Trump just pulled off the most brazen military operation in decades by snatching Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro from Caracas and bringing him to the United States.
Democrats and foreign leaders condemned the strike as illegal and reckless.
But Trump's already eyeing his next targets — and he made crystal clear who should be looking over their shoulder.
Trump wastes no time threatening next targets after Venezuela raid
Speaking aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump issued a warning to Colombian President Gustavo Petro that left no room for interpretation.
"Colombia is very sick, too, run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States," Trump told reporters. "And he's not going to be doing it very long. Let me tell you."¹
A reporter asked if that meant the United States would conduct a military operation in Colombia.
Trump's response? Two words: "Sounds good."²
The threat carries deadly serious weight after what happened in Caracas.
Petro, Colombia's first leftist president, responded by threatening to "take up arms" if Trump attacks his country.³
The former guerrilla fighter wrote on social media that he "swore not to touch a weapon again" but would do so "for the homeland."⁴
Relations between Washington and Bogotá have cratered as Petro openly criticized Trump's Caribbean military deployments.
The administration cut aid to Colombia in October over surging cocaine output, which reached 1,700 metric tons in 2024 according to the United Nations.⁵
Trump doubles down on Greenland hours after Venezuela strike
Colombia wasn't Trump's only target Sunday.
Trump renewed his campaign to acquire Greenland from Denmark with the same casual confidence he displayed before launching the Venezuela operation.
"We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it," Trump told reporters.⁶
The timing couldn't have been more deliberate.
Just hours after U.S. forces captured Maduro, Katie Miller — wife of Trump's deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller — posted an image of the American flag covering Greenland with one word: "SOON."⁷
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen immediately fired back.
"The Kingdom of Denmark — and thus Greenland — is part of NATO and is therefore covered by the alliance's security guarantee," Frederiksen wrote in a statement. "I would therefore strongly urge the United States to stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another country and another people who have very clearly said that they are not for sale."⁸
Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen used even stronger language.
"That's enough now," Nielsen declared on social media. "No more pressure. No more insinuations. No more fantasies of annexation."⁹
Trump appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland last month.
Landry explicitly stated his goal is to "make Greenland a part of the U.S."
Frederiksen went so far as to warn that any U.S. military attack on Greenland would mean "the end of NATO" and destroy "the security that has been established since the end of the Second World War."¹⁰
Greenland sits on vast reserves of rare earth minerals and controls access to Arctic shipping lanes opening as polar ice melts.
Denmark spent decades treating Greenland as little more than a colony before granting it home rule in 1979.
Trump's making clear that America's "wide access" to Greenland under existing defense agreements isn't enough.
The parallels to Venezuela are impossible to miss.
For months, Trump deployed warships to the Caribbean, struck alleged drug vessels, and threatened military action against Maduro.
Then on Saturday morning, he followed through with a devastating strike that toppled Venezuela's government in hours.
Denmark and Colombia both condemned the Venezuela operation, citing violations of international law and sovereignty.
Trump made clear he doesn't care about their objections.
"All political and military figures of Venezuela should know what happened to Maduro can happen to them, and it will happen to them if they do bad to their people," Trump warned Saturday.¹¹
That warning now extends far beyond Venezuela's borders.
Trump threatened Mexico to "get their act together" or face consequences.
He suggested Cuba's communist government is "ready to fall" without American intervention.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio reinforced the message: "We're not going to allow the Western Hemisphere to be a base of operation for adversaries, competitors, and rivals of the United States."¹²
Latin American leaders recognized the pattern immediately.
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay and Spain condemned the Venezuela operation as a "dangerous precedent for peace and regional security."¹³
Their condemnations mean nothing if Trump's willing to ignore them — which the Venezuela raid proved he is.
Petro invited Trump to visit Colombia in December to see how Bogotá fights cocaine trafficking, adding a warning: "Do not threaten our sovereignty, because you will awaken the Jaguar."
Trump's response made clear he's not interested in tours or explanations.
Denmark increased defense spending for Greenland by over $13 billion, hoping to show it can secure the territory without American annexation.¹⁴
None of it matters if Trump decides he wants what they have.
The message to Copenhagen and Bogotá is unmistakable: what happened to Maduro can happen to anyone standing in America's way.
¹ "Trump threatens Colombia's Petro, says Cuba looks 'ready to fall,'" Al Jazeera, January 5, 2026.
² "Trump Threatens Military Operation Against Colombia, After Venezuela Raid," Reuters, January 4, 2026.
³ "Colombian president ready to 'take up arms' in face of Trump threats," Euronews, January 5, 2026.
⁴ Ibid.
⁵ "After Ousting Maduro, President Trump Gives Colombia's President Gustavo Petro a Warning," Townhall, January 3, 2026.
⁶ "Venezuela attack: Denmark in crisis as Trump sets sights on Greenland," CNBC, January 5, 2026.
⁷ "Denmark's prime minister says 'stop the threats' of U.S. annexing Greenland," NPR, January 4, 2026.
⁸ "Denmark tells Trump to stop threatening to seize Greenland," CNBC, January 4, 2026.
⁹ "Greenland Says 'No More Fantasies About Annexation' After Trump Remarks," Reuters, January 5, 2026.
¹⁰ "Denmark Says US Attack on Greenland Would Mean End of NATO," Bloomberg, January 5, 2026.
¹¹ "Trump's Potential Next Targets After Venezuela," TIME, January 5, 2026.
¹² Ibid.
¹³ "Trump threatens Colombia's Petro, says Cuba looks 'ready to fall,'" Al Jazeera, January 5, 2026.
¹⁴ "US 'has no right' to take over Greenland, Danish PM says after latest Trump threats," Irish Times, January 5, 2026.
