Jan 04, Kathmandu - The US intervention in Venezuela has begun after President Nicolas Maduro was ousted from power and taken out of the country.

President Donald Trump has said the United States plans to temporarily take over Venezuela and sell its vast oil reserves to other nations.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, he said he was preparing to use the leadership vacuum to improve oil infrastructure and export large quantities of oil.

The dramatic turn of events is seen as the result of months of intense pressure and covert planning by the Trump administration on the South American nation of Venezuela.

This is considered the most aggressive American move to achieve regime change since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. However, legal experts have quickly questioned the legality of this military action, which was carried out without congressional approval.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flore,s were seized overnight from their residence at a military base in the capital Caracas and taken to the United States aboard a US warship. They were brought in for prosecution on charges of involvement in a "narco-terrorism" plot, US officials said.

After the plane carrying Maduro landed near New York on Saturday afternoon, he was taken to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) office in Manhattan under heavy security by federal agents. He is expected to be held in a federal prison in Brooklyn awaiting trial.

In a video released by the White House, Maduro is seen smiling with DEA agents. However, US authorities have not immediately officially confirmed that he is in prison.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has strongly objected to the move, calling for Maduro to be immediately released and recognized as the country's legitimate leader. Although Venezuelan law allows him to assume an interim role, Rodriguez has said on state television that he is not interested in taking power and that "Nicolas Maduro Moros is the only president in Venezuela."