Just two days have passed since Donald Trump declared that the U.S. would take control of Venezuela following the capture of its communist leader, Nicolas Maduro. This announcement has sparked widespread speculation about which officials will govern during this transitional period.

On Saturday, the former President revealed that his team is collaborating with Maduro’s deputy, Delcy Rodríguez, who is now serving as the acting leader of Venezuela.

However, concerns have arisen among opposition leaders. One such leader, as reported by The Washington Post, fears that the Trump administration’s involvement might merely extend Maduro’s government’s power under what he describes as “gringo guardianship.”

According to an insider, the White House is contemplating assigning a more prominent role to Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller in managing the situation in Venezuela after Maduro’s removal.

During a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, Trump stated, “We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition.” However, he declined to provide details on who would spearhead this effort.

A source well-acquainted with the Venezuelan opposition told the Daily Mail that both Stephen Miller and Secretary of State Marco Rubio would act as the temporary “viceroys” of Venezuela, overseeing the nation’s affairs for the foreseeable future.

They added that Delcy is essentially serving as an ‘interim coach’ in Venezuela and predicted she ‘will not be coming back for the next season.’

Trump will ‘continue to diplomatically engage with those remaining in Venezuelan government,’ a US official told the Daily Mail. 

Donald Trump is preparing to install US officials to oversee the interim leadership in Venezuela after the capture and extradition of Nicolas Maduro over the weekend

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller tops the president’s list, according to the Washington Post

Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are seen arriving on a helipad in Manhattan in handcuffs for an arraignment in the Souther District of New York on January 5, 2026

Senator Minority Leader Chuck Schumer exploded at the report of Miller’s supposed ‘Venezuela czar’ role, saying it would only ‘fan the flames of war.’

‘Is there a single person outside of the White House who thinks this is a good idea?’ he lamented on X. ‘Talk about doubling down on reckless regime change and chaos.

Miller, a top Trump Homeland Security advisor, is an architect of the administration’s immigration and border policy. He, along with Rubio, took a central role in the effort to remove Maduro and were both present at Trump’s press conference in Florida.

One senior White House adviser told Axios that the running of Venezuela would ‘be done by a small committee, led by Rubio, with the president heavily engaged.’

It’s unclear how Miller and Rubio’s roles might differ – if at all.

There’s seemingly a mutually beneficial outcome for Miller and Rubio’s goals in the US taking over leadership in Venezuela.

For Miller the pursuit provides the opportunity to further his long-held goal of mass deportations and crackdowns on criminal drug groups in Latin America. And for Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, the role gives him the chance to help topple the Venezuelan regime, and in turn cripple its ally Cuba.

The US military ‘remains postured and ready,’ should any additional action be needed to maintain order in the post-Maduro governance, a US official told the Daily Mail.

‘In the U.S., Maduro will face trial and American justice,’ the official said, adding: ‘The Administration will continue to take action to dismantle drug cartels and take lethal action against foreign drug traffickers and narco terrorists who are attempting to bring illegal drugs to the homeland.’

There’s still the brewing animosity from those who wanted to see Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corino Machado elevated after Maduro’s ouster.

Trump expressed skepticism during his press conference on Saturday on the operation to capture Maduro that Machado could fill the role.

‘I think it would be very tough for her to be the leader,’ he said. ‘She doesn’t have the support within, or the respect within the country. She’s a very nice woman, but she doesn’t have the respect.’

Two people close with the White House told the Post that he holds animus towards Machado for escaping Venezuela to accept the Nobel Peace Prize last month because it’s an award the president wants for himself.

The Venezuelan opposition leader who spoke on condition of anonymity said that many in the movement are working to ‘swallow some bitter pills’ when it comes to Maduro’s ouster.

They claimed that the next few days would clarify if Rodríguez will replace Maduro’s hard-line officials and work with the US.

A separate report from Axios notes that running of Venezuela would ‘be done by a small committee, led by [Secretary of State Marco] Rubio, with the president heavily engaged’

Trump says that Rubio has spoken with acting Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodruguez – but opposition leaders are skeptical over her rise and the administration’s willingness to work with Nicolas Maduro’s chosen No. 2 

Some wanted opposition leader Maria Carino Machado to assume leadership, but two people close to the White House say Trump has animosity towards her for accepting the Nobel Peace Prize because he wanted the award

Trump said that Rodriguez had a ‘friendly conversation’ with Rubio following the capture of Maduro and his wife, and an adviser told Axios that the two might have daily calls going forward as Trump decides what to do next.

The president told reporters on Air Force One when returning to Washington, DC on Sunday night that he hasn’t personally spoken with Rodríguez yet.

He was clear during his Mar-a-Lago press conference that he doesn’t want to leave a leadership void in Venezuela after the middle-of-the-night Delta Force operation to capture and extradite Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.

‘We will run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,’ Trump said, keeping it vague on who exactly would lead the country in the interim and who would take over leadership.

He emphasized: ‘We can’t take a chance that someone else takes over Venezuela who doesn’t have the interests of Venezuelans in mind.’

The question of a fair election was also brought up in the Sunday news conference after the US for years refused to recognize Maduro as the legitimate president of the South American country.