President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has carried out a “large-scale attack” on Venezuela and claimed that President Nicolás Maduro and his wife have been “captured and flown out of the country.”
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social platform.
“This operation was done in conjunction with US law enforcement. Details to follow.”
Republican US senator from Utah, Mike Lee, said Maduro has been arrested and will be transferred to the US to stand trial, citing a conversation with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“He informed me that Nicolás Maduro has been arrested by US personnel to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States, and that the kinetic action we saw tonight was deployed to protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant,” Lee wrote on X.
“This action likely falls within the president’s inherent authority under Article II of the Constitution to protect US personnel from an actual or imminent attack.”
As of early Saturday, US authorities had not issued an official statement confirming Maduro’s arrest or providing details on the alleged charges, the legal basis for the operation, or Maduro’s current whereabouts.
The Venezuelan government earlier denounced what it described as a “very serious military aggression” by the US and declared a state of “external commotion” nationwide, amid reports from US media that Washington had ordered strikes on multiple targets.
Venezuela’s Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López accused the US of launching missile attacks from helicopters against civilian areas in Caracas and other regions of the country.
He said authorities were searching for possible casualties.
“This invasion represents the greatest outrage the country has suffered and responds to the insatiable greed for our strategic resources,” Padrino López said in a video released on social media.
EFE confirmed fires and damage to fencing at the Generalísimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base, also known as La Carlota, the main military airport in Caracas.
Damage was also visible on a nearby major highway, where military personnel and vehicles were deployed.
Explosions were also reported near Fuerte Tiuna, which houses the Defense Ministry headquarters. Power outages were reported in several areas of Caracas during the attacks\.
US media, citing administration sources, reported that Trump ordered strikes overnight on several targets, including military installations, as part of an escalation of pressure on Maduro’s government.
CBS News said the decision had been taken days earlier, while Fox News reported that airstrikes focused on areas including the coast near La Guaira and around Maiquetía airport.
The Venezuelan government said the attacks hit both civilian locations and military facilities in the capital Caracas and in the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira.
Authorities ordered the deployment of the “integral defense of the nation” command.
Maduro also ordered the immediate implementation of a decree declaring a state of external commotion and said the government would denounce the attack before the United Nations.
International reactions
Colombian President Gustavo Petro expressed “deep concern” over the explosions in Caracas and warned of rising regional tensions.
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez condemned what he called a “criminal attack” and “state terrorism” by the United States, calling for an urgent international response.
Iran also condemned the US action as a “flagrant violation of international law.”
In contrast, Argentine President Javier Milei welcomed Trump’s announcement regarding Maduro’s capture.
In the United States, Democratic lawmakers criticized the strikes. Senator Rubén Gallego of Arizona said the operation was illegal.
Venezuelan opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia said they would not comment for now, according to their official spokesperson.
