Trump claims successful Venezuela operation, treads into uncharted territory

By AAMER MADHANI, Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — With the capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, President Donald Trump and his allies are calling the audacious military operation a major success as the U.S. leader once again demonstrated a willingness to use U.S. forces for risky missions that come with a potential big payoff. The operation has ousted a South American strongman blasted by Trump’s administration as an “illegitimate” dictator and a “narco-terrorist,” a scourge responsible for a steady of stream of illegal drugs poisoning U.S. and Europe. “It was a brilliant operation, actually,” Trump told The New York Times shortly…