Trump Provides Ultimatum To Enemies After Maduro Seize
President Donald Trump has issued a major warning to remaining power brokers inside Venezuela following the dramatic capture of longtime strongman Nicolás Maduro, delivering what allies describe as a blunt ultimatum: surrender or cooperate.
In the early hours of January 3, U.S. forces launched what officials described as a highly coordinated, limited-duration mission inside Venezuela. Airstrikes targeted key military and security infrastructure around the capital, while special operations units moved in on a safe house believed to be sheltering Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The couple was captured and swiftly removed from the country before being flown to New York, where Maduro is expected to face federal charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy and large-scale drug trafficking.
Trump publicly confirmed the operation later that day, portraying it as the culmination of years of pressure on a regime accused of corruption, repression, and collaboration with international criminal networks. He framed the mission as necessary to protect U.S. national security interests and to give Venezuelans a chance at political change after decades of socialist rule.
On Sunday, President Trump delivered a blunt warning to Maduro’s allies in Venezuela, telling them they must either “surrender or play ball,” according to Fox News senior correspondent Benjamin Hall.
Speaking on Fox News, Hall said Trump revealed he had spoken directly with Maduro just days before the U.S. strike in Caracas. During that call, Trump said he issued a clear ultimatum demanding Maduro’s surrender, but the Venezuelan leader was “not willing.”
Hall added that several senior figures within Venezuela remain loyal to Maduro, noting that their continued presence and influence still pose a significant challenge for the United States.
In the aftermath of the capture, Trump went further, signaling unprecedented U.S. involvement in Venezuela’s immediate future. He announced that the United States would temporarily oversee governance during a transitional period, a move that stunned critics and supporters alike. Senior administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are expected to play central roles in managing diplomatic and political efforts during that phase.
Trump has also floated plans to revive Venezuela’s vast oil infrastructure, arguing that restoring production could help stabilize global energy markets while rebuilding the country’s shattered economy.
Inside Venezuela, the response has been chaotic. Maduro’s allies denounced the operation as an illegal kidnapping and a violation of national sovereignty. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez declared that Maduro remains the country’s legitimate president, even as the nation’s political institutions struggled to respond to the sudden power vacuum.
For Trump, however, the message appears consistent and unapologetic. By issuing a direct ultimatum to Maduro’s remaining allies, the president is signaling that Washington intends to press forward aggressively rather than allow remnants of the old regime to regroup.