US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that American forces have captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife following a “large scale strike” on Venezuela.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump wrote that US forces had “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 also said he would hold a news conference at his Mar‑a‑Lago residence in Florida later on Saturday to provide further details.
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The announcement came as explosions and unusual military activity were reported in and around the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, early Saturday.
Reuters and Associated Press reporting noted that explosions were heard in the city, and U.S. military action was widely reported, though independent confirmation of Maduro’s capture had not been verified by international sources at the time of reporting.
Venezuelan authorities have condemned what they describe as a US military aggression.
The government in Caracas accused the United States of “extremely serious military aggression” and has not confirmed whether Maduro has been detained or removed from the country.
