Trump Warns Maduro: "I Told Him, You Must Surrender"

Former U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Nicolás Maduro, urging him to surrender just weeks before Maduro's extraction from Venezuela took place.

"I told him, 'You must surrender. You must surrender'—and he was close, but ultimately, we had to undertake an operation that was far more surgical, much more powerful... It was a very significant symbol," Trump stated during an interview on Fox News this past Saturday.

In the same interview, Trump mentioned that he observed the military operation in Venezuela "in real time," describing it as "extremely complex."

He elaborated that the attack involved the deployment of numerous aircraft, including helicopters and fighter jets, and emphasized the team's alleged ability to penetrate "impenetrable" areas with "steel doors" that were reportedly neutralized "within seconds."

According to his account, the operation—which he watched unfold from Mar-a-Lago, "surrounded by generals and experts"—included communication between "Florida and the field in Venezuela" and was executed after being postponed for several days due to weather conditions.

"The operation was planned four days earlier, but the weather wasn't ideal. We waited for the exact moment," he noted.

During the same discussion, Trump claimed that Nicolás Maduro was in a "fortress" and attempted to seek refuge but was "captured in seconds."

He also asserted that there were no fatalities among the participating forces: "We didn't lose anyone. There were some injuries, but no fatalities. We didn't lose any aircraft. Everything returned home."