Name: Inside the geopolitical impact of the U.S. raid to capture Maduro
Uploaded: 2026-01-05T01:32:21.684Z
Duration: 3 min 53 s
Description: The U.S. military operation to capture Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, will likely have major ramifications on the world stage. CBS News national security contributor Samantha Vinograd has the latest.

The U.S. military operation to capture Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, will likely have major ramifications on the world stage. CBS News national security contributor Samantha Vinograd has the latest.

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CBS News interviewed lawmakers and national security experts following the U.S. military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Lawmakers expressed differing views on the operation's motives, with some arguing it was aimed at regime change and control of oil resources, while others cited national security concerns and the Maduro regime's alleged ties to drug trafficking.

Experts highlighted the broader geopolitical impact, noting that the move could affect China's and Russia's interests in Venezuela, given their significant economic ties. The discussion also addressed the challenges of rebuilding Venezuela's oil industry, emphasizing that it would be a long-term process requiring improved security conditions for American investment.

Inside the geopolitical impact of the U.S. raid to capture Maduro

Our Margaret Brennan asked lawmakers from across the aisle about that military operation in Venezuela. Take a listen. Well, the president always retains optionality on anything and on all of these matters. He certainly has the ability and the right under the Constitution of the United States to act against imminent and urgent threats against the country. What the president has said, obviously, is, you know, and I think what he's pointing to is that this obsession people have about boots and this or that, but he does not feel like he is going to publicly, you know, rule out options that are available for the United States, even though that's not what you're seeing right now. What you're seeing right now is an oil quarantine that allows us to exert tremendous leverage over what happens next. It's my view that the Trump administration has been lying to the American people. This has never been about stopping drugs from coming to the United States. We all support stopping drugs. This from the beginning has been about getting rid of Maduro, grabbing Venezuela's oil for American oil companies and Trump's billionaire buddies. That's what this is about. That's why Donald Trump spent so much time yesterday talking about oil. Venezuela's not a fentanyl producer, not a cocaine producer. Do you really think that this has ended the drug problem? Venezuela is unique in Latin America, though, because the Maduro regime is itself in league with the drug trafficking cartels. It doesn't just tolerate them or it doesn't just fail to control its territory. It is in league and profits from drug trafficking cartels. That's the distinction between Venezuela and other nations. But we're in that euphoria phase. And what we learned the day after the euphoria phase is that it's an awful lot easier to break a country than it is to actually do what the president promised to do, which is to run it. And so, again, let's let let's let my Republican colleagues enjoy their day of euphoria. But they're going to wake up tomorrow morning knowing what my God, there is no plan here any more than there was in Afghanistan, Iraq or in Libya. And for more on Maduro's capture, CBS News national security contributor Sam Vinograd joins me now. She is a former assistant secretary for counterterrorism and threat prevention with the Department of Homeland Security. Sam, good to see you today. So let's talk more about what this action really means on the world stage. What kind of geopolitical impact do you think this could have? Well, Chanel, we do have to remember that President Trump's national security strategy focused on a new chapter for the Monroe Doctrine in which he described the Trump corollary to the Monroe Doctrine and the United States really exerting influence in the Western Hemisphere and prioritizing perceived security needs and influence in the Western Hemisphere. What that translates to in practice is pushing other countries out. And China has an extremely strong foothold in Venezuela, both because China is Venezuela's largest customer for oil. And China is also Venezuela is currently their largest creditor. So I do think this will have geopolitical ramifications as pertains to China's footprint in Venezuela. And of course, Russia and other like minded nations are certainly not happy that the United States has taken has taken this path. And Sam, President Trump had said he's counting on American companies to now rebuild Venezuela's battered oil industry. So talk to us about, you know, weighing the risks versus the reward for getting involved there, especially when it comes to national security. Even if sanctions prohibiting investment in Venezuela's oil sector were lifted today, it would take years for U.S. energy companies to effectively restore Venezuela's oil fields and start extracting oil and then start making money off of it. So it's certainly a long term endeavor. And that's if the security situation gives American companies confidence that they can make those long term investments and start revitalizing Venezuela's oil sector. OK, Sam Vinograd, thank you.

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Inside the geopolitical impact of the U.S. raid to capture Maduro

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