Palm Beach, Florida - President Donald Trump struck a triumphant note over the capture of Nicolas Maduro on Saturday, saying he had watched live as US forces seized the Venezuelan president from a "fortress."

"I've never seen anything like this. I was able to watch it in real time," the 79-year-old Republican said in a telephone interview with Fox News.

"I watched it, literally, like I was watching a television show. And if you would have seen the speed, the violence."

Trump said no US troops were killed in the operation, adding that the Venezuelan president and his wife had been taken to a ship and would then be sent to New York, where they face drug and terrorism charges.

Donald Trump Kristi Noem purges FEMA staff in move to "eliminate" the agency

The US president, who is at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, said he had spoken to Maduro a week ago and told him "you have to surrender."

He added that the US would not allow anyone to take over where Maduro "left off" – while skirting around whether he backed Nobel Peace laureate Maria Corina Machado to be the next president.

Far-right Machado has issued a statement praising Maduro's abduction and stating, "Venezuelans, the hour of freedom has come."

Trump gave a detailed description of the operation that saw the US launch airstrikes on Venezuela before special forces captured the leftist leader.

He said that he originally gave the all clear for the operation to capture Maduro four days ago but that it was held up because of the weather, until Saturday.

"It was just amazing," Trump said. "He was in a very highly guarded... like a fortress actually. He was in a fortress."

Donald Trump Trump warns Colombia's Petro to "watch his *ss" as guerrillas vow to confront US "imperialism"

"It had steel doors, it had what they call a safety space where it's solid steel all around. He didn't get that space closed, he was trying to get into it, but he got bum-rushed so fast that he didn't get into that."

"We were prepared with massive blowtorches to get through the steel, but we didn't need them."

Trump added that it was "amazing" that no US forces were killed, adding that a "couple of guys were hit, but they came back and they're supposed to be in pretty good shape."

A US helicopter was also damaged but flown out, he added.

Trump said the raid on Venezuela "sends a signal we're not going to be pushed around as a country anymore" and warned Mexico that it too needed to crack down on drug traffickers.

"You don't get to avoid justice for drug trafficking in the United States because you live in a palace in Caracas," Vice President JD Vance said on X.

He said Trump had given the Venezuelan leader "multiple off ramps" and added that Maduro was the "newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says."