04.01.2026 09:40
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated that President Donald Trump's stance will be decisive in the future of Venezuela after Nicolas Maduro, saying, "The conditions will be set by President Trump. Ultimately, he will also decide what stages this will go through. However, this means stopping the flow of drugs, eventually returning the oil taken from us, and not sending criminals to the U.S."
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth made statements regarding the attacks on Venezuela and the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to the U.S. in an interview with CBS television.
"THE CONDITIONS WILL BE SET BY PRESIDENT TRUMP"
Recalling U.S. President Donald Trump's words, "We will stay in Venezuela until a proper transition is ensured in the country," Hegseth responded to the question, "What will happen next, what does this mean?" by saying, "This means that we will set the conditions. The conditions will be set by President Trump. Ultimately, he will also decide what stages this will go through. However, this means stopping the flow of drugs, eventually returning the oil taken from us, and not sending criminals to the U.S."
"IF IT DRAGS ON, WE WILL INCLUDE CONGRESS IN THE PROCESS"
Answering the question of whether they would seek the approval of the U.S. Congress for a full-scale intervention to stabilize Venezuela, Hegseth described the capture of Maduro as a law enforcement operation.
Hegseth emphasized that Congressional approval was not needed for this operation, but necessary steps would be taken in the case of a broader operation, stating, "This was a law enforcement operation. The Department of Defense (Ministry of War) was removing a criminal who ultimately had to answer for justice, with the support of the Department of Justice, and (Secretary of State) Marco Rubio clearly stated that this was not something that would be reported to Congress in advance. However, if this situation drags on, we will certainly include Congress in the process."