General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:

Our interagency work began months ago and built on decades of experience integrating complex air, ground, space, and maritime operations. Over the past two decades, our special operations forces have honed these skills.

This mission required every component of our joint force—soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and guardians—working in unison with our intelligence community and law enforcement partners in an unprecedented operation.

General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:

After months of work by our intelligence teammates to locate Maduro and understand his movements—where he lived, where he traveled, what he ate, what he wore, even his pets—in early December our force was set, pending a series of aligned events.

Key to the mission was choosing the right day to minimize the potential for civilian harm, maximize the element of surprise, and minimize risk to the indicted individuals so they could be brought to justice. As the president said earlier today, weather in Venezuela is always a factor this time of year.

Over the weeks through Christmas and New Year’s, the men and women of the United States military remained ready, patiently waiting for the right conditions and for the president to order us into action.

Last night, the weather broke just enough, clearing a path that only the most skilled aviators in the world could navigate—through ocean crossings, mountains, and low cloud ceilings.

General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:

The force included F-22s, F-35s, F-18s, EA-18s, E-2s, B-1 bombers, other support aircraft, and numerous remotely piloted drones.

As the force approached Caracas, the joint air component began dismantling and disabling Venezuelan air-defense systems, employing weapons to ensure the safe passage of helicopters into the target area. The goal of the air component was, and always will be, to protect the helicopters and the ground force—to get them to the target and get them home.

As the force crossed the final high terrain where they had been masked by clutter, we assessed that the element of surprise had been fully maintained. As the helicopter force ingresssed at low level toward the objective, we arrived at Maduro’s compound at 1:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, or 2:01 a.m. local Caracas time.

The apprehension force descended into the compound and moved with speed, precision, and discipline, isolating the area to ensure the safety and security of the ground force while apprehending the indicted individuals. Upon arrival, the helicopters came under fire and responded with overwhelming force in self-defense. One aircraft was hit but remained flyable.

As the president stated earlier today, all U.S. aircraft returned home safely.

Marco Rubio: He was a fugitive from American justice with a $50 million reward—which, I guess, means we saved $50 million.

Trump: And no, nobody should try to claim it. Nobody deserves it but us.

Marco Rubio:

But I want to be clear about one thing: Nicolás Maduro had multiple opportunities to avoid this.

He was given multiple very, very generous offers and chose instead to act recklessly—to play games.

The result is what we saw tonight.

Trump:

We’re going to be running Venezuela with a group, and we’re going to make sure it’s run properly.

We’re going to rebuild the oil infrastructure, which will cost billions of dollars. It will be paid for directly by the oil companies.

They will be reimbursed for what they’re doing, and we’re going to get the oil flowing the way it should be.

As you know, current production is just a minor flow compared to what they have.

Reporter: Does the U.S. running the country mean that U.S. troops will be on the ground?

Trump: They always say ‘boots on the ground.’

We’re not afraid of boots on the ground if we have to have them. We had boots on the ground last night—at a very high level. We’re not afraid of it, and we don’t mind saying it.

We’re not doing this in vain. This was a very dangerous operation. This was an attack that could have gone very, very badly.

Trump:

The people standing right behind me are going to be running Venezuela.

We’re going to bring it back. Venezuela is a dead country.

Trump on the Vice President of Venezuela:

She's essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again.

Trump:

It could have happened (killing Maduro).

He was trying to get to a safe room.

Trump:

The President of Colombia "does have to watch his ass."

General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:

This was so precise that it involved more than 150 aircraft launched across the Western Hemisphere in close coordination, all coming together at the right time and place to layer effects for a single purpose: to insert an interdiction force into downtown Caracas while maintaining the element of tactical surprise.

Failure of any one component of this well-oiled machine would have endangered the entire mission, and failure is never an option for America’s joint force.

Those in the air over Caracas last night were willing to give their lives for those on the ground and in the helicopters.

General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff:

At 10:46 p.m. Eastern time, the president ordered the United States military to move forward. He told us, ‘Good luck and Godspeed,’ and those words were transmitted across the entire joint force.

Over the course of the night, aircraft launched from 20 different bases on land and at sea across the Western Hemisphere.

In total, more than 150 aircraft—including bombers, fighters, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms, and rotary-wing aircraft—were in the air last night.

Trump:

Cuba is a failing nation and we want to help the people.

I think Cuba is going to be something we’ll talk about.

Trump:

Machado doesn’t have the respect within the country.

Trump:

I told Maduro, “You’ve got to surrender.”

Now he wishes he did.

Trump:

I’m not thrilled with Putin.

He’s killing too many people.

Trump on Russia-Ukraine War:

I inherited that war; that was Biden, Zelensky, and Putin.

I came into the situation and it is a mess.

Trump on Russia-Ukraine War:

If we had our people involved there, that war would not have gone on for very long.

Trump on Russia-Ukraine War:

That war has become a bloodbath.

And we want it to get stopped.

Trump:

There is nobody to take over in Venezuela.

Vice President of Venezuela said: “We will do whatever you need.”

She does not have a choice.