Residents of Caracas woke early to explosions and the roar of low-flying aircraft on Tuesday. Hours later, President Donald Trump announced a dramatic claim from Florida. Trump said US forces carried out a large-scale strike on Venezuela. He said the operation captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. They were flown out of the country during a joint mission with US law enforcement.
The announcement appeared on Trump’s Truth Social account. He described the move as a major escalation against a government Washington rejects as illegitimate. Trump framed the action around drugs, migration, and national security. Trump has long blamed Venezuela for rising migration at the US southern border. He has accused Maduro of forcing criminals to migrate, without offering evidence. Caracas has repeatedly denied those claims.
Trump also accused Venezuela of aiding major drug trafficking networks. His administration designated Tren de Aragua and Cartel de los Soles as terrorist groups. Trump alleged Maduro leads the latter, a charge Venezuela strongly denies. Witnesses in Caracas reported explosions near military sites and widespread power outages. Verified videos showed tracer fire and smoke over the city and the coast. Venezuela accused the US of attacking civilian and military targets.
The strikes followed months of US military pressure in the Caribbean. Maduro accused Washington of seeking regime change to control Venezuela’s oil.
