Nicolás Maduro and his wife have been captured by the US, leaving people wondering who will now run Venezuela. US President Donald Trump has provided an update on the same.
Maduro and his wife landed in New York Saturday afternoon, January 3, to face federal charges related to drug trafficking and working with gangs designated as terrorist organizations. The Venezuelan President has denied the allegations.
Who is running Venezuela after Maduro's capture?
Trump has announced that the US is "going to run the country" until there is a "safe, proper and judicious transition" of power in Venezuela, according to CBS News.
Read More | 150 planes, 30 minutes: How the US captured Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro in his ‘fortress’
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in an interview with Tony Dokoupil on a special edition of the CBS Evening News that "President Trump sets the terms" on running Venezuela. "Ultimately, we're going to control what happens next because of this brave decision. President Trump has shown American leadership," Hegseth said.
The operation to capture Maduro was carried out by the U.S. Army's Delta Force, an elite special forces unit, officials told CBS News. Hegseth hailed the troops involved in the mission.
{{/usCountry}}The operation to capture Maduro was carried out by the U.S. Army's Delta Force, an elite special forces unit, officials told CBS News. Hegseth hailed the troops involved in the mission.
{{/usCountry}}"I saw the best of America, I saw men and women dedicating their lives to defending our country and to accomplish in that mission," Hegseth said. "They got the job done despite any obstacles in front of them."
Read More | Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro and wife dragged from bedroom during US raid: Report
Hegseth added that Trump "gave them a clear mission and they finished it."
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested to reporters that Maduro was given the opportunity to leave Venezuela and avoid capture by the US. "Nicolás Maduro had multiple opportunities to avoid this," Rubio told reporters at Mar-a-Lago. "He was provided multiple very, very, very generous offers, and chose instead to act like a wild man."
Rubio did not elaborate on the offers given to Maduro, but said, "This guy had multiple opportunities to find his way somewhere else. … He could've been living somewhere else right now, very happy, but instead he wanted to play big boy, and so now he's got other sets of problems on his hands."
Trump told reporters last month that it would be "smart" for Maduro to leave power, but "it's up to him what he wants to do."