Trump says Venezuela operation is long-term reset centred on oil and security

US President Donald Trump said the US intervention in Venezuela is not a short-term military action but a long-range economic and geopolitical reset, centred on oil, regional deterrence and domestic security gains. In an interview with foreign media, Trump linked the operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to reclaiming energy assets and reshaping power dynamics beyond Latin America.

“They took the oil from us years ago,” Trump said, referring to the nationalisation of American energy assets in Venezuela. “We just took it back.” Trump said the United States has already secured large quantities of Venezuelan crude under sanctions enforcement. “We’ve taken $4 billion worth of oil in one day,” he said, adding that the figure would rise.

He said major American companies would lead the rebuilding of Venezuela’s energy sector. “The top 14 companies are coming,” Trump said. “They’re going to rebuild the whole oil infrastructure.” According to Trump, restoring production would affect global markets. “It means lower oil prices all over the world,” he said.

Open-ended presence, delayed elections

Trump acknowledged that reviving oil production would take time — “The oil will take a while,” he said — but signalled a prolonged US role. “We’re going to be there till we straighten out the country,” Trump said. On elections, he said conditions were not yet suitable. “They wouldn’t even know how to have an election right now,” Trump said. “The country’s become third world.”

Trump said the operation sent a message to neighbouring governments, particularly Cuba and Colombia. “They saw what happened,” he said. “They’re treating us with great respect.” He suggested Maduro’s removal had reduced the risk of confrontation elsewhere, arguing decisive action in one country influences behaviour across the region.

Trump accused the former Venezuelan government of exporting crime to the US. “He emptied his prisons into the United States,” he said. “He emptied his mental institutions and insane asylums.”

He also claimed major gains against drug trafficking by sea. “We’ve knocked out 97 per cent of the drugs coming in by water,” Trump said. “There are very few boats operating right now.” He did not provide independent verification.

Describing the raid, Trump said US forces entered heavily guarded territory. “We went right into the middle of a fort,” he said. “Thousands of soldiers.”

He said the operation concluded without US fatalities. “We didn’t lose a soldier,” Trump said, while noting injuries. “A couple of very brave helicopter pilots were wounded pretty badly,” he said. “But they’re good. They’re in good shape.” Trump compared the outcome with past US failures. “You didn’t have a Jimmy Carter disaster,” he said. “You didn’t have a Biden Afghanistan disaster.”

Asked about potential escalation, Trump declined to outline limits. “I wouldn’t want to tell you that,” he said.

US Vice President JD Vance said the Trump administration is creating a new assistant attorney general position with nationwide authority to coordinate fraud investigations, beginning in Minnesota and expanding across the country.

Speaking at the White House on Thursday, Vance said the role is designed to tackle large-scale fraud linked to public benefits and social services programmes. “We are creating a new assistant attorney general position who will have nationwide jurisdiction over the issue of fraud,” Vance said. “Now, of course, that person’s efforts will start and focus primarily in Minnesota, but it is going to be a nationwide effort.” He said a major interagency task force is already operating. “We have actually activated a major interagency task force to make it possible to get to the heart of this fraud,” Vance said.

Vance said the Department of Agriculture is targeting “SNAP fraud,” adding, “We have over 1,500 subpoenas that the Department of Justice has issued to get to the heart of the fraud ring.” He said, “We’ve done almost 100 indictments, mostly Somali immigrants but also a few others.”

According to Vance, similar fraud has been identified elsewhere. “We know that the fraud isn’t just happening in Minneapolis,” he said. “It’s also happening in states like Ohio. It’s happening in states like California.”

Vance credited Attorney General Pam Bondi with quickly establishing the post. “Creating a job like this often takes months, sometimes even longer,” he said. “When we realized that we needed this associate attorney general position, Pam got this person up and running in about a week.”

He said the administration plans to nominate a candidate soon. “We’re going to make the nomination hopefully in the next few days,” Vance said, adding that Senate Majority Leader John Thune “has promised me swift confirmation for this official.”