U.S. Forces Captured Venezuela’s President Maduro in Overnight Strikes – Trump Claims
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that American forces carried out overnight strikes in Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro, marking the most direct U.S. military intervention in Latin America in decades.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the United States had “successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela” and that Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country. He said the operation was conducted in coordination with U.S. law enforcement agencies and promised further details at a press conference scheduled for later on Saturday at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
A U.S. official told Reuters that Maduro was apprehended by elite special forces. There was no immediate confirmation from the Venezuelan government regarding his capture or removal from the country.
The action represents Washington’s most direct military intervention in the region since the 1989 invasion of Panama to depose Manuel Noriega, who, like Maduro, was accused by the United States of drug trafficking.
The United States has long accused Maduro of presiding over a “narco-state” and of rigging last year’s presidential election, which the opposition says it won by a wide margin. Maduro, who took power in 2013 following the death of Hugo Chávez, has repeatedly rejected the allegations, accusing Washington of seeking control over Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
Shortly after Trump’s announcement, Venezuela’s Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino condemned the U.S. action and called for resistance. In a video broadcast on state television, he said Venezuela “rejects with all the strength of its libertarian history the presence of foreign troops,” urging citizens to unite in defense of national sovereignty.
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Explosions were reported in Caracas and other parts of the country in the early hours of Saturday. Reuters witnesses said blasts, aircraft activity and plumes of black smoke were visible across the capital for about 90 minutes from around 2 a.m. Local authorities declared a national emergency and said attacks also occurred in the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira.
Residents described scenes of fear and confusion. Videos shared on social media showed bright flashes lighting up the night sky as explosions rang out. Some areas of southern Caracas, near major military installations, experienced power outages. Pro-government media reported explosions near the Fuerte Tiuna and La Carlota military bases.
The Venezuelan opposition, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, said it had no official comment on the developments.
Regional reaction has been cautious. While several Latin American governments oppose Maduro and have questioned the legitimacy of his rule, direct U.S. military action revives painful memories of past interventions and is broadly unpopular across the region.
Venezuela’s allies, including Cuba and Iran, swiftly condemned the strikes. Iran described the action as a “blatant violation of national sovereignty” and called on the United Nations Security Council to intervene.
Trump has repeatedly warned of possible military action against Venezuela and earlier this week said it would be “smart” for Maduro to leave power. His administration has imposed sweeping sanctions, sought to block Venezuelan oil exports and carried out numerous strikes on vessels it says were involved in drug trafficking.
The Venezuelan government has consistently denied involvement in drug smuggling and accused Washington of using the allegations as a pretext to seize the country’s oil and mineral wealth.
It remained unclear under what legal authority the latest U.S. strikes were conducted. Legal experts have previously raised concerns about the legality of U.S. operations in the region, particularly attacks on suspected drug-trafficking vessels that have resulted in significant loss of life.
By PRNigeria
