In a shocking development, U.S. forces have captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in what Trump called a "large-scale strike," claiming the U.S. will temporarily "run the country" while targeting Venezuela's vast oil reserves.

This isn't just regime change—it's treating a foreign head of state as a criminal defendant in U.S. courts, raising the question of whether the U.S. can decide a government is illegitimate and use military force to remove it.
Cree par des anciens de Columbia University a San Francisco
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Cree par des anciens de Columbia University a San Francisco

Lena: Hey Miles, have you been following this wild situation with Venezuela and the United States? I woke up this morning to headlines about the U.S. military capturing President Maduro!
Miles: Oh my gosh, yes! It's absolutely stunning. President Trump ordered what he called a "large-scale strike" on Venezuela and U.S. forces literally captured their president, Nicolás Maduro, and flew him out of the country. This is like something out of a movie, but it's actually happening.
Lena: Right? And Trump's statement afterward was so bold—saying the U.S. is going to "run the country" until there's a "safe, proper and judicious transition." That's... I mean, that's a massive claim about essentially occupying another nation.
Miles: Exactly. And there's this whole oil angle too. Trump specifically mentioned getting Venezuela's oil "flowing" again and said American companies would go in to rebuild the infrastructure. Venezuela actually has the largest proven oil reserves in the world—even more than Saudi Arabia.
Lena: This feels like such a significant moment in U.S. foreign policy. Let's dive into what actually happened during this operation and what it might mean for both countries going forward.