Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is scheduled to appear before a U.S. federal court on Monday, a day after his capture by American forces in a military operation in Caracas that has sharply escalated tensions across the region.
The unprecedented detention of a sitting head of state has rattled global markets, unsettled U.S. allies, and raised questions about Washington’s next steps in Venezuela, where the government remains in power despite Maduro’s arrest.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he could authorize additional military action if Venezuela fails to cooperate with U.S. demands, including opening its oil sector to foreign companies and stepping up efforts to curb drug trafficking.
Speaking to reporters, Trump also warned that the United States could take action in Colombia and Mexico, while suggesting that Cuba’s communist government “looks like it’s ready to fall” without U.S. intervention. The Colombian and Mexican embassies in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The remarks came hours before Maduro’s expected court appearance in New York, following his detention during a weekend raid that prompted international concern and deepened uncertainty inside Venezuela.
Trump administration officials have described the operation as a law-enforcement effort to bring Maduro to justice over criminal charges filed in 2020, including allegations of narco-terrorism conspiracy, according to U.S. court records.
However, Trump has acknowledged broader motivations behind the raid, citing the surge of Venezuelan migrants to the United States and the nationalization of U.S. oil assets by Venezuela decades ago.
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“We’re taking back what they stole,” Trump said aboard Air Force One as he returned to Washington from Florida. “We’re in charge.”
Trump said American oil companies would return to Venezuela and invest heavily in rebuilding the country’s petroleum sector.
“They’re going to spend billions of dollars, and they’re going to take the oil out of the ground,” he said, framing the move as part of a broader economic reset.
Global oil prices rose modestly in volatile trading as investors weighed the potential impact of U.S. military involvement in one of the world’s largest crude-holding nations. Asian stock markets moved higher.
Despite Maduro’s detention, Venezuela’s government remains operational. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who has assumed the role of interim leader, has insisted that Maduro remains the country’s legitimate president.
Rodríguez rejected Trump’s assertion that she is open to working with Washington and reaffirmed the government’s defiant stance. She also continues to serve as oil minister and is widely viewed as the most pragmatic figure within Maduro’s inner circle.
