Trump brags about 'brilliant operation' in Venezuela during brief call with reporter

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump wasted little time boasting about what he called a major US operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, answering a New York Times reporter’s early-morning phone call after just three rings on Saturday, January 3.

The call came shortly after reports emerged that explosions had struck Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, in the early hours of the morning.

At 4.21 am, Trump claimed on Truth Social that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been captured and flown out of the country following what he described as a “large scale strike.”

“This operation was done in conjunction with US Law Enforcement,” Trump wrote, promising further details at a press conference later in the day at his Mar-a-Lago resort.

Trump sidesteps question on congressional approval

When New York Times reporter Tyler Pager reached Trump by phone, the conversation, which lasted less than a minute, revealed little new information but seemingly showed the president’s eagerness regarding the operation.

“A lot of good planning and a lot of great, great troops and great people,” Trump said. “It was a brilliant operation, actually.”

Pressed on whether he had sought congressional authorization before launching the strike, Trump demurred. “We’ll discuss that,” he said.

When asked what comes next for Venezuela and why the high-risk mission was necessary, Trump again declined to elaborate, ending the call abruptly.

The operation reportedly comes after months of escalating US actions against Venezuela, including strikes on suspected s***gling vessels, the seizure of oil tankers, and a recent CIA operation targeting a Venezuelan dock, an action Trump himself referenced in a prior interview.

Colombia moves forces to border amid regional concern

Meanwhile, the United States reportedly did not give Colombia advance notice of the operation, according to a Colombian source cited by CNN.

While Colombian officials were aware of potential US plans to capture Maduro, they were not informed of the timing or method.

In response, Colombia is deploying forces to its border with Venezuela, citing humanitarian concerns and the need to contain ELN guerrillas who have condemned US intervention.

Colombia, a longtime US ally on security matters, had previously suggested that a negotiated exit for Maduro would be the preferred outcome.

However, Bogota has since emphasized that it does not seek to interfere in Venezuela’s internal affairs.

Meanwhile, the European Union’s top diplomat called for restraint and respect for international law following the US strikes on Venezuela.

“I have spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and our Ambassador in Caracas. The EU is closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela,” Kaja Kallas said on X.