The United States carried out overnight strikes in Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro, U.S. President Donald Trump said early Saturday after months of pressure over claims of drug trafficking and election fraud.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the U.S. had launched a “large-scale strike” and that Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country.
He said the operation was carried out with U.S. law enforcement and promised more details at a press conference later in the day.
A U.S. official told Reuters that elite special forces captured Maduro. There was no immediate confirmation from the Venezuelan government that Maduro had been taken or removed from the country.
Explosions were reported in Caracas and other parts of Venezuela in the early hours of Saturday.
Witnesses said blasts, aircraft noise and black smoke were seen across the capital for about 90 minutes.
The government declared a national emergency and said attacks also occurred in Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira states.
Venezuela’s Defense Minister, Vladimir Padrino, condemned the presence of foreign troops and called on citizens to unite and resist.
He accused the operation of bringing “death, pain and destruction.”
The U.S. has accused Maduro of running a “narco-state” and rigging last year’s election, which the opposition says it won.
Maduro has repeatedly denied the claims and accused Washington of trying to seize Venezuela’s vast oil resources.
The move marks the most direct U.S. intervention in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama.
While several regional governments oppose Maduro, direct U.S. military action is widely unpopular in the region.
Venezuela’s main opposition group said it had no official comment on the events.
