US President Donald Trump on Saturday issued a sharp warning to Colombian President Gustavo Petro, telling him to “watch his a**” in the aftermath of a US military operation that captured Venezuelan leader
Nicolás Maduro, further escalating tensions across Latin America.
“He’s making cocaine and they’re sending it into the United States, so he does have to watch his ass,” Trump said at a press conference, referring to Petro, with whom he has repeatedly clashed in recent months. The remarks came hours after Washington carried out a dramatic overnight operation in Venezuela, seizing Maduro and flying him out of the country.
Early Saturday, the United States launched coordinated military strikes across Venezuela and captured the country’s long-serving president, with Trump announcing that Washington would temporarily take control of the country following the operation.
Petro swiftly condemned the US action, calling it an “assault on the sovereignty” of Latin America that could trigger a humanitarian crisis. In a post on X, the Colombian president said his government convened a national security meeting before dawn and deployed additional security forces along the Colombia–Venezuela border in anticipation of what he warned could be a “massive influx of refugees” fleeing Venezuela.
Petro also said Colombia would seek international intervention, urging the United Nations Security Council to address what he described as aggression against Venezuela and the wider region.
The Security Council is set to meet on Monday at 10:00 am local time (1500 GMT) to discuss the US operation, according to the Somali presidency of the Council. Diplomatic sources said the emergency meeting was requested by Venezuela and relayed by Colombia.
Saturday’s operation also drew condemnation from Maduro’s allies, including Russia, whose foreign ministry denounced the US action as an “act of armed aggression” and warned against further escalation.
The Venezuelan government said US strikes were reported in several parts of the country, including Caracas and the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira. Unverified videos circulating on social media appeared to show explosions in Caracas, including reported blasts near Higuerote Airport, about 87 km east of the capital.
Trump said US special forces disabled electricity in parts of Caracas before capturing Maduro and his wife in or near one of his safe houses. With Maduro now in US custody, Trump outlined Washington’s next steps, saying, “We will run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.”
