Why Does Trump Want Venezuela? Global Backlash Exposes Risks of POTUS' Gamble

Before dawn broke over Caracas on Saturday, the world changed. Black Hawk helicopters descended on Venezuela's capital, explosions tore through military installations, and by breakfast time, Donald Trump was announcing that he had captured a president.

The operation unfolded like something from a spy thriller – except the consequences are devastatingly real for 28 million Venezuelans now trapped in the wreckage of what was once Latin America's richest nation.

Trump's announcement came first on Truth Social, then in a triumphant phone call to The New York Times. 'A lot of good planning and a lot of great, great troops and great people,' he said, describing the mission as 'brilliant.'

Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were now in American custody, flown out of the country before Venezuela's defence minister could even confirm the assault. Details would follow at an 11 a.m. press conference at Mar-a-Lago.

For now, the world simply had to watch the smoke rising above Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, and wonder what comes next.

Trump Venezuela Operation: From Threats to Regime Change

The raid didn't materialise from nowhere. For months, Trump had issued warnings, escalating from rhetoric to reality with chilling inevitability.

Since August, the US had deployed 15,000 troops to the Caribbean, flown sorties along Venezuela's borders, and launched more than two dozen strikes on boats allegedly smuggling drugs – killing over 100 people in international waters.

In late December, American forces had seized an oil tanker carrying sanctioned Venezuelan-Iranian crude, a move Caracas branded 'international piracy.' On Thursday, Maduro had extended an olive branch, saying he was willing to discuss drug trafficking and oil access 'wherever they want and whenever they want'. Trump never responded.

Instead, helicopters answered.

Elite Delta Force operators – the same unit credited with killing ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2019 – carried out the capture. At least seven explosions rocked Caracas. Higuerote Airport in Miranda state exploded. Power grids flickered. Venezuela immediately declared a state of emergency.

Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López appeared on state television, his voice trembling: 'This invasion represents the greatest outrage the country has suffered.' The government confirmed civilian areas had been struck whilst it compiled casualty figures. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez demanded 'proof of life' for Maduro, her location unknown, her authority uncertain.

American officials reported zero US casualties. They declined to comment on Venezuelan deaths.

Global Backlash Venezuela Crisis Deepens as Regional Powers Condemn US Aggression

The international response split dramatically. Argentina's Javier Milei, a Trump ally, erupted in celebration, posting 'FREEDOM ADVANCES! LONG LIVE FREEDOM, DAMN IT!' on X.

Russia called it 'armed aggression,' its Foreign Ministry issuing a biting statement: 'Ideological hostility has triumphed over businesslike pragmatism.' Latin American capitals fell silent or condemned the strikes – a stark departure from Washington's post-Cold War dominance in the region.

Trump's strategic calculus rests on three pillars. First, drugs: he blames Maduro for the narcotic flood reaching American streets, particularly from the Tren de Aragua gang. Second, migration: hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have fled north, straining US border capacity. Third, oil – Venezuela holds the world's largest proven reserves, a prize that has tempted Washington for decades.

Maduro's regime offered a deal that would have granted immunity, preserved his wealth, and opened Venezuela's oil fields to American interests. Trump rejected it and sent in the helicopters instead.

Yet questions linger. Opposition sources told Sky News that Maduro's capture may have been a 'negotiated exit,' not a dramatic abduction.

Neither Washington nor Caracas has confirmed preliminary negotiations. Trump refused to say whether he sought congressional authority, promising answers at Mar-a-Lago.

The military operation succeeded, but its political endgame remains murky – a dangerous vacuum as regional stability hangs by a thread.