5 questions about Trump’s military operation in Venezuela

1. What happened with Venezuela’s President Maduro?

President Trump ordered a military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and brought him to the United States to stand trial. The operation culminated in a Saturday morning raid on Mr. Maduro’s compound in Caracas, ending a pressure campaign that began in September with strikes on boats allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela toward the U.S.

2. Why did Mr. Trump decide to take this action now?

The U.S. president saw this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to advance multiple American interests simultaneously: stopping the flow of illegal immigrants and drugs into the U.S., countering growing Chinese and Russian influence in the Western Hemisphere, and gaining access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves and mineral deposits. Key administration figures, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, convinced Mr. Trump that the Maduro regime was uniquely vulnerable after losing credibility in last year’s disputed presidential election.

3. What role will the U.S. play in Venezuela going forward?

Mr. Trump announced that the U.S. will “run” Venezuela during a transition period, with major American oil companies investing billions of dollars to repair the country’s broken oil infrastructure. The administration aims to install a more U.S.-friendly government in Caracas that could loosen Venezuela’s ties with China and Russia, though Trump emphasized the transition must be “safe, proper and judicious” with the Venezuelan people’s interests in mind.

4. Why is Venezuela strategically important to the United States?

Venezuela holds the world’s largest oil reserves at 303 billion barrels—more than Saudi Arabia—and significant deposits of rare earth elements essential for cellphones, fighter jets, and other critical technology. China and Russia have been deepening ties with Venezuela in recent years, with Russia serving as its largest arms dealer and China investing billions in the country’s resources, making it a key battleground for U.S. influence in its own hemisphere.

5. How does this relate to Mr. Trump’s earlier Venezuela policy?

This operation represents a dramatic departure from Mr. Trump’s failed 2019 attempt to oust Mr. Maduro by diplomatically recognizing opposition figure Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s rightful leader—one of the biggest geopolitical missteps of Mr. Trump’s first term. This time, the U.S. president used what retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery called a “maximum pressure campaign” that escalated from diplomatic pressure to direct military action, with Mr. Trump signaling his willingness to take combat operations for nearly three months before executing the raid. 

Read more: How Venezuela became the epicenter of Trump’s foreign policy