President Donald Trump announced on Jan. 3 that the US would "run" Venezuela, following a strike on the country that led to the capture and transfer to the US of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, First Lady Cilia Flores.

Trump made the remarks during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. He stated that the US would "run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition," without specifying a timeline. He emphasized the recent decline of Venezuela's oil industry, saying that US oil companies would spend billions to repair the country's infrastructure and bring in foreign exchange. He claimed to be acting in the interest of bringing "peace, liberty and justice for the great people of Venezuela," including Venezuelans in the US who want to return to their home country. He added that the US would be prepared to "stage a second and larger attack" if necessary.

Trump described Maduro as an illegitimate dictator and accused him of overseeing drug trafficking to the US, threatening the stability of the region and causing suffering to American communities.

Maduro and his wife were indicted in the Southern District of New York in 2020. They are due to appear in federal court on Jan. 5, where they will be charged with "narco-terrorism conspiracy," cocaine importation conspiracy, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices, as well as conspiracy to possess such devices. They are currently being held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Maduro's vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, has been sworn in as interim president.

The US raid on the military base where Maduro was housed near Caracas took place at around 4:30 AM on Jan. 3 and lasted less than 30 minutes. He was first transported aboard the USS Iwo Jima to the US base at Guantánamo Bay before being flown to New York City.

The capture of Maduro has provoked strong reactions both in the region and internationally. Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Spain and Uruguay released a joint statement condemning the attack, describing it as an "extremely dangerous precedent." 

In contrast, Maria Corina Machado, who won the Nobel Peace Prize earlier this year and was prevented from running in the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election, said that "the United States government has fulfilled its promise to enforce the law" and "we are ready to assert our mandate and take power."

Under Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, states are obligated to refrain from "the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state." The exceptions to this rule are self-defense and authorization by the UN Security Council. The UN Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela stated after the raid that the "Maduro government’s longstanding record of grave human rights violations does not justify a US military intervention that breaches international law."

Maduro came to power in 2013 after the death of his predecessor Hugo Chávez, under whom he had served as vice president. He was elected as president later that year, and again in 2018. He was most recently re-elected in 2024, despite accusations of interference with the election results and suppression of political opposition. He has been criticized for committing extensive human rights violations, including arbitrary detentions, inhuman treatment, and extrajudicial killings.

The raid on Caracas is the culmination of numerous measures that the US has taken against Venezuela over the past year. These include sanctions on oil companies operating in Venezuela, blockades on oil tankers, and strikes on vessels suspected of drug trafficking.

From JURIST, Jan. 4. Used with permission. Internal links added.