At the crossroads of the Americas, Venezuela’s geography and vast mineral reserves amplify its strategic importance

Over the past decade, millions of Venezuelans have left the country. Not tourists. Not students. People escaping a life that no longer worked. Their absence is now one of the defining features of the country.

U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered a “total and complete blockade” of all U.S.-sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, adding pressure to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s government. The order from Trump comes after weeks of ...

In a surprise early morning attack, U.S. air and naval forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Saturday, Jan. 3. They landed Saturday evening in New York, where they face criminal drug charges, U.S. officials said. President Donald Trump announced Maduro's capture on Truth Social at 4:21 a.m.

Maduro was captured in a US military operation amid accusations of drug trafficking. The strikes involved over 150 aircraft and months of intelligence work.

This week the Trump administration said it would control sales of Venezuela’s oil , of which the U.S. will get 30 million to 50 million barrels. That effectively grafts Trump’s mercantile approach to domestic policy onto foreign policy.