Donald Trump Boasts About What Americans “Owe Him” After Capturing Venezuela’s President
After a dramatic and unprecedented U.S. military strike on Venezuela early Saturday morning, which ended with the capture of the country’s president, Donald Trump made light of the situation by joking that he and his administration should collect the massive cash reward his own government had offered for the arrest.
Speaking at a press conference in Florida, Secretary of State Marco Rubio referred to Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro as a wanted fugitive, reminding reporters that the U.S. had placed a $50 million reward on information leading to his capture. Rubio joked that since the U.S. carried out the operation itself, the government had effectively saved that money.
Standing beside him, Donald Trump added to the joke, telling officials to make sure no one else tried to claim the reward, saying that nobody deserved it except his own administration.
Trump had announced the military operation earlier that morning. Soon after, videos began circulating online showing heavy airstrikes hitting Caracas, Venezuela’s capital. Not long after the attacks, Maduro was taken into custody. He is now reportedly being flown to New York, where he is expected to stand trial on serious drug-trafficking charges.
The U.S. Justice Department had steadily raised the reward for Maduro’s capture over time. It was increased from $15 million to $25 million in January 2025, and later doubled again to $50 million in July, reflecting the growing importance the U.S. placed on bringing him into custody.
During the same press conference, held at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump made another striking announcement. He said the United States would temporarily take control of governing Venezuela until a new leadership transition could be arranged. He also stated that he had not ruled out sending American troops into the country if necessary.
