What we learn about US strikes on Venezuela

The US has captured Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro after a big scale strike on the South American nation, US President Donald Trump has mentioned.

Trump mentioned Venezuela’s left-wing president and his spouse have been flown in a foreign country in a navy operation along with US legislation enforcement.

His feedback got here after explosions have been reported throughout capital Caracas within the early hours of Saturday morning, together with at navy bases.

The Venezuelan authorities has since demanded proof Maduro is alive. It has additionally deployed its armed forces and declared a nationwide emergency.

Maduro’s seize comes after heightened tensions between the 2 international locations, with Washington hanging boats within the Caribbean it says are getting used to hold medicine.

The US has accused the Venezuelan president of being personally concerned in drug-smuggling and being an illegitimate chief, whereas Maduro has accused the US of intimidation.

Here’s what we all know to this point.

There are few particulars about Maduro’s seize. Trump didn’t disclose how the Venezuelan president was detained or the place he has been taken.

Maduro was captured by the US military’s Delta pressure – the navy’s high counter terrorism unit – based on the BBC’s US information associate CBS.

Trump is because of maintain a information convention at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida at 11:00 EST (16:00 GMT) at which additional particulars in regards to the operation could also be disclosed.

In response to Republican Senator Mike Lee, who spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Maduro will stand trial on felony fees within the US.

“He [Rubio] anticipates no additional motion in Venezuela now that Maduro is in US custody,” Lee mentioned, including that the strikes have been “deployed to guard and defend these executing the arrest warrant”.

Round 02:00 native time (06:00 GMT), loud explosions have been heard in Caracas, whereas plumes of smoke have been seen rising over the town.

Movies of explosions and helicopters flying overhead have been circulating on social media, however they haven’t been verified but.

Reviews of locations hit by strikes embrace navy airfield, La Carlota, within the centre of the capital and the primary navy base of Fuerte Tiuna.

Surrounding communities have been additionally with out energy.

It’s not identified if there have been any casualties.

The Venezuelan authorities additionally mentioned the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira have been additionally hit.

Venezuela’s Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez mentioned the federal government didn’t know the place Maduro and his spouse, First Girl Cilia Flores, have been, and demanded “quick proof of life” for them each.

The nation’s defence minister Vladimir Padrino López claimed the strikes hit civilian areas and mentioned the federal government was compiling details about useless and injured folks.

He added that Venezuela would “resist” the presence of overseas troops.

Venezuela’s authorities issued an official assertion denouncing the “extraordinarily severe navy aggression” by the US “in opposition to Venezuelan territory and inhabitants in civilian and navy places”.

It additionally accused the US of threatening worldwide peace and stability and described the assault as an try to seize “Venezuela’s strategic assets, notably its oil and minerals” in an try to “forcibly break the political independence of the nation”.

Instantly after the explosions, the White Home declined to remark publicly.

However Trump later took to his Fact Social platform to verify the US was behind the strikes.

“America of America has efficiently carried out a big scale strike in opposition to Venezuela and its chief, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, alongside along with his spouse, captured and flown out of the Nation,” Trump wrote.

“This operation was performed along with US Legislation Enforcement. Particulars to comply with.”

The US president described it as a “sensible operation” to the New York Occasions in a 50-second telephone name.

Requested what he envisioned for Venezuela, he mentioned: “You are going to hear all about it 11 o’clock.”

Nicolás Maduro rose to prominence below the management of left-wing President Hugo Chávez and his United Socialist Social gathering of Venezuela (PSUV). He succeeded Chávez as president in 2013.

In 2024, Maduro was declared winner of the presidential election, although voting tallies collected by the opposition advised that its candidate, Edmundo González, had received by a landslide.

He has been at odds with Trump over the arrival of a whole lot of hundreds of Venezuelan migrants within the US and the motion of medicine into the US, particularly fentanyl and cocaine.

Trump has designated two Venezuelan drug gangs – Tren de Aragua and Cartel de los Soles – as Overseas Terrorist Organisations (FTOs) and has alleged that the latter was led by Maduro himself.

The US had supplied a $50m (£37m) reward for data resulting in Maduro’s arrest.

Maduro has vehemently denied being a cartel chief and has accused the US of utilizing its “conflict on medicine” as an excuse to attempt to depose him and get its fingers on Venezuela’s huge oil reserves.

In current months, US forces have additionally carried out greater than two dozen strikes in worldwide waters on boats it alleges have been used to traffick medicine into the US. Greater than 100 folks have been killed.

Information of the strikes prompted the strongest response from Venezuela’s long-term allies.

Russia accused the US of committing “an act of armed aggression” that was “deeply regarding and condemnable”.

Iran’s overseas ministry referred to as the strikes a “flagrant violation of the nation’s nationwide sovereignty”.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro referred to as the strikes an “assault on the sovereignty” of Latin America, whereas Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel described it as a “felony assault”.

In the meantime, the Spanish overseas ministry referred to as for “de-escalation” and for motion to at all times be taken in accordance with worldwide legislation, whereas Germany and Italy mentioned they have been intently monitoring the scenario.