A large-scale U.S. military operation in Venezuela early Saturday left at least 40 people dead, including civilians and soldiers, according to The New York Times, which cited a senior Venezuelan official with access to preliminary casualty reports. The overnight operation culminated in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, marking one of the most dramatic U.S. interventions aimed at regime change in decades. Power outages were reported across parts of Caracas as the events unfolded.

Trump Confirms Capture, Signals Temporary U.S. Control

U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that American forces had detained Maduro and removed him from the country. Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump said Washington would temporarily assume control of Venezuela to ensure what he described as a “safe, proper, and judicious transition.”

“We can’t take a chance that someone else takes over Venezuela who doesn’t have the interests of Venezuelans in mind,” Trump told reporters.

Later on Saturday, a plane carrying Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, landed at Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York. Maduro is expected to face drug trafficking and weapons-related charges in Manhattan federal court next week.

Legal Questions and Regional Fallout

Trump indicated plans to manage Venezuela’s oil resources in the short term, signaling Washington’s intent to influence the country’s immediate political and economic future. The scale of the operation has drawn comparisons to the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Critics have raised concerns about the legality of the intervention and the risks of direct U.S. control in a deeply divided nation. Venezuelan officials remaining in the country have vowed continued resistance following Maduro’s removal.