By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
United States President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that American forces had carried out what he described as a “large-scale strike” on Venezuela and captured the country’s leader, President Nicolás Maduro.
Trump made the claim in a post on his Truth Social platform, about two hours after explosions were reported across Venezuela’s capital, Caracas.
“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,” Trump wrote.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official confirmation from the Venezuelan government regarding Maduro’s whereabouts. The leftist leader has been in power since 2013.
However, Caracas accused Washington of carrying out what it called an “extremely serious military aggression,” marking a dramatic escalation after months of mounting military and economic pressure by the Trump administration.
Explosions were heard across Caracas at about 2:00 am local time (0600 GMT), according to AFP journalists, with blasts continuing for nearly an hour. The sounds of helicopters were also reported during the attack.
Trump said he would address the development at a news conference scheduled for 11:00 am (1600 GMT) at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, where he is currently on vacation.
In a brief phone interview with The New York Times, Trump praised the operation, calling it “brilliant” and crediting “a lot of good planning” as well as “great troops and great people.”
Among the reported targets were Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela’s largest military complex in southern Caracas, and the Carlota airbase in the north of the city. AFP journalists said they saw flames and thick plumes of smoke rising from Fuerte Tiuna.
Blasts were also reported in La Guaira, north of Caracas, where the country’s main airport and seaport are located.
“I felt like the explosions lifted me out of bed,” said María Eugenia Escobar, a 58-year-old resident of La Guaira. “I immediately thought, ‘God, the day has come,’ and I cried.”
Venezuela’s government said Maduro had declared a state of emergency, although the president himself was not seen publicly following the attack. The defence ministry accused the United States of hitting residential areas and announced a “massive deployment” of military resources.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations and said his government was deploying troops to the Venezuelan border.
Residents of Caracas described scenes of fear and confusion, with many rushing to windows or hiding in windowless rooms. Videos circulating on social media showed helicopters silhouetted against the night sky, while power outages were reported in parts of the city.
Trump had earlier deployed an aircraft carrier and warships to the Caribbean, initially framing the move as part of an anti-drug operation. He has repeatedly accused Maduro of leading a drug cartel, an allegation the Venezuelan leader has denied, insisting the US was seeking regime change because of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
