Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has also fled the country and is now believed to be in Russia. At the same time, Nicolás Maduro’s son, Nicolás Ernesto Maduro Guerra, often referred to as “The Prince,” is facing charges alongside his parents, accused of being party to trafficking thousands of tons of cocaine.
President Trump said in an interview with The New York Post that US troops will not remain stationed in Venezuela as long as the ousted leader Rodríguez “does what we want.” Trump made the remark shortly after a press conference where he had said, “We are going to run the country” temporarily, ahead of a planned democratic transition.
Fugitives of Venezuela
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When asked by the outlet if “US troops [will] be on the ground helping run the country,” Trump responded, “No, if Maduro’s vice president — if the vice president does what we want, we won’t have to do that.” “We’re prepared,” Trump added. “You know, we have a second wave that’s much bigger than the first wave.”
Trump said that “we’ve spoken to her [Rodriguez] numerous times, and she understands, she understands.”
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Trump also told the New York Post that he has no plans for further military action against Cuba, Venezuela’s longtime ally that has relied heavily on Caracas for economic aid and fuel. He added in the interview that his approach is what he calls the “‘Donroe’ Doctrine—a Monroe Doctrine on steroids.”
“No, Cuba is going to fall of its own volition. Cuba is doing very poorly,” Trump said.
“Cuba was always very reliant on Venezuela. That’s where they got their money, and they protected Venezuela, but that didn’t work out too well in this case,” the president went on.
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“You know, many Cubans lost their lives last night. Did you know that? Many Cubans lost their lives. They were protecting Maduro. That was not a good move.”
This came as Trump released the first photo of Maduro after his capture. In the photo, Maduro is seen blindfolded and wearing soundproof headphones, his hands cuffed as he clutches a plastic bottle of water. President Trump shared the image on his Truth Social account as a wave of fake arrest photos circulated online.
Wearing a Nike sweatsuit, he is seen standing aboard the U.S. Navy’s Iwo Jima, en route to New York, where he is expected to face prosecution on narco-terrorism charges.
A mostly cropped-out law enforcement officer can be seen standing beside Maduro on the ship, appearing to grip his arm as he is escorted.
Helpless Face of Terror
Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, does not appear in the photo but was also arrested and charged in the alleged narco-terrorism plot and is being extradited to the Southern District of New York, where she is expected to face prosecution as well.
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Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado celebrated the U.S. capture of Maduro on Saturday, marking her first public response by declaring that the “hour of freedom has arrived” for the country.
“The time has come for popular sovereignty and national sovereignty to govern our country. We will restore order, free the political prisoners, build an exceptional country, and bring our children back home,” Machado wrote in a statement.
“We have fought for years, we have given everything, and it has been worth it. What had to happen is happening.”
Machado, who was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, now appears ready to step in and lead the country following the ouster of Maduro.
This came as it was revealed that Maduro and his wife, Cilia, were captured by a specialized Delta Force unit while they were asleep in their bedroom. The left-wing leader was arrested in the early hours of Saturday and stood trial in New York City on drug and weapons charges, according to CNN.
A source told the network that the coordinated operation targeted five locations across Venezuela, including three in the capital, Caracas, and was carried out without any loss of life.
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Trump said that the Maduros were taken aboard the USS Iwo Jima, an assault ship, and later flown to New York City, where he is set to face trial along with his wife.
Trump praised the mission as “brilliant” in a short interview with The New York Times early Saturday. He later phoned into Fox News’ morning show Fox & Friends, sounding energized as he described watching the operation unfold.
“I mean, I watched it literally like I was watching a television show,” he said. “If you would’ve seen the speed, the violence — it was an amazing thing,” he said.
