After US aggression against Venezuela, Mexico could be next: Report

US officials say that after the military aggression against Venezuela and the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, US President Donald Trump remains “very interested” in sending US Special Forces into Mexico.

In 2025, Trump was briefed by military and intelligence officials on multiple options for Venezuela, including scenarios to assassinate or abduct Maduro, two current and one former Trump administration official told the Zeteo news outlet on Monday.

The plans included potential civilian casualties. While assassination was ultimately ruled out, the sources said Trump increasingly supported a kidnapping strategy.

Explosions erupted across Caracas in the early hours of Saturday, around 2 a.m. local time (0600 GMT), as unmanned aircraft flew overhead.

Hours later, Trump announced on Truth Social that Maduro and Flores had been captured by US Delta Force.

US media later reported they were being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Casualty figures from the strikes remain uncertain, but multiple reports indicate a high human toll. At least 40 people died during the operation and subsequent clashes, including civilians and members of Venezuela’s armed forces. Some unofficial estimates suggest fatalities could be as high as 80.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, Trump said the US would govern Venezuela on an interim basis, offering no timeline or details on how control would be implemented.

He repeatedly emphasized Venezuela’s oil reserves, openly tying the military operation to future extraction.

“We are going to rebuild the oil infrastructure, which will cost billions of dollars. It will be paid for by the oil companies directly. They will be reimbursed for what they are doing, but that is going to be paid,” he said.

Spain, five Latin American nations denounce US military aggression against Venezuela

Spain and five Latin American countries have sharply condemned the US military aggression against Venezuela.

During the same event, Trump targeted Mexico, claiming without evidence that drug cartels control the Mexican government.

“The cartels are running Mexico, she (President Claudia Sheinbaum) is not running Mexico … something is going to have to be done,” he warned.

Sheinbaum immediately condemned the threats, stating Mexico “strongly condemns and rejects” the military aggression against Venezuela and urged Washington to stop “all acts of aggression against the Venezuelan government and people.”

Trump also attacked Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a critic of the US and Israel. He claimed, without evidence that Petro facilitates drug trafficking into the US.

“He has cocaine mills; he has factories where he makes cocaine. And yeah, I think I stick by my first statement; He is making cocaine … They are sending it to the United States. So he does have to watch his back,” Trump said.

On Sunday, the leaders of Spain, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Uruguay issued a joint statement condemning the US aggression against Venezuela.

They warned that Washington’s actions violated fundamental principles of international law, including the ban on the use of force and the obligation to respect territorial sovereignty under the UN Charter, describing the operation as reckless, destabilizing, and a serious threat to regional peace.

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