US strikes on Venezuela highlights: Maduro in New York jail; North Korea calls US's Venezuela action ‘high-handed’

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised US President Donald Trump for the Venezuela operation.

"Congratulations, President Donald Trump, for your bold and historic leadership on behalf of freedom and justice. I salute your decisive resolve and the brilliant action of your brave soldiers," he said on X.

Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Britain will "shed no tears about the end" of the Maduro regime in Venezuela, as reported by AFP.

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani criticised the US operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, calling it a violation of law.

"I was briefed this morning on the US military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, as well as their planned imprisonment in federal custody here in New York City. Unilaterally attacking a sovereign nation is an act of war and a violation of federal and international law," Mamdani said.

He added, "This blatant pursuit of regime change doesn’t just affect those abroad, it directly impacts New Yorkers, including tens of thousands of Venezuelans who call this city home."

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez demanded in a speech that the US free President Nicolás Maduro, calling him the country’s rightful leader, AP reported.

The capture of Maduro sparked a mix of protests and celebrations across the country, highlighting his polarizing presence.

In Caracas, Mayor Carmen Meléndez joined a crowd demanding Maduro’s return. According to a report by AP, protesters chanted, “Maduro, hold on, the people are rising up!” and “We are here Nicolás Maduro. If you can hear us, we are here!”

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: US President Donald Trump warned that the United States is prepared for further military action in Venezuela if necessary.

"We are ready to stage a second and much larger attack if we need to do so," he said, reported AFP.

He added that US forces are not hesitant to deploy on the ground. "We're not afraid of boots on the ground if we have to have. We had boots on the ground last night at a very high level, actually."

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: French President Emmanuel Macron said 2024 presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia should lead Venezuela’s transition, reported news agency AFP. He said Venezuelans “can only rejoice” at the end of what he described as the Maduro “dictatorship.”

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: US service members involved in the Venezuela operation suffered non-life-threatening gunshot wounds and other injuries, two US officials told CBS News. The exact number of personnel injured remains unclear.

The officials said there were no US fatalities in the operation and that all injured service members are in stable condition.

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: US President Donald Trump has shared a series of photos on his Truth Social platform that appear to show him and other US officials observing last night’s strikes on Venezuela, as well as the operation that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The images were shared without specific captions.

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: US President Donald Trump said Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez will work with the United States to help transition Venezuela to a democratically elected government. Rodríguez, who served as vice president under Nicolás Maduro before his capture by US forces on Saturday, has been sworn in as president, Trump said.

Speaking at a news conference in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had a lengthy conversation with Rodríguez and secured her cooperation. “She’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again, very simple,” Bloomberg quoted Trump as saying.

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: US President Donald Trump said the United States will take charge of running Venezuela with a group to ensure the country is managed “properly”.

“Well, we're going to be running it with a group and we're going to make sure it's run properly,” Trump said.

He said the US plans to rebuild Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, noting that it would cost billions of dollars. “We're going to rebuild the oil infrastructure which will cost billions of dollars. It'll be paid for by the oil companies directly… we're going to get the oil flowing the way it should be,” he said.

Trump added that current oil output was far below potential. “As you know, it was just a minor flow. It was actually a minor flow for what they have, but we're going to run it properly,” he said.

He also said the US would focus on the welfare of Venezuelans, including those who fled the country. “We're going to make sure the people of Venezuela are taken care of. We're going to make sure the people that were forced out of Venezuela by the slug uh are also taken care of.”

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: US President Donald Trump said it would be “very tough” for opposition leader Maria Corina Machado to emerge as Venezuela’s leader, according to BBC News.

Asked if he had been in contact with Machado, Trump said he had not spoken to her. While describing her as a “very nice woman”, he added that “she doesn't have the support within or the respect within the country”.

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: The Ministry of External Affairs released an advisory urging Indians not to travel to Venezuela unless its essential. For those already in the Latin American nation, which was attacked by the US forces in an overnight operation on Satirday, the MEA advised them to restrict their movement and remain in contact with the Indian Embassy in Caracas.

“In view of recent developments in Venezuela, Indian nationals are strongly advised to avoid all non-essential travel to Venezuela,” the MEA said in the advisory.

“All Indians who are in Venezuela for any reason are advised to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements, and remain in contact with Embassy of India in Caracas through their email id: cons.caracas@mea.gov.in or the emergency phone number +58-412-9584288 (also for WhatsApp calls)” it added.

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: Indian-origin US Congressman Ro Khanna has criticised President Donald Trump over the military action in Venezuela, calling it a “war of choice” aimed at regime change.

“Donald Trump betrayed his MAGA base today launching a war of choice to bring regime change in Venezuela,” Khanna wrote on X on Saturday, hours after Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were “captured” by US forces and are being brought to New York to face trial for drug-related charges.

Khanna said the US has repeatedly voted against “dumb wars” in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, but presidents continue to “bow to a foreign policy blob committed to militarism”. Read more.

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States will ‘run’ Venezuela until a power transition takes place.

“We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition,” the US President said.

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: US President Donald Trump shared Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro's first photo after capture on Truth Social and wrote, “Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima.”

The picture shows Maduro blind-folded in a track suit.

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is deeply alarmed by U.S. military action in Venezuela that sets "a dangerous precedent," his spokesperson said on Saturday ahead of a likely U.N. Security Council meeting.

Venezuela and Colombia, backed by Russia and China, have asked for the 15-member Security Council to meet, diplomats said, after the U.S. attacked Venezuela and deposed its long-serving autocratic President Nicolas Maduro. The meeting has not yet been scheduled.

"These developments constitute a dangerous precedent," Guterres' spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. "The Secretary-General continues to emphasize the importance of full respect - by all - of international law, including the UN Charter. He’s deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected." (Reuters)

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: China said it’s “deeply shocked” by the US’s military strikes on Venezuela and its capture of President Nicolas Maduro.

China “strongly condemns the US’s blatant use of force against a sovereign state and action against its president,” a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement late Saturday. “Such hegemonic acts of the US seriously violate international law and Venezuela’s sovereignty, and threaten peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean region. China firmly opposes it.”

China is the biggest buyer of oil from the South American country, as well as its largest creditor. (Bloomberg)

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: Israel hailed the US' military operation in Venezuela and said that Washington acted as the "leader of the free world".

"Israel stands alongside the freedom-loving Venezuelan people, who have suffered under Maduro's illegal tyranny. Israel welcomes the removal of the dictator who led a network of drugs and terror and hopes for the return of democracy to the country and for friendly relations between the states," Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar wrote on X.

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: Here is Venezuela's opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado's full statement on the capture of Maduro and his wife.

"Venezuelans,

The HOUR OF FREEDOM has arrived!

As of today, Nicolás Maduro is facing international justice for the atrocious crimes committed against Venezuelans and against citizens of many other nations. In view of his refusal to accept a negotiated exit, the government of the United States has fulfilled its promise to enforce the law.

The time has come for Popular Sovereignty and National Sovereignty to prevail in our country. We are going to restore order, free political prisoners, build an exceptional country, and bring our children back home.

We have fought for years, we have given everything, and it has been worth it. What had to happen is happening.

This is the hour of the citizens — those of us who risked everything for democracy on July 28; those who chose Edmundo González Urrutia as the legitimate President of Venezuela, who must immediately assume his constitutional mandate and be recognized as Commander-in-Chief of the National Armed Forces by all the officers and soldiers who comprise it.

Today we are prepared to enforce our mandate and take power. Let us remain vigilant, active, and organized until the Democratic Transition is achieved — a transition that needs ALL of us.

To Venezuelans inside our country: be ready to carry out what we will soon communicate to you through our official channels.

To Venezuelans abroad: we need you mobilized — engaging governments and citizens around the world and committing them, starting now, to the great operation of building a new Venezuela.

In these decisive hours, receive all my strength, my confidence, and my affection. We remain alert and in contact.

VENEZUELA WILL BE FREE!

We go hand in hand with God, to the very end."

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: Venezuela's opposition leader and the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Maria Corina Machado, reacted to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and said that he was removed after refusing to negotiate, reported news agency Reuters.

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: Amid speculation over the whereabouts of Maduro and his wife and where were they “captured” from, the country's ruling party leader Nahum Fernandez provided some clarity. He said they were at their home within the Ft Tiuna military installation when they were taken by US forces.

Fuerte Tiuna or Fort Tiuna is a military installation in the capital city of Caracas.

“That's where they bombed… And, there, they carried out what we could call a kidnapping of the president and the first lady of the country," news agency Associated Press quoted Fernandez as saying. Read more.

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: After taking Venezuela's President into custody, Trump said that the United States would be “very much” involved in deciding the next steps for the Latin American nation, reported Fox News.

“We can't take a chance of letting somebody else run and just take over where he left off… We want liberty for the people," Trump told Fox News on what is next for Venezuela.

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: The US Federal Aviation Administration on Saturday notified commercial airlines to avoid Caribbean airspace, citing a "potentially hazardous situation" amid US military operations to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

The notice said the closure was issued due to "safety-of-flight risks associated with ongoing military activity." (AFP)

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: Venezuela’s border with Brazil reopened on Saturday after brief closure, governor of Roraima state told news agency Reuters.

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife are aboard a US warship and will face prosecution in New York, reported news agency Associated Press.

US strikes on Venezuela LIVE: Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernandez told The Associated Press that Nicolas Maduro and his wife were at their home within the Ft. Tiuna military installation when they were captured.

“That's where they bombed," he said. “And, there, they carried out what we could call a kidnapping of the president and the first lady of the country.”