The United States says it has carried out a large-scale military operation in Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, U.S. President Donald Trump said Maduro and his wife were detained and flown out of the country in an operation conducted with U.S. law enforcement. There was no immediate confirmation from Venezuelan authorities.
The statement followed hours of explosions and air activity over Caracas early Saturday. Reuters witnesses reported loud blasts, aircraft flying at low altitude, smoke rising from multiple areas, and electricity outages in southern parts of the city near a major military base.
Video verified by Reuters showed repeated explosions lighting up the night sky. Flight tracking data indicated Venezuelan airspace was largely cleared of civilian aircraft during the operation. A U.S. official confirmed American military involvement.
Venezuelan authorities said additional strikes hit the neighbouring states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira. President Maduro declared a national emergency and ordered the mobilisation of defence forces.
The operation comes after months of escalating U.S. pressure on Caracas, including expanded sanctions, a naval blockade on Venezuelan oil shipments, increased U.S. military deployments in the Caribbean and repeated threats of land operations.
Washington accuses Maduro of overseeing a “narco-state” and manipulating elections, claims Venezuela denies. Caracas has long said U.S. actions are aimed at gaining access to its oil reserves, the largest in the world.
If confirmed, the intervention would be the most direct U.S. military action in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama that led to the arrest of Manuel Noriega.
Al Jazera
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