Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Saturday delivered a sequence of bragging feedback throughout a press convention in regards to the in a single day U.S. army operation in Venezuela that resulted within the seize of President Nicolás Maduro.
“This is about the safety, security, freedom and prosperity of the American people,” mentioned Hegseth on the Mar-a-Lago presser. “This is America First. This is peace through strength. And the United States War Department is proud to help deliver it. Welcome to 2026.”
He continued, “And under President Trump, America is back.”
The Trump administration had been accusing Maduro of trafficking lethal narcotics resembling fentanyl into the U.S. and has bombed alleged drug boats within the Caribbean since September, which has led to dozens of fatalities.
The Department of Justice has indicted Maduro on narco-terrorism and drug trafficking costs. Captured throughout the in a single day operation alongside his spouse, Cilia Flores, he’s anticipated to reach in New York on Saturday.
Hegseth’s declare that the battle is about “freedom and prosperity” clashed starkly with Trump’s personal boast that America’s “greatest oil companies” shall be “very much involved” in the way forward for Venezuela’s oil reserves, that are the most important confirmed reserves on Earth.
The protection secretary additionally used Saturday’s press convention as a chance to reiterate his seemingly favourite new phrase, stating, “Nicolás Maduro had his chance, just like Iran had their chance, until they didn’t and until he didn’t. He effed around, and he found out.”
Hegseth used a shorter model of the phrase throughout his handle to America’s prime army leaders in September, when he mentioned straight into the digital camera, “To our enemies, F-A-F-O.” The quip fell flat on the time, spawning an virtually solely silent response within the room.
Hegseth wasn’t the one Trump administration official on Saturday to double down on that warning, nevertheless, as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt shared a clip of Trump stating in October that Maduro doesn’t “want to fuck around” with the United States.
Hegseth additionally glowingly championed Trump for his supposed humanitarian efforts in overthrowing Maduro to forestall U.S. drug deaths, noting — lots — how “deadly serious” the president was.
“President Trump is deadly serious about stopping the flow of gangs, of violence to our country, deadly serious about stopping the flow of drugs and poison to our people, deadly serious about getting back the oil that was stolen from us and deadly serious re-establishing American deterrence and dominance in the Western Hemisphere.”
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/welcome-to-2026-pete-hegseth-declares-america-is-back-after-venezuela-president-maduro-capture_n_69594d9be4b099300967321b