The United States struck Venezuela overnight and captured its long-serving President Nicolás Maduro, President Donald Trump said early Saturday, marking Washington’s most direct military intervention in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama, Reuters reported.
Trump said U.S. forces carried out a “large-scale strike” and that Maduro had been captured and flown out of the country.
A U.S. official told Reuters the operation involved elite special forces. There was no immediate confirmation from the Venezuelan government, though explosions were reported in Caracas and other regions, prompting authorities to declare a national emergency and mobilise troops.
Venezuela’s Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino condemned the action as a violation of sovereignty, while allies Cuba and Iran denounced the strikes.
Trump said further details would be given at a press conference later Saturday.
