Israel welcomes the removal of the dictator who led a network of drugs and terror and hopes for the return of democracy to the country and for friendly relations between the states.”
Venezuela severed diplomatic ties with Israel following Israel’s 2008–09 Gaza operation.
The Israeli statements followed a large-scale US military operation overnight Friday in and around Caracas. According to US officials, American forces struck military targets, causing power outages in parts of the capital, before special forces detained Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were flown to New York to face narco-terrorism charges.
Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump said the United States would temporarily “run” Venezuela in order to oversee what he described as a “safe, proper and judicious transition”. He said Washington was prepared to deploy additional forces if necessary, including ground troops, but indicated that further strikes were unlikely in the immediate term.
Trump did not provide details on how the United States would administer Venezuela, saying only that senior American officials would be involved and that Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez is "essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again."
However, appearing on Venezuelan television, Rodriguez said Maduro is the "only president of Venezuela", demanding his release.
Despite the operation, Venezuela’s existing leadership appeared to remain in place inside the country.
Opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, welcomed Maduro’s arrest and called for opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia to assume the presidency.
