How Donald Trump Used The Maduro Raid In Venezuela To Warn China To Keep Out Of US

Last Updated:January 12, 2026, 11:46 IST

The US raid that captured Maduro was used by the Trump administration to send a direct warning to China to curb its growing influence in the Americas, according to a report.

Donald Trump/Captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is escorted (Photos: AFP/Reuters)

The Donald Trump administration’s blunt message in reference to oil executives, following the dramatic US military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, has brought the spotlight on how the US President used the Maduro raid to warn China to keep out of the US.

According to a Reuters report, senior US officials said that the January 3 raid, which saw American commandos seize Maduro in a pre-dawn operation in Caracas, was designed not only to upend Venezuela’s leadership but also to send a clear strategic signal to Beijing.

For Washington, the operation was intended to demonstrate that China’s growing political, economic and security footprint in Latin America would not be tolerated.

For more than two decades, China has steadily expanded its influence across the region, investing heavily in infrastructure, energy projects and strategic facilities, while positioning itself as a partner to governments facing US pressure.

Venezuela, in particular, emerged as a key beneficiary of Chinese financing after Western sanctions tightened, with Beijing securing oil supplies and deepening military cooperation. US officials told Reuters that this era is now over.

Donald Trump made that message explicit in remarks to oil executives, where he expressed unease about China and Russia operating so close to US borders.

“We don’t want you there," Trump said he told both countries, adding that while Washington maintains cordial relations with them, their presence in the Western Hemisphere was unacceptable.

He also indicated that China could instead purchase oil from the United States.

According to the report, the successful raid dealt a symbolic and practical blow to China’s standing in the region.

US forces swiftly neutralised Venezuelan air defences supplied by China and Russia, systems that failed to prevent the operation.

Trump later said tens of millions of barrels of oil previously under sanctions and largely destined for China would now be redirected to the United States.

Analysts quoted by Reuters said the episode exposed the limits of China’s power projection in the Americas.

Craig Singleton of the Foundation for Defence of Democracies said the operation highlighted the gap between Beijing’s global ambitions and its actual ability to protect partners when confronted directly by Washington.

Diplomatic protests, he noted, offer little reassurance once US military pressure is applied.

China rejected the US action. In a statement to Reuters, Chinese embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu criticised what he described as Washington’s unilateral and bullying behaviour, while insisting that China would continue to pursue friendly cooperation with Latin American and Caribbean countries regardless of developments in Venezuela.

The White House declined to comment officially, though one administration official told Reuters that China should reassess its position in the region, arguing that regional partners are increasingly aware that Beijing cannot guarantee their security.

The raid also appeared to sharpen contradictions in Trump’s China policy.

While Washington has pursued trade concessions with Beijing, it has simultaneously taken tougher stances on security issues, including Taiwan.

The Venezuela operation signalled a more hawkish approach, particularly given its timing.

Just hours before his capture, Maduro had publicly met China’s special envoy for Latin America, a moment US officials said suggested Beijing was caught off guard.

For years, China invested heavily in Venezuela’s oil sector and military capabilities, including radar and air defence systems.

Their failure during the raid has prompted scrutiny, with analysts saying countries relying on Chinese defence equipment are now questioning its effectiveness. Reuters reported that Chinese officials are assessing what went wrong.

Beyond Venezuela, US officials remain wary of China’s activities elsewhere in the region, including in Cuba and around the Panama Canal.

While analysts caution that prolonged instability in Venezuela could create openings for China to regain influence, others warn that a US embrace of strict spheres-of-influence thinking could ultimately serve Beijing’s broader strategic aims.

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