President Donald Trump says a U.S.-led strike removed Venezuela’s leader and triggered explosions in Caracas, as regional tensions spike and U.S. officials prepare to detail the operation.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump announced early Saturday that U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during what he described as a “large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader,” saying Maduro and his wife were flown out of the country and that more details would follow at a news conference scheduled for 11 a.m. at Mar-a-Lago.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that the United States “has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader,” adding that the operation was conducted “in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement” and that further information would be released later today, according to Trump’s Truth Social post.
Trump had warned on Christmas Eve that if Maduro “plays tough,” it would be “the last time he’ll ever be able to play tough,” as reported by NBC Miami.
Overnight, residents of Caracas reported explosions and low-flying aircraft. The Associated Press said blasts were heard across parts of the capital as Maduro accused the United States of launching attacks on civilian and military sites during what he called an ongoing pressure campaign against his government, according to AP reporting.
CBS News reported that the U.S. Army’s Delta Force carried out the operation, citing unnamed officials, and described the action as the latest escalation following naval deployments, the seizure of oil tankers, and strikes on boats suspected of drug trafficking, according to CBS News.
Trump repeated his claim in a second Truth Social post early Saturday, calling the operation successful and saying Maduro had been “captured and flown out of the Country,” according to his follow-up post. In an overnight phone interview, Trump described the mission as “brilliant,” telling The New York Times that it involved extensive planning and “great troops.”
Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said the government did not know Maduro’s whereabouts and demanded proof that he was alive, urging supporters to mobilize. Her remarks were shared in a phone interview posted on X, according to the clip posted online.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, that Maduro would be brought to the United States to face criminal charges, Lee said. In a post on X, Lee wrote that Rubio told him the military action was deployed to protect those executing an arrest warrant and that no further action in Venezuela was anticipated, according to Lee’s post and a subsequent update.
Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., called the capture of Maduro the Western Hemisphere’s “equivalent of the fall of the Berlin Wall,” saying the action had changed the course of regional history and praising U.S. service members in a statement posted on X, according to Gimenez’s post.
As explosions were reported in Caracas, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a ban on U.S. commercial flights over Venezuelan airspace, citing safety risks tied to ongoing military activity. Residents reported shaking buildings, power outages at some military installations, and smoke rising from a base in the capital. The U.S. Embassy website warned Americans in Venezuela to shelter in place, and the FAA also restricted airspace over nearby Curaçao due to flight safety concerns.
The blasts followed months of escalating U.S. pressure on Maduro, who faces narco-terrorism charges in the United States. The Trump administration has seized sanctioned oil tankers, imposed maritime blockades, and carried out strikes on boats accused of trafficking drugs. The White House has said the actions are aimed at disrupting cartel operations and protecting U.S. interests, while Maduro has accused Washington of seeking regime change and access to Venezuela’s oil reserves.
Venezuela’s government called on supporters to take to the streets, declaring a “state of external disturbance” and ordering national defense plans into effect. Iranian state television aired footage of the explosions, highlighting Tehran’s close ties with Caracas.
The White House and U.S. Southern Command did not immediately comment on targets or casualties. Trump, who has been in Palm Beach for the holidays, was scheduled to receive an intelligence briefing hours before the reported strikes and has said further details will be provided at today’s news conference.
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