Trump vows US ‘in charge’ of Venezuela as he reveals if he’s spoken to Delcy Rodríguez
President Donald Trump said the U.S. is now in control of Venezuela following the arrest of longtime leader Nicolás Maduro, outlining a plan to run the country, rebuild its economy and delay elections until what he described as a recovery is underway. Trump made the remarks during a gaggle with reporters as questions mounted about who is governing Venezuela after a U.S. military operation led to Maduro’s arrest early Saturday. “Don’t ask me who’s in charge because I’ll give you an answer, and it’ll be very controversial,” Trump told a reporter. He was then asked to clarify, to which Trump replied, “It means we’re in charge.” US CAPTURE OF MADURO CHAMPIONED, CONDEMNED ACROSS WORLD STAGE AFTER SURGICAL VENEZUELA STRIKES Trump was also asked whether he had spoken directly with Venezuela’s newly sworn-in Vice President Delcy Rodríguez amid uncertainty about how the new government is functioning and what role the U.S. is playing. While Trump said he has not personally spoken with Rodríguez, he suggested coordination is already underway between U.S. officials and the new leadership. During the gaggle, Trump repeatedly portrayed Venezuela as a failed state that cannot immediately transition to democratic rule, arguing the country’s infrastructure and economy had been devastated by years of mismanagement. TRUMP ISSUES DIRECT WARNING TO VENEZUELA’S NEW LEADER DELCY RODRÍGUEZ FOLLOWING MADURO CAPTURE He compared Venezuela’s collapse to what he claimed would have happened to the U.S. had he lost the election, using the comparison to underscore his argument for intervention. “We have to do one thing in Venezuela. Bring it back. It’s a dead country right now,” Trump said. “It’s a country that, frankly, we would have been if I had lost the election. We would have been Venezuela on steroids.” Trump said rebuilding Venezuela will center on restoring its oil industry, which he said had been stripped from the U.S. under previous governments, leaving infrastructure decayed and production crippled. UN AMBASSADOR WALTZ DEFENDS US CAPTURE OF MADURO AHEAD OF SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING He stressed that American oil companies – not U.S. taxpayers – will finance the reconstruction, while the U.S. oversees the broader recovery. “The oil companies are going to go in and rebuild this system. They’re going to spend billions of dollars, and they’re going to take the oil out of the ground, and we’re taking back what they sell,” Trump said. “Remember, they stole our property. It was the greatest theft in the history of America. Nobody has ever stolen our property like they have. They took our oil away from us. They took the infrastructure away. And all that infrastructure is rotted and decayed.” Trump said elections will not take place until the country is stabilized, arguing that rushing a vote in a collapsed state would repeat past failures. TRUMP REVEALS VENEZUELA’S MADURO WAS CAPTURED IN ‘FORTRESS’-LIKE HOUSE: ‘HE GOT BUM RUSHED SO FAST’ He said the U.S. will manage Venezuela’s recovery process, including addressing inflation, revenue loss and infrastructure collapse. “We’re going to run everything,” Trump said. “We’re going to run it, fix it. We’ll have elections at the right time.” When asked whether the operation in Venezuela was motivated by oil interests or amounted to regime change, Trump rejected both characterizations and instead cast the effort as part of a broader security doctrine. VENEZUELAN LEADER MADURO LANDS IN NEW YORK AFTER BEING CAPTURED BY US FORCES ON DRUG CONSPIRACY CHARGES He tied the intervention to long-standing U.S. policy in the Western Hemisphere, invoking historical precedent. “It’s about peace on Earth,” Trump said. “You gotta have peace, it’s our hemisphere. The Monroe Doctrine was very important when it was done.” Trump went on to criticize past presidents for failing to enforce that doctrine, arguing his administration has restored it as a guiding principle. RUBIO DEFENDS VENEZUELA OPERATION AFTER NBC QUESTIONS LACK OF CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL FOR MADURO CAPTURE “And other presidents, a lot of them, they lost sight of it,” Trump added. “I didn’t. I didn’t lose sight. But it really is. It’s peace on Earth.” Trump said the U.S. role in Venezuela will ultimately focus on rebuilding the country while caring for Venezuelans displaced by years of economic collapse. He said that includes Venezuelans currently living in the U.S., many of whom he said were forced to flee. “We’re gonna cherish a country,” Trump said. “We’re going to take care of, more importantly, of the people, including Venezuelans that are living in our country that were forced to leave their country, and they’re going to be taken very good care of.” Trump made clear the comments on Venezuela were part of a broader foreign policy outlook, using the gaggle to issue warnings about instability elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere and overseas. He suggested the U.S. is prepared to respond forcefully to threats he said could endanger American security interests. Trump singled out Colombia, describing the country as a growing security concern and accusing its leadership of enabling large-scale drug trafficking into the U.S. “Colombia’s 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,” Trump said. When asked whether that meant U.S. action, Trump replied, “It sounds good to me.” Trump also addressed ongoing protests in Iran, warning that the U.S. is closely monitoring the situation and would respond if the Iranian government uses violence against demonstrators. “We’re watching it very closely,” he said. “If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they’re going to get hit very hard by the United States.”
Trump and Musk share ‘lovely dinner’ at Mar-a-Lago after public feuding
President Donald Trump and Elon Musk appear to have repaired their once-strained relationship, according to a post shared by the billionaire Tesla founder on X. In a post shared Sunday, Musk wrote, “Had a lovely dinner last night with @POTUS and @FLOTUS,” before adding, “2026 is going to be amazing!” The photo, taken from a Saturday evening event at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, sparked speculation that the pair’s bromance may be back on after months of tension. After the 2024 campaign, Musk became one of the Republican Party’s biggest political donors, contributing hundreds of millions of dollars, according to Reuters. TRUMP LAYS OUT WHERE HE STANDS WITH ELON MUSK AFTER BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL BLOWUP Trump later tapped Musk to advise the government efficiency effort and set up DOGE, focused on reducing federal spending and streamlining operations – but Musk stepped back from the role in mid-2025 amid mounting criticism. Tensions also resurfaced when Musk publicly criticized Trump-backed spending proposals and raised concerns about the size of federal outlays. TRUMP TEASES MUSK AT FORUM AS ONCE-FROSTY DYNAMIC SEEMS TO TAKE A TURN “I’m sorry, but I just can’t stand it anymore,” Musk said in a June 3 post about Trump’s “big beautiful bill.” “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it,” Musk complained. Trump shot back that he was “very disappointed” in Musk’s criticism of his bill at the time before adding, “Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore.” MUSK SIGNALS POTENTIAL SOFTENING OF FEUD WITH SIMPLE ONE EMOJI RESPONSE TO CLIP OF TRUMP WISHING HIM WELL Musk shot back on X saying, “Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate.” At one point, Musk suggested he could form a new political party. But by late 2025, both sides appeared to strike a more conciliatory tone. In September, the two were seen shaking hands at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in a box at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Musk was also seen at a White House dinner in November as Trump hosted Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. TRUMP AND MUSK’S UNEXPECTED TRUCE COULD BE AMERICA’S SECRET WEAPON IN THE GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY RACE FOX Business’ Edward Lawrence asked Trump at a Cabinet meeting on Dec. 2 if Musk was “back in [his] circle of friends” after their falling out. “Well, I really don’t know. I mean, I like Elon a lot,” Trump replied. Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.
Trump issues direct warning to Venezuela’s new leader Delcy Rodríguez following Maduro capture
President Donald Trump issued a pointed warning to Venezuela’s new leader on Sunday, suggesting severe consequences if she continues to resist U.S. demands following the American-led operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. In an interview with The Atlantic, Trump said Delcy Rodríguez would “pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro” if she fails to “do what’s right,” adding that his administration would not tolerate what he described as her defiant rejection of the U.S. intervention. ‘WE BUILT VENEZUELA’S OIL INDUSTRY:’ TRUMP VOWS US ENERGY RETURN AFTER MADURO CAPTURE Defending that approach, Trump said, “Rebuilding there and regime change, anything you want to call it, is better than what you have right now. Can’t get any worse,” he added. The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Trump’s remarks followed a stunning predawn announcement Saturday that U.S. operators had carried out a mission to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. VENEZUELA HOLDS THE WORLD’S LARGEST OIL RESERVES. HERE’S HOW OTHERS COMPARE Speaking at a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Trump said a U.S.-appointed team would “run Venezuela” until the country’s political leadership was stabilized. He also pledged a return of U.S. energy investment to the cash-strapped Latin American country which sits atop the world’s largest oil reserves. Trump framed his foreign policy approach, according to The Atlantic, through what he described as a modernized version of the Monroe Doctrine, the 19th-century policy opposing European colonial influence in the Western Hemisphere. Trump referred to his approach as the “Donroe Doctrine.” Trump also hinted that Venezuela would not be the last nation to face U.S. pressure, raising the prospect of additional interventions beyond Latin America. As an example, he reiterated his long-standing interest in Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark, a NATO ally. “We do need Greenland, absolutely,” Trump told the magazine, citing U.S. national security interests and strategic location.
Venezuela still owes US energy companies billions as Trump calls for new investment
As President Donald Trump vows to return U.S. energy investment to Venezuela, the Latin American country remains on the hook for billions of dollars owed to American energy companies following years-old legal battles over oil contracts. Once a key supplier to global oil markets, Venezuela reshaped its relationship with international energy companies in the mid-2000s, as then-President Hugo Chávez tightened state control over the oil industry. ‘WE BUILT VENEZUELA’S OIL INDUSTRY:’ TRUMP VOWS US ENERGY RETURN AFTER MADURO CAPTURE Between 2004 and 2007, Chávez effectively forced foreign companies to renegotiate their contracts with the government. The new terms sharply reduced the role and profits of private firms while strengthening Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA). The move drove some of the world’s largest oil companies out of the country. ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips exited Venezuela in 2007 and later filed claims against the government in international arbitration courts. Those courts ultimately ruled in favor of the companies, ordering Venezuela to pay ConocoPhillips more than $10 billion and ExxonMobil more than $1 billion. US OIL GIANTS MUM AFTER TRUMP SAYS THEY’LL SPEND BILLIONS IN VENEZUELA While precise figures are difficult to verify since Venezuela has not published comprehensive debt statistics in years, the International Monetary Fund estimates the country’s economy will total about $82.8 billion in 2025. Debt levels, however, stand at nearly 200% of that total, meaning Venezuela owes nearly two dollars for every dollar it produces. On top of that, Venezuela has failed to repay about $60 billion in bonds, with total foreign debt rising to roughly $150 billion when loans from its top financial bankers, including Russia and China, are included. VENEZUELA HOLDS THE WORLD’S LARGEST OIL RESERVES. HERE’S HOW OTHERS COMPARE PDVSA also issued a bond that was supposed to be repaid in 2020, backed by a majority ownership stake in U.S.-based refiner Citgo as collateral. The state-run oil company later defaulted on that payment, putting Citgo in the legal crosshairs of creditors seeking to recover billions they are owed. The cash-strapped country, which sits atop of the globe’s largest oil reserves, has paid only a fraction of those awards. Chevron, however, remained in the country, becoming the only U.S. energy company still operating in Venezuela amid years of sanctions, economic collapse and political turmoil. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Chevron said the firm was following “relevant laws and regulations” but declined to comment on future investment plans in Venezuela. “Chevron remains focused on the safety and well-being of our employees, as well as the integrity of our assets,” the statement added. On Saturday, Trump told reporters at Mar-a-Lago that he wanted U.S. oil companies to “spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken oil infrastructure and start making money for the country.” He added that the United States “built Venezuela’s oil industry with American talent, drive and skill,” and said that once the country’s energy sector is revived, the U.S. would sell that oil to markets around the world. Venezuela’s heavy financial liabilities underscore the hurdles U.S. energy companies would face in committing new investment, despite Trump’s pledge to reengage.
Dan Bongino officially leaves FBI deputy director role after less than a year, returns to ‘civilian life’
Dan Bongino returned to private life on Sunday after serving as deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for less than a year. Bongino said on X that Saturday was his last day on the job before he would return to “civilian life.” “It’s been an incredible year thanks to the leadership and decisiveness of President Trump. It was the honor of a lifetime to work with Director Patel, and to serve you, the American people. See you on the other side,” he wrote. The former FBI deputy director announced in mid-December that he would be leaving his role at the bureau at the start of the new year. BONDI, PATEL TAP MISSOURI AG AS ADDITIONAL FBI CO-DEPUTY DIRECTOR ALONGSIDE BONGINO President Donald Trump previously praised Bongino, who assumed office in March, for his work at the FBI. “Dan did a great job. I think he wants to go back to his show,” Trump told reporters. FBI DIRECTOR, TOP DOJ OFFICIAL RESPOND TO ‘FAILING’ NY TIMES ARTICLE CLAIMING ‘DISDAIN’ FOR EACH OTHER Bongino spoke publicly about the personal toll of the job during a May appearance on “Fox & Friends,” saying he had sacrificed a lot to take the role. “I gave up everything for this,” he said, citing the long hours both he and FBI Director Kash Patel work. “I stare at these four walls all day in D.C., by myself, divorced from my wife — not divorced, but I mean separated — and it’s hard. I mean, we love each other, and it’s hard to be apart,” he added. Bongino’s departure leaves Andrew Bailey, who was appointed co-deputy director in September 2025, as the bureau’s other deputy director.
Kamala Harris blasts Trump administration’s capture of Venezuela’s Maduro as ‘unlawful and unwise’
Former Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday evening condemned the Trump administration’s capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, calling the operation both “unlawful” and “unwise.” In a lengthy post on X, Harris acknowledged that Maduro is a “brutal” and “illegitimate” dictator but said that President Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela “do not make America safer, stronger, or more affordable.” “Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela do not make America safer, stronger, or more affordable,” Harris wrote. “That Maduro is a brutal, illegitimate dictator does not change the fact that this action was both unlawful and unwise. We’ve seen this movie before. “Wars for regime change or oil that are sold as strength but turn into chaos, and American families pay the price.” SEE PICS: VENEZUELANS WORLDWIDE CELEBRATE AS EXILES REACT TO MADURO’S CAPTURE Harris made the remarks hours after the Trump administration confirmed that Maduro and his wife were captured and transported out of Venezuela as part of “Operation Absolute Resolve.” The former vice president also accused the administration of being motivated by oil interests rather than efforts to combat drug trafficking or promote democracy. “The American people do not want this, and they are tired of being lied to. This is not about drugs or democracy. It is about oil and Donald Trump’s desire to play the regional strongman,” Harris said. “If he cared about either, he wouldn’t pardon a convicted drug trafficker or sideline Venezuela’s legitimate opposition while pursuing deals with Maduro’s cronies.” SECOND FRONT: HOW A SOCIALIST CELL IN THE US MOBILIZED PRO-MADURO FOOT SOLDIERS WITHIN 12 HOURS Harris, who has been rumored as a potential Democratic contender in the 2028 presidential race, additionally accused the president of endangering U.S. troops and destabilizing the region. “The President is putting troops at risk, spending billions, destabilizing a region, and offering no legal authority, no exit plan, and no benefit at home,” she said. “America needs leadership whose priorities are lowering costs for working families, enforcing the rule of law, strengthening alliances, and — most importantly — putting the American people first.” MADURO’S FALL SPARKS SUSPICION OF BETRAYAL INSIDE VENEZUELA’S RULING ELITE Maduro and his wife arrived at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn late Saturday after being transported by helicopter from the DEA in Manhattan after being processed. Earlier in the day, Trump said that the U.S. government will “run” Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.” Harris’ office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
Second front: How a socialist cell in the US mobilized pro-Maduro foot soldiers within 12 hours
As the U.S. military carried out a daring operation to capture Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, a second front opened up within minutes in the United States an information warfare, psychological and propaganda operation run by a hardened cell of self-described Marxist, socialist and communist leaders. For years, this cell has fomented anti-American hate in the U.S. under the cover of “anti-war” protests, rallying activists after the 9/11 attacks to condemn the U.S. response, appropriating “anti-racism” protests after the 2020 killing of George Floyd, marching with Antifa agitators, organizing antisemitic campus encampments after the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas and activating “working-class Americans” to support Maduro and his regime in a war against “U.S. imperialism.” A Fox News Digital analysis of their minute-by-minute moves overnight reveals how this network activated a coordinated ideological and information warfare campaign, moving through digital social media channels with quickly produced posters to mobilize foot soldiers to the streets for an “EMERGENCY DAY OF ACTION” in New York City; Washington, D.C.; and an estimated 100 other cities, moving with the speed and discipline of an organized military operation. At 1:35 a.m., as U.S. special forces teams had just landed in Venezuela, BreakThrough News, a socialist propaganda arm of the network, published some of the first video from the U.S. military strikes, blasting the Trump administration for waging an “illegal bombing campaign of Caracas,” the capital of Venezuela. It was a talking point that was going to stick. TRUMP REVEALS VENEZUELA’S MADURO WAS CAPTURED IN ‘FORTRESS’-LIKE HOUSE: ‘HE GOT BUM RUSHED SO FAST’ Ten minutes later, at 1:45 a.m., one of the key leaders of this network, Manolo De Los Santos, executive director at The People’s Forum, a proudly socialist 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in New York City, echoed the narrative on social media of an “illegal bombing.” Less than an hour later, at 2:29 a.m., the ANSWER Coalition, a nonprofit co-founded by a proud Marxist, Brian Becker, published a red siren alert on the social media platform X with a slick new poster, calling supporters to the streets in Times Square for a protest Saturday to support Maduro. “NO WAR ON VENEZUELA! STOP THE BOMBINGS,” the poster screamed, on brand. EXPLOSIONS HEARD IN VENEZUELAN CAPITAL OF CARACAS: REPORTS Minutes later, at 2:34 a.m., The People’s Forum shared the call-to-action, screaming: “EMERGENCY PROTEST” Soon after, at 2:43 a.m., the Party for Socialism and Liberation shared the poster on X, saying, “Stop the bombings…!” Congressional lawmakers are already investigating this socialist network for its ties to Neville Roy Singham, a United States-born technology executive who relocated to Shanghai after selling his software firm and starting work that critics say is aligned closely with interests of the Chinese Communist Party. Singham didn’t respond to a request for comment. MADURO MET CHINESE ENVOY HOURS BEFORE US CAPTURE FROM CARACAS AS BEIJING SLAMS OPERATION By 3:21 a.m., Vijay Prashad, director of Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, a research institute chaired by Singham that examines issues through the lens of “national liberation Marxism,” posted a message, denouncing the military action, declaring, “Down with US imperialism.” Within a few hours, at 6:09 a.m., CodePink, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by Singham’s wife, Jodie Evans, condemned the “terrorist United States…” MADURO JAILED AT NEW YORK DETENTION CENTER THAT HELD DIDDY, GHISLAINE MAXWELL, AND SAM BANKMAN-FRIED From a military intelligence perspective, experts say the overnight sequence bears the hallmarks of a pre-positioned influence network executing a rapid-response operation. The synchronization of messaging, the staggered release of content across aligned platforms and the immediate transition from online agitation to physical mobilization point to an ecosystem designed not for spontaneous protest, but for ideological warfare. In this framework, experts say, the nonprofit leaders are foot soldiers in Maduro’s war on the United States, acting as civilian operatives advancing the strategic interests of a foreign ideological project. Their role is not to fight with weapons, but to contest legitimacy, shape public perception, apply internal pressure on U.S. decision-making during moments of external conflict and further the cause of communism, experts say. At the center of this domestic front is an international coordination structure known as the International Peoples’ Assembly, which functions as an umbrella organization and political command-and-control hub linking communist parties, socialist movements, activist organizations and state-aligned media outlets worldwide. One of its media arms, the People’s Dispatch, has explicitly framed its mission as mobilizing global resistance against “American imperialism,” including repeated calls to action on behalf of Venezuela. It lists Singham’s Tricontinental as one of its “partners.” The North America members of its “coordinating committee” include CodePink; the Popular Education Project, an initiative of The People’s Forum; and the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Its Venezuelan member is a group called Francisco de Miranda Front, which works closely with its U.S. allies. At 7:49 a.m., the International People’s Assembly shared the poster for the “EMERGENCY DAY OF ACTION.” It quickly published a statement condemning the U.S. military action as reflective of the country’s “increasingly militaristic and hyper-imperialist orientation” and calling on members to “resist this pursuit of hegemony by any means necessary.” TRUMP VOWS US WILL ‘RUN’ VENEZUELA UNTIL ‘SAFE’ TRANSITION OF POWER The assembly operates in close alignment with Tricontinental, the SIngham organization that functions as an ideological production center, generating narratives, research and messaging disseminated through aligned media platforms and activated through street-level organizations. Singham’s wife, Evans, sits on the International People’s Assembly, tightening the operational loop between messaging, mobilization and leadership. Experts say the ideological doctrine guiding this network is shaped in part by Prashad, who also serves as editor of People’s Dispatch. On the operational side, De Los Santos, executive director at The People’s Forum, has emerged as a visible field organizer. He is listed as a researcher at Tricontinental and has repeatedly appeared at regime-aligned events in Venezuela, functioning as a liaison between the ideological center and street-level mobilization abroad and at home. MADURO GAVE STATE TV ADDRESS AS US STRIKES IN VENEZUELA BEGAN: REPORT In 2003, Cuban leader Fidel
Mamdani strongly condemns Trump’s capture of Venezuelan leader Maduro as ‘act of war’
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Saturday he was briefed on plans to imprison Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife in New York City, calling their capture an “act of war and a violation of federal and international law.” President Donald Trump announced the couple’s capture in a “large scale strike” Saturday morning, following months of assaults on suspected drug vessels allegedly tied to the Venezuelan regime in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific. The Venezuelan government said in a statement the attack was carried out to seize the country’s oil and minerals and was an “attempt to impose a colonial war to destroy the republican form of government and force a ‘regime change,’ in alliance with the fascist oligarchy.” FROM BUS DRIVER TO DICTATOR: NICOLÁS MADURO’S RISE AND FALL IN VENEZUELA Mamdani, a democratic socialist inaugurated on New Year’s Day, said during a news conference Saturday he discussed the matter with Trump on the phone, pushing back on the commander in chief’s decision. “I called the president and spoke with him directly to register my opposition to this act and to make clear that it was an opposition based on being opposed to a pursuit of regime change, to the violation of federal international law and a desire to see that be consistent each and every day,” Mamdani said. “I registered my opposition, I made it clear and we left it at that.” The mayor later took to X, claiming the “blatant pursuit of regime change” will directly affect New Yorkers and Venezuelans living in New York City. “My focus is their safety and the safety of every New Yorker, and my administration will continue to monitor the situation and issue relevant guidance,” Mamdani wrote in the post. LIVE UPDATES: TRUMP CONFIRMS OVERNIGHT STRIKES IN VENEZUELA, SAYS US HAS ‘CAPTURED’ MADURO Maduro and Mamdani believe in redistributing wealth downward, with Mamdani focused on taxing the wealthy and corporations to fund public services and Maduro redistributing wealth through oil revenues and state control of resources. Mamdani also campaigned on public-run housing, childcare, transit and city-owned grocery stores, similar to Maduro’s policies of state-run food distribution, healthcare and housing. Fox News host and former white house press secretary Kayleigh McEnany noted the “juxtaposition” of Maduro being prosecuted in New York City, which Mamdani oversees. “The ‘warm collectivism’ promised during Mamdani’s inaugural speech (which killed 100 million people in the 20th century) is about to be prosecuted in federal court in the city he oversees,” McEnany wrote in an X post. “The juxtaposition is quite something.” However, Venezuelan socialism involves nationalization and central control, which led to an economic collapse and authoritarian drift. Mamdani’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Trump reveals Venezuela’s Maduro was captured in ‘fortress’-like house: ‘He got bum rushed so fast’
President Donald Trump revealed during an exclusive interview with “Fox & Friends Weekend” that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured in a “fortress”-like house, where he got “bum rushed so fast” by American special forces. Trump said he huddled with generals inside a room at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida as they “watched every aspect” of the “extremely complex” operation unfold. The president said the initial plan was for Maduro to be captured earlier this week, but U.S. forces had to wait for the right weather conditions. “We waited four days. We were going to do this four days ago, three days ago, two days ago. And then all of a sudden it opened up, and we said, ‘Go,’” the president said, describing how Maduro was in a “very highly-guarded” house at the time he was confronted. LIVE UPDATES: MADURO COULD MAKE NY FEDERAL COURT APPEARANCE AS SOON AS MONDAY “He was in a house that was more like a fortress than a house. It had steel doors. It had what they call a safety space, where it’s, you know, solid steel all around. He didn’t get that space closed. He was trying to get into it, but he got bum rushed so fast that he didn’t get into that,” Trump said. “We were prepared. We had, you know, massive blowtorches and everything else that you need to get through that steel. But we didn’t need it. He didn’t make it to that area of the house.” A U.S. official briefed on the matter told Fox News Saturday the U.S. Army’s Delta Force physically captured Maduro, with the CIA providing intelligence to the Department of War to help track down the dictator’s location. “Everything was pinpoint … everything they practiced. They actually built a house which was identical to the one they went into with all the safes, all the steel all over the place,” Trump told “Fox & Friends Weekend,” describing the military planning that went into the operation. Trump said he believes no U.S. forces were killed during the operation. He added that “a couple of guys were hit, but they came back, and they’re supposed to be in pretty good shape.” TRUMP CONFIRMS US STRIKE IN VENEZUELA, SAYS PRESIDENT MADURO HAS BEEN CAPTURED Trump also said Maduro and his wife were taken by helicopter to the USS Iwo Jima and that they were heading to New York to face an indictment on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy. When asked about what the future of Venezuela holds with Maduro no longer in the country, Trump said, “We’re making that decision now.” “We can’t take a chance of letting somebody else run and just take over where he left off. So we’re making that decision now,” Trump told Fox News on Saturday morning. “We’ll be involved in it very much, and we want to do liberty for the people. We want to, you know, have a great relationship. I think the people of Venezuela are very, very happy because they love the United States. You know, they were run by essentially a dictatorship or worse.” Trump also said the U.S. military operations in Venezuela are “saving lives because the drug trafficking is so bad. It’s gotten so out of control.” Fox News’ Rachel Wolf and David Spunt contributed to this report.
US capture of Maduro throws spotlight on Venezuela’s massive oil reserves
In the predawn hours on Saturday, President Donald Trump announced the stunning capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a dramatic development for a nation that, despite sitting atop the world’s largest oil reserves, has been hobbled by years of economic collapse and political turmoil. Trump accused Venezuela’s socialist government of seizing American energy assets and dismantling an industry built with U.S. investment. “Venezuela unilaterally seized and sold American oil, American assets and American platforms, costing us billions and billions of dollars,” Trump said during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. “They took all of our property.” FOLLOW FOX NEWS LIVE COVERAGE OF VENEZUELA “We built Venezuela’s oil industry with American talent, drive and skill, and the socialist regime stole it from us,” he added. Trump added that U.S. energy companies would play a key role in rebuilding the Latin American country’s oil sector. “We are going to have our very large United States oil companies go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken oil infrastructure and start making money for the country,” he said. Roughly twice the size of California, Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves. At an estimated 300 billion barrels, about 20% of the global total and nearly four times U.S. reserves, that endowment dwarfs that of any other nation. Much of that oil, however, is difficult and expensive to produce. Venezuela’s reserves are dominated by heavy and extra-heavy crude that requires specialized equipment, constant maintenance and advanced refining capacity, much of which has deteriorated after years of underinvestment and skilled labor losses. ‘WE BUILT VENEZUELA’S OIL INDUSTRY:’ TRUMP VOWS US ENERGY RETURN AFTER MADURO CAPTURE Beyond technical challenges, Venezuela’s crisis-stricken economy and persistent political instability have further limited its ability to convert those reserves into sustained production. Similar dynamics have played out in countries such as Iran and Libya, where turmoil and sanctions constrain output despite vast resource wealth. “Venezuela under Maduro and under his predecessor have wrecked Venezuela’s economy,” said Diana Furchtgott-Roth, director of the Center for Energy, Climate and Environment at The Heritage Foundation. She said the country’s communist system had hollowed out its industrial base. “That’s why Maduro relies almost entirely on oil. It’s the only profitable source of revenue for him,” she added. Venezuela’s stockpile, now larger than those of energy titans like Saudi Arabia, has become a central flashpoint in the geopolitical struggle surrounding the country’s future. Trump has said his administration will continue to enforce its embargo on Venezuelan oil, keeping pressure on the country’s primary source of revenue. Whether Venezuela’s oil wealth can be unlocked now hinges not only on political change, but on whether years of underinvestment, decaying infrastructure and technical challenges can be reversed, a costly and complex task that would require billions of dollars and sustained stability.