Donald Trump claimed the US carried out a “large scale strike” on Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, sharply escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas.
Trump says US forces struck Venezuela and detained President Nicolas Maduro and his wife
US President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed that American forces had carried out a major military operation against Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “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.”
He said he would address the media later in the day and announced a press conference at 11:00 am (1600 GMT) at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
US news outlets CBS News and Fox News reported that unnamed officials in the Trump administration confirmed US forces were involved in the operation. CBS said the attack was ordered directly by President Donald Trump.
Soon after these reports, explosions were heard in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, marking a dramatic escalation in the long-running standoff between Washington and Caracas.
The United States has long accused Maduro of running a “narco-state” and manipulating elections. Maduro, who took power in 2013 after Hugo Chavez, has denied these charges and said the US wants control over Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the largest in the world.
Trump has also claimed that Venezuela is a major source of drugs entering the United States and that the country seized American oil assets.
In recent months, the US has built a strong naval and air presence in the Caribbean. This includes the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and several other warships.
As part of what Washington calls an oil blockade, US forces have seized two oil tankers and carried out air strikes that reportedly killed more than 100 people. These attacks targeted small boats accused of drug trafficking.
Although Trump has not openly demanded Maduro’s removal, the US government and several European countries do not recognise him as Venezuela’s legitimate president.
In December, Trump said “it would be smart for (Maduro)” to step down and warned that the Venezuelan leader’s “days are numbered.”
The reported attack came just two days after Maduro tried to reach out to Trump. He had offered cooperation on fighting drug trafficking and illegal migration.
Earlier, Trump also told reporters that the US had destroyed a docking area used by alleged Venezuelan drug boats. This would be the first confirmed US strike on Venezuelan soil during the campaign. Maduro has not responded publicly to that claim.
The United States has refused to recognise Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate president since elections held during Trump’s first term. International observers said those polls were marred by serious irregularities, leading Washington and its allies to reject the results.
