"We have tremendous energy in that country. It's very important that we protect it. We need that for ourselves."

The president spoke to Fox News by phone hours after he announced the U.S. had captured the president of the oil-rich South American country.

U.S. oil companies will invest billions of dollars in Venezuela's energy sector after the overthrow of Nicolas Maduro, President Donald Trump said.

PALM BEACH, United States: President Donald Trump said Saturday the United States will “run” Venezuela until a political transition can occur, after the spectacular US military…

'We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,' Donald Trump said at a press conference following the capture of President…

Trump declares U.S. will govern Venezuela following Maduro's capture, emphasising military strength and ongoing drug trafficking efforts.

"We're not afraid of boots on the ground. We're not afraid of it. We're we don't mind saying it, and we're gonna make sure that that country is run properly."

The president, who claimed to oppose involvement in “nation building,” also said the U.S. would “run” Venezuela for an indefinite period.

Removing a leader and pledging to rebuild a country represents a major shift in Trump's America First vision, writes Anthony Zurcher.

The US launched strikes on Venezuela on Saturday in which Maduro and his wife were captured by US forces.

"We have tremendous energy in that country. It's very important that we protect it. We need that for ourselves."

Trump's plan to take control of Venezuela's oil industry and ask American companies to revitalize it after capturing that country's president in a military raid isn't likely to…

Trump's plan to take control of Venezuela's oil industry and ask American companies to revitalize it after capturing that country's president in a military raid isn't likely to…

The US president believes that the ousting of Venezuelan head of state Nicolas Maduro paves the way for the return of American oil majors to a country that holds the world's…

Donald Trump has said that American oil firms will invest billions to produce oil in Venezuela.

Donald Trump now says he wants American companies to take over Venezuelan fields in order to extract and sell resources.

Exploiting Latin American country's reserves faces obstacles from decrepit infrastructure to leadership uncertainty.

“I don't think any large U.S. major company is going to want to invest without a series of guarantees,” one historian of Venezuela said.

Energy experts say reviving Venezuela’s oil industry could be a decade-long process, and could cost upwards of $100 billion.

Doubling Venezuela's weakened oil flows could cost $110 billion and take until 2030.

Trump is open about his ambitions for scaled-up US operations, but analysts say such plans would take time.