On Saturday, President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces had captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro following a significant military operation in the South American nation.
“The United States has successfully executed a large-scale strike targeting Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who, along with his wife, has been apprehended and removed from the country,” Trump stated on Truth Social, shortly after explosions were reported in Caracas.
The Venezuelan government has not confirmed Maduro’s status, who has been in power since 2013. Officials there characterized the U.S. actions as a severe act of military aggression, following months of intensified military and economic pressure from the Trump administration.
During a night filled with rapid developments, explosions were heard in Caracas around 2:00 AM local time, accompanied by the sounds of helicopters, with reports of blasts continuing for nearly an hour.
Trump indicated he would hold a press conference at 11:00 AM at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where he is currently vacationing. In a brief interview with The New York Times, he praised the operation as “brilliant,” crediting the success to meticulous planning and commendable troops.
Key military targets included Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela’s largest military base located in southern Caracas, and the Carlota airbase to the north. Witnesses reported flames and substantial smoke rising from Fuerte Tiuna. Explosions were also noted in La Guaira, where Caracas’s airport and port are situated.
“I felt as if the explosions lifted me from my bed, and I immediately thought, ‘God, the day has come,’” recounted María Eugenia Escobar, a resident of La Guaira.
In response, the Venezuelan government condemned what they termed an extreme military aggression by the U.S., asserting that Maduro had declared a state of emergency, although the 63-year-old leader was not visible during this crisis.
