President Donald Trump of the United States stated at a press conference held after a nighttime airstrike on Venezuela and the arrest of Nicolas Maduro and his wife, that the U.S. would remain in Venezuela and "operate" it until an "appropriate transition" with the Venezuelan government takes place.

President Trump said, "We are there now, but we will be there until there is an appropriate transition of power, and therefore we will be essentially running it until that time."

He pointed out, "As everyone knows, the oil business in Venezuela has been completely broken for a long time."

President Trump added, "They have produced almost nothing compared to their potential and what could have been produced. We will have the largest U.S. oil companies in the world investing billions of dollars to restore severely damaged oil infrastructure and generate revenue for the country."

He also stated that the recent attack might not be the only action.

President Trump said, "We are prepared to launch a second, much larger attack if necessary."

He continued, "In fact, we anticipated that a second attack would be necessary... (omitted) ... but the first attack was so successful that a second may not be needed, but we had prepared for a second attack, in fact, a much larger one."

President Donald Trump briefs on the Venezuelan military operation at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday, January 3rd. From left: Stephen Miller, White House National Security Advisor; John Ratcliffe, CIA Director; Marco Rubio, Secretary of State; President Donald Trump; Pete Hegses, Secretary of War; and Dan Kaine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Jan 3, 2025. [Screenshot from White House YouTube live broadcast]

Meanwhile, President Trump added that the ousting of Maduro and its consequences will "make the Venezuelan people rich, independent, and safe, and will also bring great joy to the numerous Venezuelan immigrants residing in the United States."

"They have suffered. So much has been taken away from them. They will not suffer anymore," he said.

Secretary of War Pete Hegses stated, "Nicolas Maduro had an opportunity, just like Iran did. He didn't take it, just like they didn't." This is understood to refer to the bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities.

Hegses emphasized that President Trump was gravely concerned about the influx of violence, gangs, and drugs into the United States, and was also gravely considering U.S. deterrence and superiority in the Western Hemisphere.

"This is about the safety, security, freedom, and prosperity of the American people," he said. "This is America First, and this is peace through strength."

Hegses added, "The U.S. Department of War is proud to have delivered this."

President Donald Trump and his national security cabinet observe the situation of the Venezuelan operation at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday morning, January 3rd. From left: Pete Hegses, Secretary of War; John Ratcliffe, CIA Director; Marco Rubio, Secretary of State; and President Donald Trump. Jan 3, 2026. [From President Trump's Truth Social account]

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Raisen Kaine, stated that an unprecedented operation was carried out, one that would not have been possible without years of counter-terrorism experience, and that the assistance of intelligence agencies such as the CIA, NSA, and NGA was significant.

Chairman Kaine revealed that the timeline was set to minimize civilian casualties while maximizing surprise and bringing the indicted individuals to justice.

According to Chairman Kaine, President Trump ordered the commencement of operations at 10:46 PM Eastern Standard Time on Friday. U.S. forces conducted ground operations in 20 locations, with approximately 150 aircraft mobilized, and precise operations were carried out, including infiltration into the heart of the capital, Caracas, to strike strategic targets.

There were no U.S. military casualties in this operation. Soldiers between the ages of 20 and 49 participated in the operation. Law enforcement officers were on board helicopters and infiltrated the operational area at low altitude.

Nicolas Maduro, escorted aboard the USS Iwo Jima. Jan 3, 2026. [From President Trump's Truth Social account]

U.S. forces arrived at Maduro's official residence at 1:01 AM Eastern Standard Time on Saturday. Helicopters neutralized resistance from local soldiers, and Maduro and his wife were arrested and arrived at the USS Iwo Jima at 3:29 AM, departing for the United States shortly thereafter.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated that Maduro is a criminal indicted by the U.S. government in 2020 and is not the legitimate president.

Rubio said that some countries play games with the U.S. thinking nothing will happen. "The 47th President of the United States is not a game player. When he says he's going to do something, it really means he's going to do something," he stated.

"Don't play games with the President of the United States. It will not end well," he added. "That is the lesson from last night."

President Trump announced that Maduro would be imprisoned at a location in New York and would stand trial in the Southern District Court of New York.

By Sung Ku Hong, Chief Reporter of NNP, U.S. / Special Correspondent for this paper NNP info@newsandpost.com