Washington, Jan 5 (NationPress) President Donald Trump stated that the United States is “in charge” of Venezuela after the capture of Nicolás Maduro. He emphasized that Washington will oversee the recovery of the nation before any elections are conducted and cautioned that additional U.S. military action could occur if the authorities in Caracas fail to cooperate.

Speaking to journalists aboard Air Force One, Trump characterized the operation to apprehend Maduro as exceedingly perilous, noting that U.S. helicopters faced intense gunfire during the mission.

“It was a very dangerous operation,” Trump remarked. “The helicopters were under fire… bullets were flying everywhere.” He reported that while one helicopter was struck, all U.S. personnel returned unharmed, stating, “We retrieved everything back and nobody was killed.”

When questioned about who is currently governing Venezuela, Trump refrained from naming individuals, instead asserting U.S. authority. “Don’t ask me who’s in charge,” he replied. “It means we’re in charge.”

Trump acknowledged that he has not directly communicated with Venezuela’s newly inaugurated leader, Delcy Rodríguez, though members of his administration have. He indicated that Rodríguez is cooperating but warned of potential consequences if that changes. “If they don’t behave, we will execute a second strike,” he stated, adding that the U.S. is “ready for a second wave.”

Regarding elections, Trump mentioned that voting would only occur once the country has stabilized. “It’s a dead country right now,” he asserted. “We must revive it.”

Trump indicated that restoring Venezuela would depend on private investment, especially from U.S. oil companies. He described the infrastructure as “rusty, rotten, and mostly unusable,” with pipes “littering the ground.” He expressed that major companies are eager to enter the Venezuelan market.

“They want to get in so badly,” Trump emphasized, highlighting that U.S. taxpayers would not incur any costs. “We’re not going to invest anything.”

He also mentioned that Venezuelans in the U.S. who had to flee would be “well taken care of.”

During the discussion, Senator Lindsey Graham, who was present, strongly praised the operation, calling it one of the most advanced missions ever executed by the U.S. military. He likened it to the operation against Osama bin Laden and described Venezuela as part of a “drug caliphate” in the U.S. vicinity.

Trump stated that maritime drug trafficking from Venezuela has already plummeted. “Drugs by sea are down 97 percent,” he noted, adding that enforcement would now extend to land routes.

In conclusion, Trump dismissed claims that the operation was motivated by oil or regime change. “It’s about peace on earth,” he asserted. “It’s our hemisphere.”