Trump threatens attack on Colombia saying country's president should 'watch his a**'

Donald Trump held a press conference this afternoon, hours after US struck Venezuela (Image: Getty)

Donald Trump has warned other leaders of South American countries after they spoke out against US strikes on Venezuela, which saw President Maduro captured and taken to America. Speaking at a press conference in his Mar-a-lago residence in Florida, the President announced that the United States would "run" the country until a "proper transition" could take place.

He also declared that US oil companies would "start making money" for the country, and warned detractors that the US was poised to stage a "much larger" attack if it was needed. The attack, which took place in the dead of night, has drawn condemnation from allies of the Venezuelan, including Iran and Russia, as well as nearby Colombia.

In an official statement, the Government of Columbia said that they had "deep concern" about the "escalation of tension" in South America. Opposition to Mr Maduro within Venezuela however welcomed the news of the intervention to depose the socialist President, saying that the US had "fulfilled its promise".

Mr Trump hit out at Colombia's left-wing leader, Gustavo Petro, claiming: "He’s making cocaine and they’re sending it into the United States." In a staggering put down to the Colombian President, Mr Trump added: "So he does have to watch his ass."

He blasted the Communist country of Cuba, another close ally of the now-deposed President Maduro as a "failing nation" as he said: "Cuba is going to be something we'll end up talking about [...] we want to help the people. It's very similar in the sense that we want to help the people in Cuba, but we want to also help the people that were forced out of Cuba and living in this country."

At the Press Conference, he turned to Marco Rubio, his Secretary of State, who is the son of exiled Cubans, and who said: "If I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I'd be concerned."

Mr Maduro and his wife are reportedly being transported to the United States, where he is expected to be held in custody in New York City ahead of a federal indictment. His capture has been condemned by the new Mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani, who called the capture an "act of war" saying: "Unilaterally attacking a sovereign nation is an act of war and a violation of federal and international law. This blatant pursuit of regime change doesn’t just affect those abroad, it directly impacts New Yorkers, including tens of thousands of Venezuelans who call this city home."

The United States confirmed that no US troops, or equipment, had been lost in the attack, which saw more than 150 aircraft deployed over a period of several hours, sparking widespread panic across the country. American forces struck military bases, the residence of the President, as well as an airport, deploying special operations troops, including the unit that killed Osama bin Laden.

Mr Trump has confirmed the US will put troops in the country to secure oil, and use that money to reimburse Venezuelans and the United States for damages caused under Maduro’s leadership.