US President Donald Trump has signalled that Washington’s recent intervention in Venezuela is not a short-term military operation but a far-reaching economic and geopolitical strategy centred on regaining control of the country’s vast oil reserves. Speaking in a televised interview, Trump framed the action as a decisive move to reshape regional power dynamics, secure energy assets, and send a strong message to global rivals.

In a sit-down conversation on Fox News’ Hannity, Trump repeatedly emphasised oil as the core driver behind the US operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Referring to the nationalisation of American energy interests under previous Venezuelan governments, Trump said the United States was reclaiming what it had lost years ago.

“They took the oil from us years ago,” Trump said. “We just took it back.”

According to the President, the US has already seized large quantities of Venezuelan crude through sanctions enforcement and direct control. He claimed that oil worth billions of dollars had been secured in a single day and suggested that the total value would increase significantly over time.

Trump said American energy giants would play a central role in reviving Venezuela’s collapsed oil sector. “The top 14 companies are coming,” he said, adding that they would rebuild the country’s damaged oil infrastructure and restore production capacity. He argued that increased output would have global implications, including lowering oil prices worldwide.

“This means lower oil prices all over the world,” Trump said, linking US foreign policy objectives directly to global energy markets.

While acknowledging that restoring Venezuela’s oil industry would take time, Trump made it clear that US involvement would be open-ended. “The oil will take a while,” he said, adding, “We’re going to be there till we straighten out the country.” His remarks suggest prolonged American oversight of Venezuela’s economic and political transition, with energy management preceding any move toward elections.

On the question of democracy, Trump said conditions in Venezuela were not yet suitable for free and fair polls. Describing the country as severely degraded, he argued that basic institutional capacity would need to be rebuilt before elections could be held.

Beyond economics, Trump portrayed the operation as a powerful act of deterrence. He said the intervention had sent a clear signal across Latin America, particularly to governments in Cuba and Colombia, which he claimed were now dealing with Washington “with great respect.” According to Trump, decisive action in Venezuela has altered regional behaviour and reduced the likelihood of confrontation.

Trump also framed the operation as a major law-enforcement success, accusing the former Venezuelan government of exporting crime and instability to the United States. He alleged that prisons and mental institutions had been emptied, contributing to crime and illegal migration.

Claiming immediate security benefits, Trump said maritime drug trafficking into the US had fallen sharply. He asserted that 97 per cent of drugs entering by sea had been stopped, though no independent verification was cited.

Describing the raid itself, Trump said US forces entered and exited heavily defended areas without losing a single soldier, though he acknowledged that some helicopter pilots were seriously wounded. He contrasted the outcome with past US military failures, portraying the operation as a demonstration of effective leadership and execution.

Trump declined to outline clear limits or red lines for future escalation, saying he would not publicly discuss conditions that could lead to deeper US involvement.

His remarks underscore a broader strategy in which energy dominance, security enforcement, and geopolitical signalling are tightly intertwined—positioning Venezuela’s oil at the centre of a new phase in US foreign policy.