President Donald Trump delivered a blunt and provocative warning to Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Saturday, January 4, 2026, telling him to "watch his a**" in response to what Trump described as Colombia's ongoing role in producing and exporting cocaine destined for the United States, escalating diplomatic friction less than 24 hours after the dramatic U.S. military capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, who were swiftly transported to a federal prison in New York City.

Colombian leader Gustavo Petro, long a sharp critic of aggressive U.S. military maneuvers in the region, swiftly condemned the intervention in Venezuela as a direct assault on the sovereignty of Latin American nations, predicting that such unilateral actions would inevitably trigger widespread humanitarian suffering and further destabilize an already volatile area, while also rejecting Trump's prior suggestions of possible airstrikes on Colombian drug-production facilities as thinly veiled threats of outright invasion.

In the immediate aftermath of Operation Absolute Resolve, Trump declared that the United States would assume temporary administrative control over Venezuela to oversee a secure and orderly transition of power, stressing that American forces remain fully prepared to launch an even more extensive military operation if circumstances demand it, while firmly reasserting longstanding U.S. dominance across the Western Hemisphere to promote regional stability, reliable partnerships, and secure access to critical energy supplies.

Also Read: Trump Claims Cuban Forces Killed in U.S. Raid That Captured Venezuela’s Maduro

Trump voiced particular optimism about the potential cooperation of Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez in facilitating a smooth handover and restoring the country to greatness, but expressed significant skepticism regarding opposition figure Maria Corina Machado's viability as a future leader, citing her perceived lack of broad domestic support and respect within Venezuela despite acknowledging her as a capable individual.

Looking ahead, the president outlined ambitious economic plans involving major American oil corporations investing billions to repair Venezuela's severely damaged petroleum infrastructure, with the goal of generating substantial revenue for the nation under U.S. oversight, while maintaining the existing oil embargo and keeping a powerful naval armada in position to enforce compliance until all American demands—ranging from counter-narcotics measures to political reforms—are completely satisfied.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a veiled but pointed caution to Cuban authorities, implying that Havana's government should feel heightened concern in light of recent events, given Cuba's historical ties to the Maduro regime, while Trump separately criticized Mexico's leadership under President Claudia Sheinbaum, praising her personally as a capable woman but asserting that powerful cartels effectively control the country and rejecting her repeated refusals of U.S. offers to conduct direct operations against those criminal organizations.

Also Read: Iran Protest Death Toll Hits 10 as Trump Threatens US Intervention