White House, Trump outline details of US strike in Venezuela
WASHINGTON — The United States has carried out what it described as a large-scale strike against Venezuela that resulted in the capture and removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, according to a statement posted by the White House and President Donald J. Trump on Truth Social early Saturday.
In the post, Trump said the US strike in Venezuela targeted the country’s leadership and that Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country. He said the operation was conducted in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement authorities and described it as successful. No further operational details were provided.
Trump also announced that additional information would be released during a news conference scheduled for 11 a.m. at Mar-a-Lago, his private residence and club in Florida.
The announcement followed reports of explosions and fires in and around Caracas during the early hours of Saturday. NPR reported that multiple blasts were heard beginning around 2 a.m. local time.
According to accounts cited by NPR, a journalist in Caracas said they were awakened by two explosions near La Carlota military airport and observed fires on the runway that were later extinguished. Additional detonations were reported in other parts of the city, along with aircraft flying low over Caracas for roughly an hour.
Videos circulating on social media appeared to show explosions across the metropolitan area, including near a military installation close to the presidential palace, Miraflores Palace. The footage has not been independently verified.
The Venezuelan government accused the United States of launching what it described as a “grave military aggression,” alleging that civilian and military locations in Caracas and in the nearby states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira were targeted. The government said the reported action violated the United Nations Charter.
The White House statement did not address those accusations and did not specify when or where the operation occurred, the destination to which Maduro and his wife were flown, or which agencies were involved beyond a reference to U.S. law enforcement. It also did not provide information regarding casualties, damage or the legal basis for the operation.
The reported US strike in Venezuela comes amid longstanding tensions between Washington and the Maduro government. U.S. officials have previously accused Maduro of leading a drug-trafficking organization known as the Cartel de los Soles, allegations the Venezuelan leader has repeatedly denied.
Maduro has long accused the United States of attempting to remove him from power, arguing that U.S. actions are aimed at gaining access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, among the largest in the world. The White House statement did not address those claims or outline next steps in U.S.–Venezuela relations.
At the time of publication, details regarding the reported US strike in Venezuela and the claimed capture of the Venezuelan president remain limited, based on the White House statement and reporting cited above.
Unitedpac St Lucia News will continue to monitor this developing story and provide updates as verified information becomes available.
