LIVE | Venezuela under attack: 'We are going to run the country', says Trump

During a presser on Saturday night, US President Donald Trump addressed the capture.

He describes the operation and the capture of Maduro and his wife. "It was dark, and it was deadly." Trump says Maduro and his wife will "now face American justice."

"We are going to run the country until a proper transition can take place," Trump said. 

He added that they are ready to stage a second and "much larger attack if we need to do so."

He stated that American oil companies will "go in" to Venezuela to "fix the badly broken infrastructure."

On the captures, Trump said: "Maduro and his wife will soon face the full might of American justice and stand trial on American soil. Right now, they’re on a ship and will ultimately be taken to New York. After that, a decision will be made—presumably between New York and Miami, or Florida."

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez weighed in on the matter, saying it is not about drugs. 

4pm SAST: According to sources familiar with her movements, Venezuelan Vice President ‍Delcy Rodriguez is in Russia. This comes after President Donald Trump ⁠said President Nicolas Maduro had been captured by US forces after an attack on the country.

South Africa’s head of diplomacy, Clayson Monyela, has sharply criticised recent United States military strikes in Venezuela, questioning the state of the international order amid global alarm.

In a statement responding to reports that the US launched large-scale military strikes against Venezuela overnight, including targeting Caracas and other regions.

"Where’s the 'international rules-based order'? Are we back to law of the jungle now? What the hell," Monyela said.

Read more here. 

3pm SAST: Reports say deposed Venezuelan leader Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, will face charges after an indictment, according to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. 

In a statement released on Saturday, Bondi said: "Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Nicolas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States.

"They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts. On behalf of the entire US DOJ, I would like to thank President Trump for having the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American People, and a huge thank you to our brave military who conducted the incredible and highly successful mission to capture these two alleged international narco traffickers.

2pm (SA time): Russia on Saturday demanded "immediate" clarification about the circumstances of the reported US abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro during an attack ordered by President Donald Trump.

'These are clear criminal and terrorist acts perpetrated by the US administration against Venezuela.'

     — Venezuelan ambassador to South Africa Carlos Feo Acevedo

"We are extremely alarmed by reports that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were forcibly removed from the country as a result of today's US aggression. We call for an immediate clarification of the situation," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.

Russia condemned the US military action in Venezuela on Saturday, saying there was no tenable justification for the attack and that "ideological hostility" had prevailed over diplomacy.

2pm: The European Union has called for "restraint" and respect for international law in Venezuela on Saturday after President Donald Trump announced US forces had captured leader Nicolas Maduro in a large-scale assault.

"The EU has repeatedly stated that Mr Maduro lacks legitimacy and has defended a peaceful transition" in Venezuela, the bloc's top diplomat Kaja Kallas wrote on X after speaking with her US counterpart Marco Rubio.

"Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected. We call for restraint," she wrote.

Kallas said the EU was closely monitoring the fast-moving situation and that she had spoken to the bloc's envoy to Venezuela, with the safety of EU citizens "our top priority."

1:58pm: Venezuela's Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said on Saturday his country "will overcome" a wave US military strikes, which Washington said also included the capture of President Nicolas Maduro.

Cabello, considered one of the most powerful men in Caracas, told a local television broadcast that "at the end of these attacks, we will overcome," adding that "this is not our first battle against our people... we have managed to survive under all circumstances."

12:30pm: A US senator has quoted Secretary of State Marco Rubio as saying the country's military action against Venezuela was now complete, with Maduro having been arrested to "stand trial" in the US.

"He anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in US custody," Senator Mike Lee, a Republican initially critical of the operation, wrote on X after what he said was a telephone call with Rubio.

12:20pm: Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez on Saturday called on the United States to issue "proof of life" of leader Nicolas Maduro, who was captured by US forces, according to President Donald Trump.

Speaking by telephone to Venezuelan TV, Rodriguez said she did not know the whereabouts of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, following a series of US strikes on Caracas and other cities.

11:47am: Venezuela's Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López has ordered a 'massive deployment' of the country's military resources.

In addition, Colombia's President Gustavo Petro says troops have been deployed to the Venezuela border following the US attacks.

11:45am: US President Donald Trump has reportedly stated that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has been 'captured and flown out' of Venezuela, after the US initiated a 'large-scale strike' on the South American country in the early hours of Saturday.

Shortly thereafter, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote on X: "A new dawn for Venezuela! The tyrant is gone. He will now - finally - face justice for his crimes".

In a brief phone interview with The New York Times, Trump hailed the "brilliant" operation.

"A lot of good planning and lot of great, great troops and great people," the paper quoted Trump as saying. Trump is due to deliver a media briefing in Florida at 11am local time (6pm SA time).

In a TV address on Saturday morning, Venezuela's vice-president admitted that Maduro's whereabouts were unknown.

Trump's claim of Maduro's capture comes two days after Maduro attempted to engage with Trump, offering cooperation on fighting drug trafficking and illegal migration.

10am (SA time): President Maduro has declared a state of emergency over what his government called an "extremely serious military aggression" by the United States on the capital, Caracas. He also called on the country's population to 'mobilise'.

Loud explosions, accompanied by sounds resembling aircraft flyovers, were heard in Caracas around 2am Venezuelan time (8am SA time) on Saturday, an AFP journalist reported. Venezuela's defence ministry has accused the US of bombing residential areas.

The explosions come as US President Donald Trump, who has deployed a navy task force to the Caribbean, raised the possibility of ground strikes against Venezuela.

Sounds of explosions were still being heard around 2:15am, although their exact location was unclear.

Trump on Monday said the United States hit and destroyed a docking area for alleged Venezuelan drug boats.

The Republican leader would not say if it was a military or CIA operation or where the strike occurred, noting only that it was "along the shore."

The attack would be the first known land strike on Venezuelan soil.

President Nicolas Maduro has neither confirmed nor denied Monday's strike, but said Thursday he was open to cooperation with Washington after weeks of US military pressure.

The Trump administration has accused Maduro of heading a drug cartel and says it is cracking down on trafficking, but the leftist leader denies any involvement in the narcotics trade, saying Washington is seeking to overthrow him because Venezuela has the largest known reserves of oil on Earth.

Washington has ramped up pressure on Caracas by informally closing Venezuela's airspace, imposing more sanctions and ordering the seizure of tankers loaded with Venezuelan oil.

For weeks Trump has threatened ground strikes on drug cartels in the region, saying they would start "soon," with Monday being the first apparent example.

US forces have also carried out numerous strikes on boats in both the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since September, targeting what Washington says are drug smugglers.

The administration has provided no evidence that the targeted boats were involved in drug trafficking, however, prompting debate about the legality of these operations.

The deadly maritime campaign has killed at least 107 people in at least 30 strikes, according to information released by the US military.

This is a developing story

IOL & AFP

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