The United States early Saturday carried out a large-scale military strike on Venezuelan territory, targeting multiple locations including areas around the capital, Caracas, and resulting in the reported capture and removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the operation in a public statement, saying Maduro and Flores were “captured and flown out of the country” during an operation conducted in coordination with U.S. law-enforcement agencies. He said further details would be provided at a news conference scheduled for later in the day at Mar-a-Lago.
Residents in Caracas reported loud explosions and the presence of low-flying aircraft in the early hours of the morning. Multiple detonations were heard near military installations, including the Generalísimo Francisco de Miranda air base, also known as La Carlota. Power outages were reported in several parts of the city following the strikes.
U.S. diplomatic missions in the region issued security alerts advising American citizens to remain indoors as the situation unfolded.
The reported capture of Maduro and Flores had not been independently confirmed by Venezuelan authorities at the time of publication. Venezuelan state media acknowledged explosions in and around the capital but provided no confirmation regarding the president’s status or location.
The operation followed months of heightened U.S. military and law-enforcement activity in the Caribbean and surrounding waters, during which U.S. forces intercepted and targeted vessels accused of transporting illegal narcotics from Venezuela. President Trump had repeatedly warned that the United States could authorize military strikes on Venezuelan territory as part of broader efforts to combat drug trafficking networks allegedly linked to the country.
The United States has for years accused senior figures within Venezuela’s leadership of involvement in international drug trafficking and related criminal activity, with indictments filed in U.S. courts. Maduro has previously described U.S. military actions and pressure campaigns as efforts aimed at removing him from power.
At the time of publication, no official casualty figures or details on the scope of damage from the strikes had been released, and Venezuelan authorities had not provided independent verification of the reported capture and removal of the president and first lady.ture or transportation of Maduro and Flores.
