Trump says US will “run Venezuela” after seizing President Maduro in military assault | BBC News

President Trump has said the US is going to "run" Venezuela, following a military assault on the country and the seizure of its president Nicolas Maduro and his wife, who have been flown to New York to face drug trafficking charges.

Speaking following the operation, Trump said the US would run the country "until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition”. He said that US oil companies would fix Venezuela’s "broken infrastructure" and "start making money for the country”.

Trump said no US servicemen were killed in the operation. He said that the US is "ready" to stage a second "and much larger" attack on the country if needed.

Trump earlier shared a photo of Maduro held prisoner on board the USS Iwo Jima. The image shows Venezuela’s leader blindfolded and wearing ear defenders.

Maduro has been indicted in New York on drugs and weapons charges and was flown there as a prisoner following his seizure. The US attorney general has said he will face "the full wrath of American justice".

Maduro has previously denied being the leader of a drugs cartel and had said the US was planning to overthrow him in order to steal his country’s resources.

Ben Brown presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Vanessa Silva, Tom Bateman, Joe Inwood, Nada Tawfik and Ione Wells.

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