Trump says Cuba is ‘ready to fall’ after capture of Venezuela’s Maduro

President Donald Trump precocious Sunday predicted Cuba was "ready to fall" aft U.S. forces captured Venezuelan person Nicolás Maduro, informing that Havana tin nary longer trust connected Caracas for information and oil.  

Trump said Cuba’s destiny is present straight tied to Maduro’s ouster and the illness of Venezuela’s quality to bankroll allies successful the region.  

Asked if helium was considering U.S. enactment successful Cuba, Trump replied: "I deliberation it’s conscionable going to fall. I don’t deliberation we request immoderate action. Looks similar it’s going down. It’s going down for the count." 

The president’s comments during a property gaggle with reporters aboard Air Force One travel aft Saturday’s seizure of Maduro and his woman connected charges tied to a narco-terrorism conspiracy. The audacious cognition has sent shockwaves done allied governments successful the region, with Cuban officials calling for rallies successful enactment of Venezuela and accusing the U.S. of violating sovereignty.

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President Donald Trump speaks with reporters portion successful formation connected Air Force One, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, arsenic returning to Joint Base Andrews, Md. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

U.S. officials accidental Cuban information forces played a cardinal relation successful keeping Maduro successful power. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cuban operatives efficaciously ran Venezuela’s interior quality and information operations – including personally guarding Maduro and monitoring loyalty wrong his government. 

Protestors rally extracurricular the White House, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, successful Washington, aft the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his woman successful a subject operation. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo)

"It was Cubans that guarded Maduro," Rubio said. "He was not guarded by Venezuelan bodyguards. He had Cuban bodyguards." 

Cuba’s authorities acknowledged Sunday that 32 Cuban subject and constabulary officers were killed during the American cognition successful Venezuela, marking the archetypal authoritative decease toll released by Havana. Cuban authorities media said the officers had been deployed astatine the petition of Caracas and announced 2 days of nationalist mourning.

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Trump confirmed Cuban casualties portion traveling backmost to Washington. 

"A batch of Cubans were killed yesterday," helium said. "There was a batch of decease connected the different side. No decease connected our side." 

Venezuelan person Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores look 'worst lawsuit scenario' successful U.S. custody, according to expert, with national indictments connected cause and weapons charges. ( Juan BARRETO / AFP via Getty Images)

Trump besides took purpose astatine neighboring Colombia, accusing its enactment of fueling cause trafficking into the U.S.

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"Colombia is precise sick, tally by a sick antheral who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States," Trump said, adding that the country, "is not going to beryllium doing it for a precise agelong time." 

President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro speaks during a subject ceremonial commemorating the 200th day of the presumption of the 'Sword of Peru' to Venezuelan independency leader Simón Bolívar connected November 25, 2025, successful Caracas, Venezuela.  (Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)

He suggested the U.S. was prepared to enactment against narco-trafficking networks operating by onshore and sea, citing caller interdictions.  

Trump besides revived his long-standing absorption connected Greenland, arguing the Arctic territory is captious to U.S. information amid increasing Russian and Chinese activity.

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"We request Greenland from the standpoint of nationalist security," Trump said. "Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships each implicit the place." 

Trump has framed Saturday’s cognition arsenic portion of a broader effort to reassert U.S. dominance successful the Western Hemisphere, invoking the Monroe Doctrine and informing that hostile regimes tin nary longer trust connected 1 different for survival. 

Maduro is acceptable to beryllium arraigned successful national tribunal successful New York connected Monday. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.