President Donald Trump is reported to still have a negative approval rating, but has seen an increase in support in the first survey conducted since the United States military captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro over the weekend.

Trump was reported to have a 42% approval rating and a 56% disapproval rating for a -14% net approval rating in the Reuters/Ipsos poll that concluded on Monday (January 5), two days after Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured. The 42% approval rating was, however, the president's highest since October, having finished December with a 39% approval.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll also showed that one in three Americans approved the U.S. military strike on Venezuela that led to Maduro's arrest while 72% fear that the U.S. will become too involved. An estimated 65% of Republicans said they backed the military operation ordered by Trump compared to just 11% among Democrats and 23% among independents.

Trump announced that Maduro and his wife were captured early Saturday (January 3) morning during a U.S. strike on his country in another post shared on the social media platform.

"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country," Trump wrote. "This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP."

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Maduro and Flores would “soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts," in a post shared on her X account Saturday morning.

"Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York," Bondi wrote. "Nicolas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States. They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts. On behalf of the entire U.S. DOJ, I would like to thank President Trump for having the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American People, and a huge thank you to our brave military who conducted the incredible and highly successful mission to capture these two alleged international narco traffickers."

Four locations across Caracas, including two military bases, a naval port and an airport, were targeted during the overnight attacks: Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base; Port La Guaira; Higuerote Airport; and Fuerte Tiuna, according to the BBC. Trump had previously given Maduro an ultimatum to resign and flee the country or face consequences over accusations of drug-running and illegitimacy of power.

The United States accused Maduro of running a "narco-state," as well as rigging his election last year, which the opposition claimed to have won by an overwhelming margin. Maduro, who succeeded Hugo Chavez as Venezuela's president in 2013, claimed that the U.S. government was targeting his country in order to gain control of its oil reserves, which are reported to be the largest in the world.

The state-run oil production and refining were reported to be operating normally and suffered no damage during the U.S. strike, two sources with knowledge of the situation confirmed to Reuters. The United States military hadn't made as direct an intervention in Latin America since the invasion of Panama in order to forcibly remove then-military leader Manuel Noriega for similar allegations in 1989.

Trump had previously announced on November 27 that U.S. military, which had previously targeted speedboats alleged to be carrying drugs, would expand to land-based operations in Venezuela "very soon."

Mike McConnell