US President Trump And Tesla's Musk Break Bread As US Forces Secure Maduro's Capture | WATCH

New Delhi: After the United States hit Venezuela with a large-scale strike early Saturday and said its president, Nicolás Maduro, had been captured and flown out of the country after months of stepped-up pressure by Washington, Tesla CEO Elon Musk was seen having dinner with US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Florida. 

As per the video on X, Trump can be seen walking around with Elon Musk and greeting people present at the venue. 

Earlier, the Tesla CEO publicly congratulated US President Trump following developments in Venezuela involving President Nicolas Maduro. 

After United States launched a swift overnight military operation against Venezuela on January 3, capturing President Nicolas Maduro and his wife First Lady Cilia Flores, Elon Musk, taking to his X account said, "“Congratulations, President Trump! This is a win for the world and a clear message to evil dictators everywhere.”

Starlink to provide free internet services in Venezuela

Billionaire Elon Musk on Sunday expressed support for the people of Venezuela as SpaceX-owned Starlink announced it was providing free broadband internet services in the country for a limited period, as Venezuela remains gripped by fast-moving political developments.

In a post on X, Musk wrote, "In support of the people of Venezuela," while re-posting a message from Starlink outlining the initiative. 

The announcement coincided with dramatic scenes involving deposed Dictator Nicolas Maduro where a video released by US authorities showed the captured Venezuelan leader in handcuffs during a staged perp walk. 

In the footage, Maduro was seen wishing reporters and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents a Happy New Year and Good Night as he was led to custody.

In a lightning military strike, the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and spirited them out of the country to face justice in the United States.

Trump said US is “going to run” Venezuela until a transition of power can take place, but it’s not clear what that will mean on the ground in the South American country.

According to an indictment made public Saturday, Maduro is charged alongside his wife, his son and three others. Maduro is indicted on four counts: narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.

Maduro and his wife were initially taken to a U.S. warship and then flown by plane to New York on Saturday afternoon.

How the US operation played out

Shedding light on the operation, Trump said Maduro was “highly guarded” in a presidential palace akin to a “fortress” and he tried to get to a safe room but wasn’t able to get there in time.

Trump said U.S. forces practiced the operation ahead of time on a replica building, and the U.S. turned off “almost all of the lights in Caracas,” although he didn’t detail how they accomplished that.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine said the mission had been “meticulously planned” for months, relying on work by the U.S. intelligence community to find Maduro and detail how he moved, lived, ate and what he wore.

The mission involved more than 150 aircraft launched across the Western Hemisphere, Caine said. Helicopters came under fire as they approached “the target area,” he said, and responded with “overwhelming force.”

Also Read: Blowtorches And Blackouts: How US Forces Captured Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro | Inside Operation Absolute Resolve