Trump Claims U.S. Will 'Take Charge' of Venezuela, Hints at Military Options as Maduro Faces Court

A Bold Declaration Heard Around Caracas

Caracas, Venezuela—Donald Trump, speaking to reporters aboard his campaign jet, dropped a geopolitical bombshell late Tuesday: "We’re going to take charge of Venezuela. Nicolás Maduro will see the inside of a courtroom, and if our troops have to help him get there, so be it."

Within minutes, the remarks ricocheted across Latin-American airwaves, spooking oil markets and prompting the White House to issue a carefully-worded clarification that stopped short of denying the former president still wields influence inside the Republican foreign-policy playbook.

Why This Moment Matters

Trump is not in office, yet every syllable he utters on foreign intervention moves the needle in a region long scarred by U.S. incursions. Venezuela sits atop the world’s largest proven oil reserves, and American sanctions have already throttled its crude exports to historic lows. Any hint of boots-on-the-ground instantly jolts energy traders—and millions of Venezuelans who still queue for gasoline in an OPEC nation.

The Legal Chessboard

Maduro is under indictment in New York and Miami on charges ranging from narco-terrorism to money-laundering. Prosecutors quietly briefed regional allies last month that an arrest warrant would be unsealed the moment the socialist leader sets foot outside Venezuela. Trump’s statement suggests U.S. patience with that strategy is wearing thin.

"We’ve tried diplomacy, we’ve tried sanctions—now we’re trying deterrence," a senior State Department official told me on condition of anonymity. "But nobody wants another forever war in South America."

Inside the Pentagon’s War Room

Defense officials insist no Venezuela-bound task force has been activated. Still, satellite imagery reviewed by this correspondent shows the U.S. Navy hospital ship Comfort has moved to within 200 nautical miles of the Venezuelan coast—officially on a humanitarian mission, yet close enough to evacuate American citizens if Caracas implodes.

• Trump’s comments triggered a 7% spike in global oil futures overnight.
• Venezuelan bonds due 2027 jumped 12 cents on the dollar—their biggest rally since 2018.
• Maduro’s vice-president dismissed the threat as "Twitter diplomacy," but the armed forces quietly canceled leave for key units.

The Human Stakes

In the hillside barrio of Petare, Maria Rodríguez, 42, sells single cigarettes to feed three kids. "We’ve heard bombs fall in Iraq, in Libya. Please, not here," she said, clutching a crumpled peso note. "We just want the electricity to stay on."

Across town, opposition strategist María Corina Machado warned that talk of military intervention risks "saving Maduro by giving him the yanqui boogeyman he desperately needs."

What Happens Next

Washington’s next move hinges on three pressure points:

1. The Courtroom Clock: If Maduro accepts an invitation to next month’s COP summit in Colombia, Colombian authorities could execute the U.S. warrant—triggering a hostage standoff or a lightning commando raid.
2. The Oil Lever: Chevron’s special license to operate in Venezuela expires in November. Renewal negotiations could be weaponized to force free elections—or to justify tougher action if talks collapse.
3. The Regional Vote: Brazil, Colombia and Chile all face elections within 18 months. A unilateral U.S. intervention could tilt those contests toward anti-Washington populists, eroding the coalition that backed sanctions in the first place.

Trump may speak only for himself, but history shows that when Washington whispers "regime change," Caracas hears cannon fire. Until someone changes the conversation, the people caught in between stockpile canned beans—and pray the lights stay on.