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President Trump told the nation the US would now take over running Venezuela, after strongman Nicolas Maduro was captured “in the dead of night.” “We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said at a press conference from his Mar-a-Lago resort as he provided new details on the stunning military operation... “We’re not afraid of boots on the ground if we have to,” the president said. “We had boots on the ground last night, at a very high level, actually.” Later, Trump added, “We’re going to have [a]...

The United States attacked Venezuela and captured its long-serving President Nicolas Maduro and his wife on Saturday (Jan 3), with US President Donald Trump promising to put the country under American control for now, even as Venezuelan officials vowed defiance. As part of a dramatic overnight operation that knocked out electricity in parts ⁠of Caracas, US Special Forces captured Maduro in or near one of his safe houses, Trump said. With Maduro in US custody, Trump said: "We will run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition." "We can't take a chance...

US President Donald Trump on Saturday dismissed Nobel Peace Prize-winning opposition leader María Corina Machado as a potential leader of Venezuela, saying she does not have the “support or respect" within the country. Speaking at a news conference, Trump said, “I think it would be very tough for her to be the leader. She doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country. She’s a very nice woman, but she doesn’t have the respect." Machado, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, posted on social media that “the hour of freedom has arrived" and called for the...

I’ve served on the Homeland Security Committee for the past three years. I’m 100% for strong safe secure borders and stopping narco terrorists and cartels from trafficking deadly drugs and human trafficking into America. Fentanyl is responsible for over 70% of U.S. drug overdose deaths and fentanyl comes from Mexican cartels made with chemical precursors from China and trafficked across the U.S. Mexico border. Mexican cartels are primarily and overwhelmingly responsible for killing Americans with deadly drugs. If U.S. military action and regime change in Venezuela was really about saving American lives from deadly drugs then why hasn’t the Trump...

Did President Trump seek authority from Congress to attack Venezuela? The short answer is no. There is no indication that Donald Trump sought or received advance authorization from Congress before ordering the strikes. Last month, Trump publicly stated that he did not believe congressional approval was required to launch attacks against targets in Venezuela, including strikes on land. He said he might brief Congress but would not seek formal legal authorization. In December, Republicans, joined by a small number of Democrats, voted down two separate War Powers resolutions in the House of Representatives that would have required congressional approval for...

In an early sign of congressional concern about the U.S. operation, Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah questioned President Trump's authority to use the military in Venezuela without authorization from Congress. "I look forward to learning what, if anything, might constitutionally justify this action in the absence of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force," he said in a social-media post.

BREAKING: President Trump announces successful strike against Venezuela, says Nicolas Maduro has been captured

Donald Trump just sent Nicolas Maduro a Christmas message, of a sort. And that message is not many happy returns of the day. Earlier today, the US Navy boarded a tanker carrying Venezuelan oil in international waters. Unlike the first seizure, Marc Caputo reports for Axios, this ship had no specific sanctions applied to it [see update below]. This escalates the standoff over Maduro's illegal regime and the oil revenue he desperately needs to cling to power:The U.S. military early Saturday boarded a tanker that is not under U.S. sanctions as it shipped Venezuelan oil in hopes of escaping a...

Summary U.S. hopes to ramp up pressure on Maduro government Covert operations expected to be first step, sources say U.S. options include overthrowing Maduro Human rights groups condemn U.S. strikes as illegal extrajudicial killings WASHINGTON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - The United States is poised to launch a new phase of Venezuela-related operations in the coming days, four U.S. officials told Reuters, as the Trump administration escalates pressure on President Nicolas Maduro's government. Reuters was not able to establish the exact timing or scope of the new operations, nor whether U.S. President Donald Trump had made a final decision to act....

resident Donald Trump warned on Friday that Venezuelan planes will be "shot down" if they put the United States in a "dangerous position." Why It Matters Trump's warning comes after the Pentagon said two Venezuelan planes flew near a U.S. Navy vessel in international waters amid an expanded U.S. military presence in the southern Caribbean. The comment comes as Washington and Caracas trade increasingly sharp warnings following a U.S. strike this week on a boat the administration says was tied to the Venezuelan-linked Tren de Aragua gang. The exchange raises questions about the risk of further military escalation in the...

ran launched a missile attack Monday on a U.S. military base in Qatar, retaliating for the American bombing of its nuclear sites. The announcement was made on state television as martial music played. A caption on screen called it “a mighty and successful response by the armed forces of Iran to America’s aggression.” The attack came shortly after Qatar closed its airspace as a precaution amid threats from Iran.

Bill Clinton: "We are determined to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons." (1995) George W. Bush: "Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. Period." (2006) Barack Obama: "I have stated that Iran will never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon." (2015) Joe Biden: "We will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon." (2022) Donald J. Trump: "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated....Thank you for your attention to this matter." (2025) @realDonaldTrump PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT!

<p>Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who has been advocating for the U.S. to avoid intervention in the Israel-Iran conflict, wrote on X minutes after Trump announced the offensive: “This is not Constitutional.” Massie helped lead a bipartisan war powers resolution to prohibit U.S. involvement in the Middle East dispute.</p>

In a bold show of force, U.S. jets flattened Iran's key nuclear sites overnight — delivering a crippling blow to Tehran's atomic ambitions and sending a clear message: the West will not tolerate nuclear terror. In a stunning and historic move, U.S. President Donald J. Trump confirmed early Sunday morning that American forces carried out a large-scale airstrike targeting three of Iran's most guarded nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. The operation, described by senior Israeli intelligence officials as "a strategic masterstroke," comes after weeks of escalating tension between Iran and Israel, during which Tehran launched multiple missile barrages into...

Houthis vow to 'continue to impose a naval blockade on the Israeli enemy and ban its ships in the declared zone of ​​operations until aid and basic needs are delivered to the Gaza Strip' Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea delivered a message on March 16, 2025, saying they've launched an offensive against the USS Harry S. Truman using 'missiles and drones.'