Trump Claims Venezuela’s Maduro Captured Following “Large-Scale” U.S. Strike

The U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been captured and flown out of the country following what he described as a “large-scale strike” carried out by U.S. forces against Venezuela and its leadership.
In a post shared on social media early Saturday, Trump said the operation also resulted in the arrest of Maduro’s wife, adding that the action was conducted in collaboration with U.

S. law enforcement agencies. He disclosed plans to address the development in a formal statement later in the day.
Earlier, the Associated Press (AP) reported that at least seven explosions were heard across Caracas in the early hours of Saturday, as low-flying aircraft moved through the Venezuelan capital. The Maduro-led government accused the United States of attacking both civilian and military facilities, following weeks of heightened pressure between the two countries.
Ahead of the explosions, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration imposed a ban on American commercial flights within Venezuelan airspace, citing “ongoing military activity.” At the time, there was no immediate confirmation from U.S. authorities regarding their involvement, the specific targets, or the objectives of the strikes.
The blasts sent residents fleeing into the streets, while many took to social media to report seeing and hearing the explosions. It was not immediately known whether there were casualties. Although the apparent assault lasted less than 30 minutes, uncertainty remained over the possibility of further action. Hours later, some areas of Caracas were still without electricity, though vehicular movement continued.
Smoke was observed rising from the hangar of a military base in the capital, while another military installation reportedly lost power.
“The whole ground shook. This is horrible. We heard explosions and planes,” said Carmen Hidalgo, a 21-year-old office worker who was returning from a birthday celebration with relatives. “We felt like the air was hitting us,” she added, visibly shaken.
The incident comes amid an intensified pressure campaign by the Trump administration against Maduro, who has been charged in the United States with narco-terrorism. Last week, the CIA reportedly carried out a drone strike on a docking facility believed to be used by Venezuelan drug cartels—marking the first known direct U.S. operation on Venezuelan soil since strikes reportedly began in September.
For months, Trump had warned that military action against targets in Venezuela was a possibility, citing repeated attacks on vessels suspected of trafficking drugs. Maduro, on his part, has condemned U.S. military activities, describing them as an attempt to remove him from power.
Requests for comment were referred by the Pentagon to the White House, which did not immediately respond to calls or emails. Efforts to reach the U.S. Southern Command, responsible for military operations in the region, were unsuccessful.
Trump was reported to be at his private club in Palm Beach, Florida, where he has spent the holiday period. His public schedule indicated he was due to receive an intelligence briefing on Friday evening, just hours before the reported strikes. He made no immediate additional comments on social media following the reports.