Trump says U.S. will temporarily run Venezuela, ‘not afraid of boots on ground’ if necessary | 3 Jan 2026 | President Trump told the nation the U.S. would now take over running Venezuela, after strongman Nicolas Maduro was captured “in the dead of night.” “We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition,” Trump said at a press conference from his Mar-a-Lago resort as he provided new details on the stunning military operation. “We’re going to run it, essentially” through the transition, he said. The logistics of a U.S.-run Venezuela were still being worked out, but Trump said it might involve military “boots on the ground.” “We’re not afraid of boots on the ground if we have to,” the president said. “We had boots on the ground last night, at a very high level, actually.” Later, Trump added, “We’re going to have [a] presence in Venezuela as it pertains to oil.”