The United States on Saturday launched coordinated attacks on civilian and military installations across several Venezuelan states, with US President Donald Trump claiming that President Nicolás Maduro had been captured in what he described as a “large-scale” American strike.
In response, the Venezuelan government said it had been “subjected to criminal military aggression by the US government,” driven by “greed for our strategic resources.” Reports of multiple explosions and low-flying aircraft over Caracas emerged around 2 am local time.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said the locations of Maduro and his wife remain unknown, demanding proof that they are alive. Following the attacks, Maduro declared a nationwide state of emergency, ordered the implementation of national defence plans, and called for “mass mobilisation,” as tensions with Washington escalated further.
Trump claims Maduro captured after ‘large-scale’ US strike
US President Donald Trump claimed that American forces had carried out a “large scale strike” against Venezuela and that President Nicolás Maduro, along with his wife, had been captured and flown out of the country.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said the operation was conducted in conjunction with US law enforcement agencies and described it as a "brilliant operation."
He added that more details would follow and announced a news conference scheduled for 11 am at Mar-a-Lago.
Venezuela says US strikes hit urban areas
In an official statement, Venezuelan defence minister Vladimir Padrino López said the US assault struck urban areas, with missiles and rockets fired from American combat helicopters. He said authorities were assessing the number of people killed and injured and confirmed that the Fort Tiuna military complex in Caracas was among the targets hit, reported CNN.
López said Venezuela would resist the presence of foreign troops on its soil, adding, “This invasion represents the greatest outrage the country has suffered.”
The defense ministry further said Venezuela was "subjected to criminal military aggression by US government" and the attacks were "driven by greed for our strategic resources," reported RT.
“People to the streets!” the statement said. “The Bolivarian Government calls on all social and political forces in the country to activate mobilization plans and repudiate this imperialist attack.”
The statement added that President Nicolás Maduro had “ordered all national defense plans to be implemented” and declared “a state of external disturbance.”
Emergency declared as Maduro alleges regime change bid
The incident comes amid heightened tensions between Caracas and Washington.
In a pre-taped interview aired on Thursday, Maduro said the United States wants to force a government change in Venezuela and gain access to its vast oil reserves through a months-long pressure campaign that began with a major US military deployment to the Caribbean Sea in August.
Maduro has been charged with narco-terrorism in the United States.
World reactions
The European Union urged restraint and respect for international law in Venezuela following Trump’s announcement that US forces had captured Maduro. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc had consistently maintained that Maduro lacks legitimacy and supports a peaceful transition in the country. Writing on X after speaking with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, she stressed that international rules must be upheld.
"Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected. We call for restraint," Kallas said.
Russia’s foreign ministry also said it was deeply concerned over what it described as "aggressive actions by the United States" in Venezuela and demanded immediate clarification on the situation. The ministry said that if the reported actions were confirmed, they would amount to an "unacceptable violation of the sovereignty of an independent state."
“Extremely concerned by reports that Venezuela’s Maduro and his wife were forcibly removed from the country during today’s aggressive action by the United States,” Reuters quoted the Russian foreign ministry as saying.
“Such actions, if they actually took place, constitute an unacceptable violation of the sovereignty of an independent state.”
Trump threats, blockade and military buildup
Trump had, for months, threatened that he could soon order strikes on targets on Venezuelan land.
The United States has seized sanctioned oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela, and Trump ordered a blockade of others, a move that appeared designed to tighten pressure on the South American country’s economy.
The US military has been attacking boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean since early September. As of Friday, there have been 35 known boat strikes and at least 115 people killed, according to figures released by the Trump administration.
The strikes followed a major buildup of American forces off South America, including the arrival in November of the US military’s most advanced aircraft carrier, adding thousands of troops to what was already the region’s largest US military presence in generations.
Trump had justified the strikes as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and has said the US is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels.
The strikes followed months of US military buildup in the region, including the deployment of the USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier and several other warships in the Caribbean.
In recent weeks, the United States has seized two oil tankers off Venezuela and launched deadly strikes on more than 30 boats which, according to the US, were carrying drugs.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro shared Venezuela’s official statement on X, which said:
“The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela rejects, repudiates, and denounces before the international community the extremely serious military aggression perpetrated by the current Government of the United States of America against Venezuelan territory and population in the civilian and military areas of the city of Caracas, capital of the Republic, and the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira.
This act constitutes a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter, particularly its Articles 1 and 2, which enshrine respect for sovereignty, the legal equality of States, and the prohibition on the use of force. Such aggression threatens international peace and stability, specifically in Latin America and the Caribbean, and puts the lives of millions of people at grave risk.
The objective of this attack is none other than to seize Venezuela's strategic resources, particularly its oil and minerals, attempting to break the Nation's political independence by force. They will not succeed…”
(With inputs from AP)