13.02.2026 22:20
In a statement made before his departure, U.S. President Donald Trump, who met with soldiers involved in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro at Fort Bragg, announced that he would visit Venezuela in the near future. This visit will be the first from the U.S. to Venezuela since the visit made by then-President Bill Clinton in 1997.
U.S. President Donald Trump is meeting with soldiers who participated in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who is detained in the U.S., at Fort Bragg base in North Carolina. Before heading out to spend time with the soldiers and their families, Trump answered questions from the press and announced that he might visit Venezuela soon, but said the date has not yet been finalized.
"WE HAVE GOOD RELATIONS"
Trump stated, "I will be visiting Venezuela... We haven't decided when yet," and emphasized that there is a "good relationship" between the leaders of the two countries. He mentioned that U.S. oil companies will operate in the country and that oil will be extracted and sold, saying, "We have a very good relationship with the President of Venezuela... Our big oil companies are going there. They will extract the oil and sell it for a lot of money, and Venezuela will receive a large portion of that money."
THE CAPTURE OF MADURO AND THE COURT PROCESS
The Trump administration conducted a large-scale military operation in Caracas on January 3 to capture Nicolás Maduro, extracting him and his wife Cilia Flores from the country and bringing them to the U.S. The operation was carried out by U.S. special forces in a midnight raid. Trump described the operation to capture Maduro as "one of the most magnificent, fastest, and most effective military operations he has ever seen."
Trump stated regarding the operation, "We entered a very strong and large military base with an incredibly capable and patriotic group."
After being brought to New York, Maduro and his wife were held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and were brought before a federal court. At the hearing in Manhattan, Maduro denied the federal charges against him, stating, "I am innocent" and "I am still the President of Venezuela." Maduro faces serious charges in the indictment filed in the U.S., including narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.