INTERNATIONAL – U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly warned that the United States may carry out a second military strike against Venezuela if remaining leaders in Caracas fail to cooperate with Washington’s plans following the dramatic capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, according to Channel NewsAsia referencing Reuters.
In remarks to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump made clear that the U.S. operation goes beyond removing Maduro from power — it is intended to force political and security changes in the stressed South American nation. He said U.S. officials are working with interim leaders, including Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who has claimed continuity of Maduro’s presidency even as Washington demands “fixing” the country and cracking down on drug trafficking.
Trump signalled that if cooperation does not materialise quickly, the United States could take further action. “Operation Colombia sounds good to me,” he said, suggesting that military action could extend to other countries in the region if they do not curb illicit drug flows to the U.S. — naming Colombia and Mexico explicitly as nations that could also face action. He even predicted that Cuba, a close Venezuelan ally, “looks like it’s ready to fall” without direct intervention.
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The context for Trump’s remarks stems from an unprecedented U.S. strike in early January 2026 in which elite forces targeted Venezuelan military facilities and security positions while also abducting Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were flown to the U.S.; Maduro has since appeared in a New York federal court to face serious drug-related charges.
Venezuela’s interim leadership — backed by the nation’s supreme court — has condemned the U.S. action as a kidnapping and an illegal assault on sovereignty. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello released an audio message asserting, “Here there is only one president, whose name is Nicolás Maduro Moros,” and denouncing Washington’s pressures as provocations.
The operation marked the most controversial U.S. intervention in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama and triggered international debate over legality, regional stability and the future of Venezuela’s vast oil resources. Trump’s sustained focus on post-Maduro governance — including possible military escalation — has intensified geopolitical tensions, drawing criticism from governments and rights advocates worldwide.
Trump also linked broader immigration and security concerns to the Venezuelan campaign, claiming that migrants, criminals and drug traffickers moved north from Venezuela, a stance that resonates with his policy priorities but also draws sharp international scrutiny. As U.S. officials press for cooperation, the threat of further strikes looms over an already fragile political transition in the oil-rich nation.
