Trump Cancels Planned Second Wave of Attacks on Venezuela After Caracas Releases Political Prisoners

President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he has called off a previously expected "second wave" of attacks on Venezuela, saying Caracas had shown cooperation by releasing a number of political prisoners and was seeking peace.

“I don’t have the article text — only the repeated headline and the copyright line you pasted”

9News.au

Multiple outlets report Trump framed the releases as a "very important and smart gesture" and credited them for prompting the decision to halt follow-on strikes, while saying U.S. ships and forces will remain positioned nearby for safety and security.

9News.au

The announcement followed a high-profile U.S. military operation earlier in the week that many outlets report led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, a claim presented variously as an administration assertion or as a reported event depending on the outlet.

Reports and descriptions diverge sharply over the U.S. raid that preceded the announcement.

Several outlets repeat that U.S. forces captured Maduro and his wife, with Tribune India and the New York Post describing a capture operation and some pro-Trump or alternative outlets presenting the abduction and transfer as factual.

Al Jazeera

Other outlets, particularly international and mainstream organizations, frame the capture claim as an assertion by Trump or note it as contested, saying he 'claimed' or 'said' U.S. forces had taken Maduro rather than presenting it as an independently verified fact.

Trump tied the halt in strikes to a plan to cooperate with Venezuela to rebuild its oil and gas infrastructure.

“A reported military operation in Venezuela captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores”

Anadolu Ajansı

He repeatedly predicted at least $100 billion in investment from major oil companies and announced meetings with energy executives at the White House.

Outlets across types picked up the $100 billion claim and the planned executive meetings, while industry-aware or analytical outlets cautioned that rebuilding Venezuelan output would take years and require guarantees, raising questions about the feasibility of immediate big investment.

Media coverage diverges on the recent prisoner releases in Venezuela.

Some outlets report that the Venezuelan leadership freed high-profile opposition figures and described the moves as a gesture 'to seek peace'.

ANI News

Rights organizations and human-rights-focused outlets warn that the numbers and scope remain unclear and that many detainees remain in custody.

Reports cite varied figures, ranging from named high-profile releases to rights groups estimating hundreds still detained.

Caracas has been quoted denying that it holds political prisoners, underscoring conflicting narratives about the significance and scale of the releases.

International reaction and the security posture remain mixed.

The U.S. keeps naval and other forces in the region 'for safety and security purposes' even as it shelved immediate additional strikes.

BusinessToday Malaysia

Caracas and some regional actors condemned the U.S. action as aggression and sought diplomatic responses.

Domestically, the raid and follow-up policy drew political pushback in the U.S.

The administration framed the moves as leverage to secure cooperation on prisoners and energy.

Mexico publicly rejected any suggestion of U.S. intervention on its soil.

Some European and regional leaders were reported to be engaged in diplomacy.