U.S. President Donald J. Trump has announced that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of Venezuela during a military operation on Friday night in Caracas.
The announcement follows overnight U.S. military operations in Venezuela on January 3, amid explosions and heightened tensions. These events came after a significant U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean and repeated threats by Trump against Maduro’s government.
Trump stated on Truth Social: “The U.S. successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who, along with his wife, has been captured and flown out of the country. This operation was conducted in coordination with U.S. law enforcement.”
The explosions occurred amid a broader U.S. military campaign in the region. Since early September, American forces have targeted vessels allegedly involved in drug trafficking in the Caribbean and Pacific, escalating in late December with the seizure of oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuelan ports.
A substantial U.S. naval presence has been deployed to the southern Caribbean, including guided missile destroyers, a missile cruiser, a Marine Corps amphibious ready group aboard Navy landing ships, and the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier.
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