In a striking announcement, Sky News presenter Trevor Phillips informed viewers, “This morning, Venezuela has become an American colony.”

The statement followed a dramatic operation on Saturday, where US Army Delta Force operatives apprehended Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, extraditing them to New York on charges related to drug trafficking.

President Donald Trump responded by stating he is appointing individuals from his cabinet to oversee Venezuela, a nation of 30 million people, though he refrained from providing further specifics.

In a surprising twist, Trump hinted at the possibility of deploying US troops, declaring that Washington is “not afraid of boots on the ground.”

The capture of Maduro took place after US forces launched an assault on Caracas, following accusations by Trump that Maduro leads the Cartel de los Soles, a drug trafficking organization, and that Venezuela has been inundating the US with narcotics and gang members.

This morning, Trevor Phillips, whose heritage traces back to Guyana, a neighboring country to Venezuela, shared his personal perspective on the unfolding events during his Sky News broadcast.

Addressing his TV audience, he said: ‘Forgive me if I begin 2026 on a personal note. 

‘To all intents and purposes, this morning Venezuela is an American colony. I’ve got mixed feelings about that.

This morning, Trevor Phillips – whose family are from Venezuela’s neighbouring country Guyana – began his Sky News broadcast with his personal take on yesterday’s chao

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is pictured after his capture in a photo shared by President Donald Trump on his TruthSocial website 

The US President offered little further detail on the logistics of running Venezuela, but suggested the country’s vast oil reserves would be used to fund its revival

‘Whatever the White House says, I don’t think this is really about drugs – it’s about oil.’

The 72-year-old news anchor and former Labour politician – who previously served as Chair of the London Assembly and chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission – went on to give ‘full disclosure’ about his early life in Guyana with his family where he grew up, went to school, and ‘learnt to handle a rifle’.

He gave historical context about Venezuela’s almost two decade-long claim over more than half of Guyana’s territory – the Essequibo region.

‘My generation grew up preparing for an invasion, but I don’t think anyone really thought we would got to war over impenetrable rainforest, and then, in 2015, American companies hit oil in Guyanese waters,’ he said.

Mr Phillips explained how the discovery of 30 billion barrels was ‘one of the biggest oil finds in decades’.

He said what ‘unsurprisingly’ followed was a renewed enthusiasm from Caracas for Guyanese territory – with the map of Venezuela shown to children in school redrawn to include Essequibo.

‘So, I don’t think there is much doubt what is driving Mr Trump’s military adventure,’ Mr Phillips continued.

‘He wants to protect America’s vast oil interests in the region and to feed his refineries with Venezuelan crude, and if that means upsetting the international rules-based order, I don’t think Mr Trump will be too bothered.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro seen perp walking down a hallway in an official building in Manhattan, almost 24 hours after he was seized by US troops

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and wife Cilia were both seized by a US military unit in the early hours of Caracas. Trump said Saturday afternoon that both will face criminal charges in New York City 

‘After all, American presidents, including Democrats like Kennedy and Obama, have always been clear on one thing – the first rule of the rules-based order is that America makes the rules to suit America.’

Maduro and Flores are now in custody at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, which is famous for its squalid conditions and has also housed Luigi Mangione and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.

Trump said the United States would govern Venezuela indefinitely in the meantime, after dismissing the prospect of the country’s popular opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, taking the reins, claiming she ‘does not have the support’.

The US President offered little further detail on the logistics of running Venezuela, but suggested the country’s vast oil reserves would be used to fund its revival.

On Saturday, Trump said he had not briefed Congress of his plans to snatch Maduro, claiming that had he done so, the news would have ‘leaked’ and potentially helped the Venezuelan leader to evade capture.

Maduro’s capture sparked jubilation from Venezuelan migrants living outside of their home nation on Saturday.

Hundreds took to the streets of cities, including Santiago in Chile, to celebrate the ouster of a leader seen as a corrupt authoritarian accused of destroying the economy of his oil-rich country while silencing dissent.

The atmosphere appeared altogether more muted in Caracas.

Locals were photographed lining up outside supermarkets amid fears Maduro’s ouster will lead to even greater economic uncertainty.

Shortly before Saturday’s press conference, the president shared an undignified photo of Maduro in a tracksuit taken after his capture.

Trump said the United States would govern Venezuela indefinitely in the meantime, after dismissing the prospect of the country’s popular opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado (pictured), taking the reins, claiming she ‘does not have the support’ 

Venezuelans living in Chile celebrate the capture of President Nicolas Maduro in Santiago on Saturday

Government supporters burn a US flag in Caracas, Venezuela, on Saturday after Donald Trump announced that US forces had captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro

He said the Venezuelan president’s wife will also be charged, but did not offer further details.

Maduro was photographed wearing a heavy black plastic eye mask and ear muffs over his ears in an apparent bid to keep his location a secret from him.

He was clad in a grey tracksuit and clutched a plastic water bottle. It is unclear if this is what Maduro was wearing when he was taken or if it was given to him by US forces.

The image was a far cry from his usual appearance in sharp suits or military regalia, with CNN commentators speculating it had been chosen to humiliate the corrupt leader.

Addressing a press conference in Mar-a-Lago Saturday, Trump told journalists that the Venezuelan first lady was part of her husband’s alleged schemes and that she too will face criminal charges in Manhattan.

‘Maduro and his wife will soon face the full might of American justice,’ Trump declared.

The Maduros are said to have been frightened of capture by US forces and allegedly took to sleeping in a different place every night.

Their whereabouts were being monitored successfully by CIA spies, with Trump green-lighting the operation to snatch them on Thursday.

Earlier on Saturday, US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Maduro would face drug and weapons trafficking charges originally filed in 2020 during Trump’s first term in office.

Five other Venezuelan officials face the same charges. But the first lady is not among those names and it remains unclear what charges she will face.

Speaking while flanked by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump said the operation to capture Maduro was one of the most daring in military history.

Shortly after 2am Venezuela time Saturday morning, Delta Force soldiers burst into the Maduros’ bedroom and captured them.

A source told the network the operation – which struck five Venezuelan sites including three in the country’s capital Caracas – did not result in any casualties.

He hailed the operation as ‘brilliant’ in a brief New York Times interview early Saturday.

The president later called into Fox News’s breakfast show Fox & Friends, excitedly telling its hosts: ‘I mean, I watched it literally like I was watching a television show. If you would’ve seen the speed, the violence – it was an amazing thing.’

Explosions were seen ripping across Caracas during the daring raid, with Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab insisting that ‘innocents’ had been ‘mortally wounded’ by the US operation.

Venezuela has yet to share further details on whether any of its soldiers or citizens were injured or killed during the raid.