U.S. President Donald Trump introduced Saturday morning that Venezuela’s socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro and his spouse Cilia Flores have been “captured and flown in a foreign country”, a message that got here after a sequence of explosions hit Caracas.
“The US of America has efficiently carried out a big scale strike towards Venezuela and its chief, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, alongside along with his spouse, captured and flown out of the Nation. This operation was carried out along side U.S. Legislation Enforcement”, President Trump mentioned in a Reality Social assertion. He added that additional particulars would comply with at a press convention to be hosted later immediately at Mar-a-Lago.
President Trump’s bulletin comes hours after a sequence of obvious airstrikes hit a number of places throughout the capital metropolis of Caracas and different areas of Venezuela.
U.S. Secretary of Struggle Pete Hegseth and White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt shared a replica of Trump’s Reality Social submit on the social media platform X (previously Twitter).
Maduro, who has maintained himself in energy via a sequence of sham presidential elections, is actively wished by U.S. authorities on a number of narco-terrorism fees. The U.S. has an lively $50 million bounty on info resulting in Nicolás Maduro’s arrest and/or conviction.
Smoke raises at La Carlota airport after explosions and low-flying plane have been heard in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (AP Picture/Matias Delacroix)
Members of the presidential guard stand exterior the Miraflores presidential palace after explosions and low-flying plane have been heard in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (AP Picture/Cristian Hernandez)
U.S. courts accused Maduro in 2020 of being a number one determine, if not the chief of, the Cartel of the Suns, a global cocaine trafficking operation led by high members of the Venezuelan regime that for years sought to “flood” the US with cocaine to hurt its individuals.
The Venezuelan socialist regime has not publicly commented on President Trump’s announcement at press time. The Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional reported that giant swatches of Caracas stay with out energy as of early Saturday morning — with dozens of residents evacuating Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela’s most important army advanced.
For years, Fuerte Tiuna was believed to accommodate Nicolás Maduro’s private bunker, amongst different necessary amenities of the rogue regime. El Nacional additionally said that La Carlota, Venezuela’s most important army airport, was hit by the strikes.
Venezuelan Protection Minister Vladimir Padrino López — who can be wished by the U.S. on drug trafficking fees — addressed the nation moments after the strikes via a video posted on Instagram, denouncing them as an “invasion” representing “the best outrage suffered by Venezuela.”
Padrino López rejected the narco-terrorism accusations and claimed that the strikes are a part of a “regime change” operation to “submit” Venezuela to the “American Empire.” The video was printed moments earlier than President Trump’s announcement.
“Desperation is the invader’s ally. Allow us to keep away from chaos and anarchy. They’ve attacked us, however they won’t break us. We’ll prevail,” Padrino López mentioned, calling for the worldwide neighborhood to rally round Venezuela and condemn the US.
