United States President Donald J. Trump has announced that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife have been captured following a military operation carried out overnight in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas.
According to Trump, the operation took place on Friday night and was executed in collaboration with United States law enforcement agencies. In a statement shared on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the United States successfully carried out a large scale military strike that resulted in the arrest of Maduro and his wife, who were subsequently flown out of the country.
Reports indicate that loud explosions were heard across parts of Caracas as U.S. forces launched coordinated military actions against key locations. Venezuela’s government later confirmed that foreign military activity had occurred, describing it as an act of aggression against the country’s sovereignty.
The operation followed months of heightened U.S. military presence in the Caribbean region. Since early September, American forces have intensified operations targeting suspected drug trafficking routes in the Caribbean and Pacific. These actions escalated in late December with the seizure of oil tankers travelling to and from Venezuelan ports.
In recent weeks, a significant American naval force has assembled in the southern Caribbean, including guided missile destroyers, a missile cruiser and Marine Corps units stationed on Navy landing ships. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, has also been deployed to the region in recent months, signalling a major show of force.
The development marks a dramatic escalation in long standing tensions between Washington and Caracas and is expected to trigger strong international reactions as questions mount over legality, sovereignty and the future of Venezuela’s leadership.
