Washington: President Donald Trump claimed the United States deployed a secret weapon he called “The Discombobulator” to disable Venezuelan military equipment during the raid that led to the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, while also renewing threats of military action against drug cartels, including in Mexico.

Speaking in an interview with the New York Post, Trump referenced reports about a pulsed energy weapon and said, "The Discombobulator. I'm not allowed to talk about it."

He said the weapon rendered Venezuelan equipment inoperable.

Also read | ‘Enough of orders from Washington to politicians in Venezuela’: Delcy Rodriguez on US tensions

"They never got their rockets off. They had Russian and Chinese rockets, and they never got one off," Trump said. "We came in, they pressed buttons, and nothing worked. They were all set for us."

Trump had earlier claimed that during the operation, the US turned off “almost all of the lights in Caracas,” though he again declined to explain how it was achieved.

The president also signalled that US military strikes targeting drug trafficking networks would continue and could expand beyond South America.

"We know their routes. We know everything about them. We know their homes. We know everything about them," Trump said. "We're going to hit the cartels."

Asked whether strikes could extend into Central America or Mexico, Trump replied: "Could be anywhere."

Also read: Trump suggested invading Venezuela in 2017, says former Colombian president

On Friday, the US carried out a strike on an alleged drug-trafficking vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean — the first such action since Maduro’s capture. It was part of at least 36 known strikes on boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since early September, which have reportedly killed at least 117 people.

Trump also said the US had seized seven Venezuelan-linked oil tankers and removed their cargo, but refused to disclose their location.

"I'm not allowed to tell you," he said. "But let's put it this way, they don't have any oil. We take the oil."

During the interview, Trump said he was still deciding where to display the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, which she presented to him earlier this month. He said the prize was currently leaning against a statue in the Oval Office.

He also claimed a developing Arctic security framework discussed with NATO chief Mark Rutte would grant the US ownership of land hosting American bases.

"We'll have everything we want," Trump said. "We have some interesting talks going on."

However, leaders in Denmark and Greenland have stated that Greenland’s sovereignty is non-negotiable, while a NATO spokesperson said Rutte had not proposed any “compromise to sovereignty.”

Trump additionally said he would not attend this year’s Super Bowl, calling it “a terrible choice” for Bad Bunny and Green Day to perform at the event. He attended last year’s Super Bowl in New Orleans.

(AP)