Picture Courtesy : @WhiteHouse/X
The news was unbelievable! Hours after a “stunning” military operation, plucking the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores from his safe house in Caracas, the political establishments across the world went into frenzy. President Donald Trump sent shock waves throughout the world in the early hours of Saturday when the U.S. carried out a mission to capture Maduro and his wife from Caracas. The US spies had been monitoring Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s every move. A small team, including one source within the Venezuelan government, had been observing where the 63-year-old slept, what he ate, what he wore and even, according to top military officials, “his pets”.
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement.… pic.twitter.com/sFa5OC4ZrZ
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 3, 2026
Trump watched the entire mission from his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, surrounded by his advisers. The operation was flanked by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “It was an incredible thing to see,” Trump said. “If you would have seen what happened, I mean, I watched it literally like I was watching a television show. And if you would’ve seen the speed, the violence… it’s just, it was an amazing thing, an amazing job that these people did.”
🚨 President Donald J. Trump announces Interim Authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America. pic.twitter.com/08qI7MvCpk
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 7, 2026
The deposed leader and his wife were flown to New York, where they are to face “narco-terrorism” conspiracy charges. However, Maduro pleaded not guilty to drugs, weapons and narco-terrorism charges on Monday, two days after his capture by US special forces in an operation ordered by Donald Trump that sent shock waves around the world.
As Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, addressed the court in lower Manhattan, the UN security council held an emergency meeting where secretary general António Guterres suggested the operation constituted a breach of international law.
Maduro, 63, insisted to federal judge Alvin Hellerstein that he was “still president of my country”, had been illegally “captured” at his Caracas home, and was “a prisoner of war”. “I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man,” Maduro said in Spanish during repeated attempts to speak over the judge.
He faces four US federal criminal counts, including “narco-terrorism” conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
“At my direction, the U.S. Armed Forces conducted an extraordinary military operation in the capital of Venezuela…This was one of the most stunning, effective, and powerful displays of American military might and competence in American history.” – PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/QibvrRKsSv
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 3, 2026
The act saw a flurry of mixed reactions from the world leaders. India said the recent developments in Venezuela were a “matter of deep concern” and that it was closely monitoring the situation. In a statement, the External Affairs Ministry said India reaffirmed its support for the well-being and safety of the people of Venezuela and called on all concerned parties to resolve issues peacefully through dialogue.
“We call upon all concerned to address issues peacefully through dialogue, ensuring peace and stability of the region,” the statement said.
“Recent developments in Venezuela are a matter of deep concern. We are closely monitoring the evolving situation. India reaffirms its support to the well-being and safety of the people of Venezuela. We call upon all concerned to address issues peacefully through dialogue, ensuring peace and stability of the region,” the statement said.
French President Emmanuel Macron said, “The transition to come must be peaceful, democratic, and respectful of the will of the Venezuelan people. We hope that President Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, elected in 2024, will be able to ensure this transition as quickly as possible,” Macron wrote on X.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, “the legal assessment of the U.S. operation is complex and “we will take our time” to evaluate it, adding that principles of international law must apply. He urged that “a transition to a government legitimised by elections must be ensured” and warned that “political instability must not arise in Venezuela”.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on X, “Spain did not recognize the Maduro regime. But neither will it recognize an intervention that violates international law and pushes the region toward a horizon of uncertainty and belligerence”.
Un Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “These developments constitute a dangerous precedent,” Guterres’ spokesperson said. “The Secretary-General continues to emphasize the importance of full respect – by all – of international law, including the UN Charter. He’s deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected.”
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump saying, “Congratulations, President @realDonaldTrump for your bold and historic leadership on behalf of freedom and justice. I salute your decisive resolve and the brilliant action of your brave soldiers.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned the act saying, “China is deeply shocked and strongly condemns the use of force by the U.S. against a sovereign country and the use of force against the president of a country.”
Unfortunately, it seems Trump has lot on his mind. He was not shy when asked about what the strike on Venezuela meant for other countries in the region, including Cuba and Colombia, during his trip back to Washington from Florida on Sunday. “Colombia is very sick, too. Run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States, and he’s not going to be doing it very long,” the president said, referring to Colombian President Gustavo Petro, hinting a probable military operation against Colombia.
Trump also issued a stark warning to Mexico to “get their act together,” citing drug cartels in the country. “You have to do something with Mexico,” Trump said. “We’re going to have to do something. We’d love Mexico to do it, they’re capable of doing it, but unfortunately the cartels are very strong in Mexico.” He noted he has offered to send U.S. assistance to Mexico in an effort to combat the cartels.
The president also targeted Cuba in his remarks to reporters, highlighting the communist country’s economic situation. “Cuba is ready to fall. Cuba looks like it’s ready to fall. I don’t know if they’re going to hold out,” the president told reporters. “But Cuba now has no income. They got all of their income from Venezuela, from the Venezuelan oil. They’re not getting any of it. Cuba is literally read to fall, and you have a lot of great Cuban Americans who are going to be happy about this.”
Trump’s remarks were not only limited to countries in Latin America, but also to the north in Greenland. The president re-upped his calls for the U.S. to annex the Danish territory. “We need Greenland, from the standpoint of national security,” Trump said.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 3, 2026
Meanwhile, Trump has issued a fresh warning to India, saying that Washington will raise tariffs on New Delhi if it continues importing Russian oil. He claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi “knew he was not happy” and New Delhi wanted to “make him happy”. “We could raise tariffs on India if they don’t help on the Russian oil issue,” Trump said while addressing reporters on board Air Force One on Sunday. The American commander-in-chief claimed that India has substantially reduced its oil purchases from Russia. “They wanted to make me happy, basically… PM Modi’s a very good man. He’s a good guy. He knew I was not happy. It was important to make me happy. They do trade, and we can raise tariffs on them very quickly,” he added.
Trump’s new warning comes amid growing scrutiny in Washington over New Delhi’s energy trade with Russia, even as India has defended its oil purchases as essential for domestic energy security. The remarks also come just weeks after Trump and Modi held a telephonic conversation, during which both leaders stressed the importance of maintaining momentum in bilateral trade ties despite ongoing tariff-related tensions.
The call coincided with the launch of a fresh round of negotiations between Indian and US officials aimed at resolving the long-standing trade impasse. Talks began earlier this year but faced disruptions after the US imposed tariffs on Indian imports, reaching as high as 50 per cent.
The US strike on Venezuela has brought the issue of oil to the forefront of geopolitics once again. Venezuela has massive oil reserves, which total over 303 billion barrels, roughly 17 per cent of the total global oil supply, making them the world’s largest proven reserves.
