President Donald Trump announced early Saturday that the United States had executed a “large-scale strike” against Venezuela, resulting in the capture and removal of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife from the country
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
CNN reporters in Caracas observed multiple explosions and heard aircraft overhead in the early hours of Saturday, with power outages affecting several parts of the city. The first blast was recorded around 1:50 a.m. local time (12:50 a.m. ET).
In recent weeks, Trump repeatedly signaled that the US was preparing to target alleged drug trafficking networks in Venezuela, warning that land-based strikes would begin “soon.”
His pressure campaign against Maduro has included attacks destroying over 30 vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean as part of a counter-narcotics initiative. Last month, Trump also ordered a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.
In December, the CIA reportedly conducted a drone strike on a Venezuelan coastal port facility, marking the first known US attack on a target inside the country, CNN reported, citing sources.
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