U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that the United States carried out a large-scale military strike against Venezuela early on Saturday and that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been “captured.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Maduro and his wife had been flown out of Venezuela following the operation. He added that further details would be provided during a briefing scheduled for 11 a.m. Eastern Time.
The claims come after a series of explosions were reported in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, and surrounding areas in the early hours of Saturday, heightening fears of a major escalation in tensions between the two countries.
The United States has been steadily increasing pressure on Venezuela for several months. This has included the deployment of a significant military presence in the Caribbean, the interception of two fully loaded Venezuelan crude oil tankers, and lethal strikes on boats the U.S. alleges were involved in drug trafficking.
Trump has repeatedly called on Maduro to step down and, in an interview with NBC News on 18 December, said he was not ruling out the possibility of war with Venezuela.
Venezuela has remained politically unstable since its July 2024 presidential elections, which were widely contested by the opposition and international observers, who alleged the vote was rigged in favour of Maduro. The disputed election was followed by sometimes violent protests, during which thousands of Venezuelans were arrested.
There has been no official confirmation from Venezuelan authorities regarding Trump’s claims at the time of publication.
