital Caracas and military sites.
The video below shows a dramatic blast further afield, in the coastal city of Higuerote – where explosions have been confirmed by BBC Verify:
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Explosions in Venezuelan coastal city Higuerote
We've also been hearing first-hand accounts from eyewitnesses.
In the video below, journalist Vanessa Silva, who lives in Caracas, describes how her heart was pumping:
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'I woke up to a huge bang… everything was vibrating'
Since then, Venezuelan President Maduro has been charged with drug and weapon charges in New York, after being captured – along with his wife – by the US.
After Maduro's capture, we've been hearing from other influential figures including the country's interior minister Diosdado Cabello.
In the short video below, Cabello explains how the country is assessing the damage caused by the strikes, and urges people to "remain calm".
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Venezuela's interior minister calls for calm amid US attacks
Kristina Volk
Live reporter
I have been speaking to several people living in Caracas following the US strikes. Here's what I've heard:
'Too dangerous to go outside'
Daniela, who did not want to give her real name, lives close to La Carlota – a military airfield that was hit in the strikes.
Daniela says it is too dangerous to go out because "although Maduro has gone all the rest of them are still in charge".
Daniela says Venezuelans were expecting a US military operation for quite a while and adds that for her, the overnight strikes are "almost a relief to know it had finally happened".
'I am so happy my chest hurts'
Like others in Venezuela, Maria, not her real name, had also been expecting a US military strike but was surprised how early in the new year it happened.
She says "I am so happy my chest hurts".
Outside her home in Caracas the streets are quiet at the moment, and she says she is waiting to hear from opposition leader María Corina Machado and the US President Donald Trump to get more information.
'Explosions like nothing I've heard before'
"It is kinda surreal" says Alirio, a translator in Caracas. He describes the explosions sounding like thunder and says it was like "nothing I had heard before".
The sky he says "turned reddish and it felt like divine intervention".
At the moment, it is eerily calm outside as "no one wants to go out. Rumour has it people who are in the streets are being arrested", he says.
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