US says it carried out strikes in Venezuela and captured President Maduro

The United States has carried out a "large scale strike" on Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, the US president said. Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores were "captured and flown out of the Country" in a military operation carried out in conjunction with US law enforcement, and that details would follow.

The White House initially declined to comment. Explosions were reported across Caracas in the early hours, with smoke seen rising over the city. Reports say military sites including the La Carlota airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna base were struck, and some surrounding communities lost power.

Videos circulating online have not been independently verified. It is not currently known if there have been any casualties. Venezuela declared a national emergency, deployed its armed forces and demanded "immediate proof of life" for Maduro and his wife, Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez said.

Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López said strikes hit civilian areas and the government was compiling information on the dead and injured, adding Venezuela would "resist" foreign troops. The Venezuelan government issued a statement denouncing an "extremely serious military aggression" by the US, accusing Washington of threatening international peace and attempting to seize Venezuela's resources and forcefully break its political independence.

Key Topics

World, Nicolás Maduro, Cilia Flores, Donald Trump, Caracas, Fuerte Tiuna