Trump confirms US strikes against Venezuela, says Nicolas Maduro and his wife captured & flown out of the country

President Donald Trump on Saturday confirmed US strikes against Venezuela, claiming President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country.

“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. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement,” Trump said on Truth Social.

A news conference is scheduled for today at 11 am (local time) at Mar-a-Lago, he added.

US-Venezuela conflict

Residents of Caracas mentioned hearing loud explosions and seeing aircraft flying overhead, while several parts of the city experienced power outages. Gunfire was also reported in multiple areas, including Higuerote and La Guaira, towns near the capital, a report by Bloomberg noted.

The incidents began around 2 am local time, when residents first heard aircraft and explosions. According to witnesses, blasts occurred close to military installations.

Trump has accused Venezuela of using its oil revenue to fund a range of criminal activities, comprising drug trafficking and terrorism. As part of his pressure campaign, US forces have carried out strikes on vessels suspected of drug trafficking, resulting in over 100 deaths, and have seized two oil tankers. Venezuela has rejected the accusations and described the US actions as unlawful.

Maduro, who took office in 2013 after succeeding Hugo Chávez, countered that Washington is seeking to seize control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the largest in the world, according to Reuters. In recent weeks, Washington has intensified pressure on Maduro by imposing sanctions on his relatives and on Chinese companies involved in trading Venezuelan oil.

Meanwhile, Venezuela’s defense minister said authorities are compiling information on those killed and injured in the US attack, reported Reuters. The US Embassy in Venezuela shared that explosions were reported and urged people not to travel to the country, advising those there to shelter in place.

The president of neighboring Colombia called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations in response to the strikes. “Alerting the whole world that they have attacked Venezuela,” Gustavo Petro wrote on the social media platform X.