Caracas: Reports reveal that Trump has already set the conditions for governing Venezuela. The U.S. Defense Secretary revealed that President Donald Trump has set conditions for governing Venezuela after sending a special operations team to apprehend the Venezuelan leader and bring him back to the United States.
According to Thai News Agency, U.S. Defense Secretary Peter Hexeth, in an interview on CBS News’ evening program on Saturday, stated that President Trump has set conditions for governing Venezuela and will make the final decision on what those conditions will entail. However, he emphasized that the flow of drugs into the U.S. must stop, oil stolen from the U.S. must be returned, and most importantly, criminal groups must not be allowed into the U.S.
Mr. Hexeth was among the top U.S. government officials overseeing the military operation in Venezuela in the early hours of January 3, 2026. He described the raid that took Venezuelan President Nicol¡s Maduro out of the country as the most complex and successful joint special operations ever conducted.
Earlier that day, President Trump announced from his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, that the U.S. had conducted an unprecedented offensive in Venezuela since the end of World War II and was prepared for further attacks if necessary, but believed it was unnecessary and that not a single American soldier had been killed in this operation. He stated that the U.S. would allow a select group to govern Venezuela appropriately, without the U.S. having to pay anything, as they would profit immensely from the oil industry. While Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodrguez has now been sworn in, the U.S. will continue to play a role in the country, maintaining its naval presence and retaining all military options until the situation is as desired.
Vice President Rodriguez confirmed through state media that Maduro remains the president of the country and called on the United States to release him immediately.
Venezuela has one of the world’s largest discovered crude oil reserves and is a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). However, its oil production industry has suffered from mismanagement, corruption, and sanctions. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that Venezuela produced only 0.8 percent of the world’s crude oil in 2023.