Washington, Jan 3
,: President Donald Trump said he personally watched the US military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, describing it as an "amazing" mission carried out with speed and precision.
Speaking to "Fox & Friends Weekend" just hours after the operation, Trump said he followed the raid live from Mar-a-Lago. "It's just it was an amazing thing, the amazing job that these people did. There's nobody else who could have done anything like it," he said.
Trump said he and his team viewed the operation through video feeds as it unfolded, including footage of US forces breaching steel doors. "They broke through steel doors in a matter of seconds," he said. "I've never seen anything like it, actually."
The President said no American troops were killed during the operation, but suggested that some may have been injured after a helicopter involved in the mission was hit. He did not provide further details.
Trump confirmed that Maduro and his wife were taken by helicopter out of Venezuela and transported to the USS Iwo Jima, one of several US warships operating in the Caribbean. "They'll be heading into New York," Trump told Fox News. "The helicopters took them out, and they went by helicopter, a nice flight. I'm sure they loved it."
Fox News reported that Maduro could make an initial appearance in federal court in Manhattan as early as Monday, citing sources familiar with the matter. The timing could still change, but the appearance is expected to happen "likely Monday," the network reported.
Attorney General Pam Bondi reiterated that Maduro and his wife have already been indicted in the Southern District of New York, where prosecutors have accused them of multiple serious crimes, including narcotics-related offenses.
Trump dismissed criticism from lawmakers and others who questioned the legality of the US action. Asked about comments from Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Trump said Democrats were "weak, stupid people."
"They should say great job," Trump said. "They shouldn't say 'Oh, gee, maybe it's not constitutional.' You know the same old stuff that we've been hearing for years and years and years."
Trump also warned Venezuelan government officials against continuing to support Maduro. "If they stay loyal, the future is really bad, really bad for them," he said. "I'd say most of them have converted." Several senior Venezuelan officials criticized the US operation on state television on Saturday.
According to people familiar with the mission, the operation relied on elite US units. The CIA identified the location where Maduro and his wife were staying, and US Army Delta Force soldiers carried out the raid. The CIA also supported air, sea, and land operations as part of what was described as a highly secretive "snatch and grab" mission.
Trump declined to offer immediate backing to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, when asked on Fox News. "Well, we have to look at it right now," he said. "They have a vice president, as you know. I mean, I don't know about what kind of an election that was, but, you know, the election of Maduro was a disgrace."
Maduro has faced US criminal charges since 2020, and Washington has long accused his government of corruption, drug trafficking, and undermining democratic institutions, charges the Venezuelan leadership has consistently denied.
- IANS
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