U.S. strikes capture Nicolás Maduro as administration says it will 'run' Venezuela

Time reports the U.S. carried out strikes on the Venezuelan mainland on Saturday that killed at least 40 people and led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro, who was taken to New York to face drug charges. President Donald Trump told reporters the U.S. is “in charge” and said, “We’re going to run the country,” while Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought on NBC to frame the goal as a democratic transition and called an election timeline “premature.” The administration’s military campaign has included months of strikes on alleged drug boats that officials say have killed at least 115 people, and U.S.

officials have suggested using military presence and an oil blockade to influence Venezuela’s government and access its oil industry. A U.S. official told CNN that Rubio, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller and War Secretary Pete Hegseth are developing a structure for an interim government, while Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright are working to persuade U.S.

oil companies to invest. Maduro’s capture has triggered a scramble for power: Edmundo González Urrutia, whom the U.S. recognizes as the winner of Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election, declared himself president and received backing from opposition leader María Corina Machado, who the report says is the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize recipient.

Key Topics

World, Nicolás Maduro, Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, Venezuela, Oil Blockade