Trump says Venezuela could become America’s 51st state after Maduro’s arrest

• Donald Trump said he is “seriously considering” making Venezuela the 51st US state.

• The statement comes months after US forces captured Nicolás Maduro.

• Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez rejected the idea.

• Maduro is currently facing drug-related charges in the United States.

Trump reportedly made the remark during a conversation with Fox News, where he spoke about Venezuela’s massive oil reserves and growing ties between Washington and Caracas. 

The controversial statement comes just months after a dramatic US military operation in January 2026 that led to the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. 

According to reports, US forces carried out strikes in Venezuela before detaining Maduro and flying him to New York, where he is currently facing charges including narco-terrorism, conspiracy and drug trafficking offences. 

Following Maduro’s arrest, Venezuela’s then vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, assumed leadership of the South American country as acting president. 

Reacting to Trump’s latest comments, Rodríguez strongly rejected any suggestion that Venezuela could become part of the United States.

Speaking at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, she insisted that Venezuela would continue defending its independence and sovereignty. 

“That would never have been considered,” Rodríguez said while stressing that Venezuelans value their independence and national identity. 

She added that Venezuela has no plans to surrender its sovereignty despite growing cooperation between the two countries after Maduro’s removal from power. 

Trump’s statement has generated intense debate internationally, especially because Venezuela possesses some of the world’s largest oil reserves.

The US president reportedly claimed Venezuela has about $40 trillion worth of oil and suggested relations between both countries had improved significantly under his administration. 

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The development has also revived discussions about US influence in Latin America and concerns over sovereignty following the January military intervention in Venezuela.

Trump has previously made similar remarks about other territories, including Canada and Greenland, but his Venezuela comments are attracting stronger reactions because they come after direct US military involvement in the country.