Venezuela attack: what we know so far as US captures President Maduro

<p>Donald Trump says US will ‘run’ Venezuela as Nicolás Maduro and wife Cilia Flores are flown to New York</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/jan/04/nicolas-maduro-jailed-us-attack-venezuela-donald-trump-reaction-latest-news-updates-live">US strikes on Venezuela – live updates</a></p></li></ul><p>The US president, Donald Trump, has said the US will ‘run’ Venezuela after its president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured and taken to New York, hours after a “large-scale” pre-dawn assault on Caracas and the surrounding region. Here is what we know so far:</p><p>Donald Trump said <strong>“We’re going to run the country </strong>[Venezuela] until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition” during a press conference about the attack on Venezuela. He has not given details.</p><p><strong>A plane carrying Maduro and Flores landed in New York on Saturday evening</strong> and they were expected to be transported to appear in Manhattan federal court, possibly as soon as Monday.</p><p><strong>The </strong><strong>US is going to be “very strongly involved” in Venezuela’s oil industry after the military operation</strong><strong>, Trump </strong><strong>said.</strong> He said: “We have the greatest oil companies in the world, the biggest, the greatest, and we’re going to be very much involved in it.”</p><p><strong>Trump posted a photograph of Maduro on his Truth Social platform. </strong>It appeared to show the captured Venezuelan president in handcuffs, wrap-around sun goggles and headphones.</p><p><strong>The </strong><strong>UN security council</strong> is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/jan/03/caracas-explosions-venezuela-maduro-latest