Trump Claims Venezuelan President, Wife Captured After Airstrikes, Taken to US

US President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been captured by US forces following.

What he described as “large-scale airstrikes” on Caracas, a dramatic assertion that came amid reports of explosions in the Venezuelan capital.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the United States had “successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader,” adding that Maduro and Flores were taken into custody and flown to the US in an operation conducted alongside American law enforcement agencies. He said further details would be shared at a news conference scheduled for 11 am (US time) at his Mar-a-Lago residence.

Trump’s claim came hours after several explosions were reported across Caracas, plunging the country into uncertainty. Videos circulating on social media showed fires and thick smoke rising from parts of the city, while residents reported low-flying aircraft and power outages in areas near a major military base. It was not immediately clear whether there were casualties.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and Flores had been indicted in the Southern District of New York on multiple charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons offences involving machine guns and destructive devices. Bondi said the two would face trial in US courts, thanked Trump for “demanding accountability,” and praised the US military for what she described as a successful operation.

US officials quoted by CBS News said Maduro was captured early Saturday by members of Delta Force, the US military’s elite special mission unit. The operation reportedly took place in the early morning hours, though officials released no further details. Delta Force previously carried out the 2019 raid that killed Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

There was no independent confirmation of Maduro’s capture, and Venezuelan authorities did not acknowledge Trump’s claim.

Shortly after the reported strikes, Venezuelan Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López announced the nationwide deployment of military forces in a video posted to social media, according to CBS News. Calling the US action “the worst aggression” Venezuela had ever faced, he urged unity and resistance and said the armed forces were acting under Maduro’s orders. He did not address reports that the president had been detained.

“They’ve attacked us, but they will not subdue us,” Padrino López said, urging citizens to remain calm and warning against unrest. “Let’s not succumb to the panic the enemy seeks to instill.”

Months-long push to remove Maduro

Saturday’s events followed months of intensified pressure by the Trump administration to remove Maduro, who has ruled Venezuela since 2013 after succeeding Hugo Chávez. Washington has accused his government of running a “narco-state” and of rigging last year’s presidential election — claims Maduro denies, saying he is the target of a Western-backed effort to overthrow him.

In an interview with The Times, Trump credited military planning and execution for what he described as the mission’s success. He has repeatedly warned that land-based operations were being considered in Venezuela and said earlier this week it would be “smart” for Maduro to step aside.

Explosions in Caracas

Residents reported at least seven explosions in the early hours of Saturday, with blasts shaking multiple neighbourhoods and forcing people onto the streets. The apparent strike lasted less than half an hour, though it remained unclear whether further military action would follow.

Venezuela’s government accused Washington of attacking both civilian and military facilities, calling the operation an “imperialist attack.” In a statement, authorities urged supporters to mobilise and said Maduro had ordered the activation of national defence plans and declared a “state of external disturbance,” allowing expanded military powers and the suspension of certain rights.

US pressure campaign

The alleged strike followed months of escalating US actions against Venezuela. Last week, the CIA carried out a drone strike on a docking area believed to be used by drug cartels — the first publicly known direct US operation on Venezuelan territory since Washington began targeting suspected smuggling vessels in September.

The US military has acknowledged conducting dozens of strikes on boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific in recent months, part of what Trump has described as an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. Maduro has dismissed the campaign as a pretext for regime change.