U.S. Signals Possible Second Strike on Venezuela as Maduro’s Capture Sparks Global Tensions

The United States may launch a second military strike on Venezuela if senior members of President Nicolás Maduro’s administration refuse to cooperate following his capture, former U.S. President Donald Trump said while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One. Trump suggested that broader intervention across Latin America — including potential operations in Colombia and Mexico — could follow if drug trafficking to the United States is not curbed. Maduro, who is being held in New York on longstanding U.S. drug-related charges, was seized in an operation that left casualties and triggered sharp condemnation from Venezuelan officials, who labeled the action a kidnapping and vowed to defend national sovereignty.

In Caracas, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has assumed interim leadership with the backing of the country’s top court, while insisting that Maduro remains the legitimate president. Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino accused the United States of killing soldiers and civilians “in cold blood,” and Cuba said dozens of its nationals also died in the raid. Meanwhile, Trump signaled that Washington would prioritize cooperation on drug enforcement and restructuring Venezuela’s oil sector over immediate elections — comments that fueled accusations from Maduro allies that the operation was motivated by control over the nation’s vast energy resources.

Reactions inside Venezuela remained tense but measured, with pro-government supporters staging marches demanding Maduro’s release, while much of daily life cautiously resumed under a heightened security atmosphere. Internationally, concern grew over the legality and geopolitical consequences of detaining a foreign head of state, prompting the U.N. Security Council to schedule an emergency meeting. As questions mount over U.S. intentions and the duration of its involvement, critics in Washington warned of the risk of an open-ended conflict in the region.

Pic Courtesy: google/ images are subject to copyright