Trump says Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro has been captured
Explosions rock capital Caracas and other parts of Venezuela
World condemns violation of Venezuela's sovereignty
The United States launched a “large-scale strike” on Venezuela on Saturday and claimed that President Nicolás Maduro had been captured and flown out of the country, a dramatic escalation in Washington’s months-long pressure campaign against the South American nation.
President Donald Trump announced the operation on Truth Social hours after explosions and low-flying aircraft were reported over Caracas. Maduro, Trump said, “has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with US Law Enforcement…” He said the strikes were carried out “successfully” and said a news conference would follow later in the day.
Venezuela’s government immediately accused the United States of attacking civilian and military installations, calling it an “imperialist attack” and urging supporters to take to the streets. It was not immediately clear who was in charge of the country, and Maduro’s whereabouts were unknown beyond Trump’s claim.
Washington has not made such a direct intervention in Latin America since the invasion of Panama in 1989 to depose military leader Manuel Noriega, over similar allegations.
Ahead of the overnight strike, the U.S. had accused Maduro of running a "narco-state" and rigging last year's election, which the opposition said it won overwhelmingly.
The Venezuelan leader, who succeeded Hugo Chavez to take power in 2013, has said Washington wants control of the South American nation's oil reserves, the largest in the world.
Trump said the operation was carried out "in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement," promising more details at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Saturday night.
Maduro was captured by elite special forces troops, a U.S. official told news agencies. Republican U.S. Senator Mike Lee said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had told him Maduro would stand trial on criminal charges in the United States.
Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who could take charge of government, said she did not know the whereabouts of either Maduro or his wife.
Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino condemned the intervention.
"Free, independent and sovereign Venezuela rejects with all the strength of its libertarian history the presence of these foreign troops, which have only left behind death, pain and destruction," Padrino said in a video broadcast on state media about the same time that Trump posted his message.
Shortly after 4:30 a.m. ET, Trump announced the capture on Truth Social stating, "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 is to address the USA in a live press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida at 1600 GMT.
Meanwhile, the twin-island nations of Trinidad and Tobago, which had assisted the US military during its campaign against drug trafficking in the Caribbean, have released statements on their non-involvement in the recent operation.
Trinidad and Tobago’s foreign ministry says the Caribbean nation did not participate in the US military operations on neighbouring Venezuela on Saturday.
