US President Donald Trump says American forces have captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and launched “large‑scale” strikes against Venezuela.
In a statement, Trump claimed Maduro had been flown out of Venezuela, but offered no specifics on where he was taken or how the operation was carried out. US officials have so far released few operational details, and Trump’s assertion has not been independently verified.
Venezuela’s government has responded furiously, declaring a state of national emergency and denouncing what it called “military aggression” by the United States.
Officials in Caracas have demanded “immediate proof of life” for Maduro and his wife, insisting he remains the country’s legitimate president.
Residents in Caracas reported powerful explosions as the strikes began, with videos showing huge plumes of smoke and fires burning in parts of the city. “My heart was pumping and my legs were shaking,” one eyewitness told the BBC as blasts echoed across the capital.
The confrontation follows weeks of rising tension, during which Trump steadily ramped up pressure on Maduro’s government.
With Washington claiming Maduro is now in US custody and Caracas rejecting that narrative outright, the crisis has entered its most dangerous and uncertain phase yet.
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