- Trump ordered massive strikes on Venezuela.
- President Maduro reportedly arrested by Delta Force.
- Venezuela declares emergency, resists foreign aggression.
Venezuela is currently reeling from a dramatic and rapidly evolving crisis following reports of targeted military strikes and the alleged capture of its head of state. US President Donald Trump claimed that America had carried out “large-scale attacks” against Venezuela, and asserted that President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been apprehended and moved out of the country [Source: Truth Social].
The statement, released on his personal social media platform, further claimed that the operation was conducted in collaboration with US law enforcement agencies. Trump announced an 11:00 AM press conference at Mar-a-Lago to provide more details. However, the exact circumstances surrounding President Maduro’s purported capture remain unclear and have not been independently verified.
American officials reportedly told CBS News, a US partner of BBC, that President Maduro and the First Lady were taken into custody by the US Army’s special unit, the Delta Force. This unit is regarded as the highest counter-terrorism specialized unit, known for highly sensitive and clandestine operations. Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez later issued a statement saying the government had no information regarding the whereabouts of Maduro or Flores and demanded “proof of life.”
Simultaneously, the Venezuelan government has fiercely denounced the actions. After initial reports of the attack, Venezuela released an official statement rejecting and condemning the “most serious military aggression perpetrated on Venezuelan soil by the current U.S. government” before the international community. President Maduro reportedly declared a national emergency across the country in response to the US aggression.
Reports from the capital, Caracas, confirmed multiple, simultaneous explosions affecting various sites, including critical military installations. La Carlota, a military airbase in the city center, and the main military base of Forte Tiuna, were among the locations reportedly impacted. Eyewitness accounts provided to BBC News described the explosions as extremely resonant, causing homes to shake. “The sound was very booming, and my house started to tremble,” recounted Caracas-based journalist Vanesa Silva, adding that the city’s valley geography amplified the sound across the area. Unconfirmed reports also noted the presence of aircraft flying over the city, and surrounding communities faced power outages.
Venezuelan Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino López, confirmed that the government is collecting details on casualties and damage, alleging that civilian areas were targeted. He asserted in a video address that Venezuela is facing the “worst aggression in its history” and announced the immediate deployment of all armed forces nationwide under the President’s command to resist any “foreign military presence.” The crisis unfolds amid heightening tension over US accusations that President Maduro is involved in international drug trafficking, a charge he consistently denies. Venezuela maintains that recent US actions, including seizing sanctioned oil tankers, are thinly veiled attempts to depose Maduro and seize control of Venezuela’s vast oil and mineral resources. Internationally, both Colombia and Cuba strongly condemned the US attacks [Source: Colombian and Cuban Governments], with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel demanding an immediate global response to what he termed a “criminal attack.”