The United States carried out an overnight military operation in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, and surrounding regions, with U.S. President Donald Trump claiming that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was detained during the operation and removed from the country.
According to statements published early Saturday on Trump’s verified X account, U.S. forces, acting “in coordination with U.S. law enforcement,” captured Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores during what the president described as a “precision operation” aimed at enforcing long-standing U.S. criminal indictments. Trump wrote that Maduro had been “flown out of Venezuela” and would “face justice for narco-terrorism and corruption,” referring to charges announced by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2020.
The White House’s official X account echoed the president’s claims, stating that Maduro and Flores had been “captured and removed from the country,” while adding that further operational details would be released later. As of this writing, no detailed public briefing has been issued by the Pentagon or U.S. Southern Command, both of which referred media inquiries back to the White House.
Reports from Caracas indicate that residents heard explosions and sustained aircraft activity overnight. Venezuelan state media and government officials said multiple sites were struck in Caracas as well as in the nearby states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira. Venezuelan authorities described the events as an act of “foreign military aggression,” declared a national emergency, and claimed they had no verified information on Maduro’s whereabouts, demanding proof of life from U.S. authorities.
Senior U.S. officials used X to frame the operation as a turning point for Venezuela. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote that “the tyrant is gone” and described the moment as “a new dawn for Venezuela,” while other administration figures reiterated Washington’s position that Maduro no longer holds legitimate authority. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in recent public statements and reposts, has consistently described Maduro’s government as illegitimate and tied U.S. policy toward Venezuela to regional security and drug-trafficking concerns.
The Trump administration has long pointed to the 2020 U.S. federal indictment of Maduro on charges including narco-terrorism, cocaine trafficking, and conspiracy to flood the United States with drugs, allegations that Maduro has repeatedly denied. Venezuelan officials again rejected those accusations on Saturday, calling them politically motivated and illegal under international law.
International reaction is still unfolding. Several Latin American governments called for emergency diplomatic consultations, while analysts warned that the reported detention of a sitting head of state by foreign military force could trigger significant regional and legal consequences. Within the United States, questions are also emerging over the legal basis for the operation and whether Congress was informed or authorized its execution.
Despite the claims made by Trump and official U.S. social media accounts, independent confirmation of Maduro’s detention, location, and legal status has not yet been publicly provided. U.S. officials have said additional information will be released, while Venezuelan authorities insist the situation remains unclear and volatile.
