US President Donald Trump said the United States has carried out “large scale strikes” against Venezuela and claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife have been captured and flown out of the country.
In a statement posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the operation was conducted in coordination with US law enforcement agencies and that further details would be announced at a news conference scheduled later in the day at his Mar-a-Lago residence.
Venezuela’s government earlier rejected and condemned what it described as “military aggression by the United States,” declaring a national emergency across the country. Authorities accused Washington of attempting to seize Venezuela’s strategic resources, particularly oil and minerals, and of trying to undermine the country’s political independence.
Explosions were reported in the capital Caracas, with witnesses describing loud blasts, low-flying aircraft and helicopters overhead. Footage circulating on social media and broadcast by international media showed large plumes of smoke and fires burning in different parts of the city, including near military facilities.
An eyewitness in Caracas told the BBC that the explosions were extremely loud and shook buildings. “My heart was pumping and my legs were shaking,” the witness said, adding that the blasts appeared precise but frighteningly close. After the explosions, the city fell largely silent as residents frantically contacted friends and relatives to check on their safety.
According to reports from US officials cited by CBS News, the strikes targeted sites inside Venezuela, including military installations in and around Caracas. The White House had not immediately issued an official response.
Venezuelan President Maduro signed a decree declaring a “state of external commotion” nationwide and ordered the implementation of national defense plans. The government also urged social and political groups, including militias and grassroots organisations, to mobilise and condemn what it called an imperialist attack.
The escalation follows weeks of rising tension between Washington and Caracas. Trump has intensified pressure on Maduro, accusing his government of drug trafficking and of using oil revenues to fund criminal activity. Since September, the US has launched multiple strikes on boats it claims were involved in drug smuggling in the Caribbean and Pacific, actions that have reportedly killed more than 110 people.
Just days earlier, Maduro said he was open to talks with the US on drug trafficking and oil issues, but avoided directly responding to Trump’s claims about earlier strikes on Venezuelan infrastructure.
Analysts say the latest developments mark a significant escalation in a crisis that has been building for months. Venezuelan journalists and residents have expressed deep concern over the scale of the strikes and the uncertainty surrounding their consequences, as power outages were reported in some areas and fear spread across the capital.
Reports of explosions first emerged in the early hours of the morning, with witnesses describing blasts near key military sites, including the La Carlota airstrip and the Fuerte Tiuna military complex. Venezuelan authorities say the situation remains fluid as they assess the damage and prepare further responses.
With inputs from BBC
