US defense secretary states Washington will "set the terms" post Venezuela operation.

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said late Saturday that Washington will "set the terms" for what comes next in Venezuela following the latest US military operation in the country that led to the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

In an interview with CBS News, Hegseth said the operation "can only be described as the most sophisticated, most complicated, most successful Joint Special Operations raid of all time."

"Nothing of this size and scope when you actually unpack what was done kinetically and non-kinetically, that many people, that many moving parts, that consequential, and they got the job done," he said.

Asked what US President Donald Trump's earlier remarks on the US running Venezuela mean, Hegseth said: "Well, it means we set the terms. President Trump sets the terms, and ultimately, he'll decide what the iterations are of that."

He argued that the operation would stop drug flows, prevent foreign influence in the region, and secure US economic interests.

"It means the oil that was taken from us is ultimately returned, and that criminals are not sent to the United States," he said, adding that, "so ultimately, we're going to control what happens next."

Hegseth further rejected comparisons to the Iraq war, saying: "It's the exact opposite."

He claimed that the US would benefit economically without large troop deployments, and said that Trump "flips the script" by using "strategic action."

Saying that "Venezuela has a long history of being a rich and prosperous country," he argued that "it's been stolen away from its people by horrific leadership," and claimed that the US could "both help them (Venezuelans) and help the United States."

Looking ahead, Hegseth said the coming days would reflect "American strength," noting: "We're going to get American companies in there. We're going to get investment there."

When asked whether the operation was about freedom or oil, Hegseth said it was about "freedom, security, prosperity," while also acknowledging disputes over US oil interests.

"These oil depots have been operating at 20% capacity. That's going to change, and we're going to stop the flood of people in the United States," he added.