Has Trump cut a deal with Venezuelan officials to 'remove' Maduro? Key details

US President Donald Trump on Monday hinted that he had an opportunity to strike a deal with Venezuelan officials to “remove” Nicolas Maduro. He said his team, however, chose to proceed with toppling Maduro without the help of the Venezuelan leader’s “inner circle”.

Trump said he is in charge of the Latin American nation, adding that a group of US officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, would help oversee Washington’s involvement in Venezuela.

“We're dealing with the people. We're dealing with the people that just got sworn in. And don't ask me who's in charge, because I'll give you an answer, and it'll be very controversial,” the US President told NBC News.

The group also includes Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and deputy White House chief of staff Stephen Miller. When asked what this meant, Trump said, “It means we're in charge.”

On the question of new elections in Venezuela following Maduro’s dramatic capture, Trump ruled out any fresh polls in the Latin American country within the next 30 days.

He said the country needs to be rebuilt before people can step out to vote.

“We have to fix the country first. You can't have an election. There's no way the people could even vote,” Trump said. “No, it's going to take a period of time. We have - we have to nurse the country back to health.”

Trump added that his administration is exploring ways to rebuild Venezuela’s economy, with a particular focus on restoring the country’s oil sector. He said the US is considering subsidising American oil companies that help repair and restart Venezuela’s energy infrastructure.

“I think we can do it in less time than that, but it'll be a lot of money,” he said, referring to an estimated timeline of under 18 months. “A tremendous amount of money will have to be spent, and the oil companies will spend it, and then they'll get reimbursed by us or through revenue.”

His remarks come days after US forces carried out a military operation in Caracas and captured Maduro and his wife. Maduro was taken out of Venezuela and brought to the US, where he is facing trial on charges including narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine into the country.