US bombs Venezuela, captures Nicolás Maduro, Trump says
Source: Task & Purpose
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The U.S. military has launched strikes against Venezuela, President Donald Trump posted on social media on Saturday. In his post, Trump also said that the U.S. military and law enforcement had captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow.”
Trump also said there would be a news conference at 11 a.m. Saturday morning held at Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
The president’s comments came after multiple explosions were reported on Saturday in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas. Airstrikes hit the city for roughly an hour, hitting several sites including military installations, in a widespread attack by American forces on Venezuela. Reuters, citing an American official, as well as the Wall Street Journal and CBS report that the United States carried out the attacks in Venezuela.
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The Pentagon directed all questions to the White House. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared President Trump’s statement on social media.
Multiple outlets including CBS News and the BBC reported helicopters flying low across the city amid the explosions, which began just before 3 a.m. local time on Saturday. Footage shared by al-Jazeera English showed helicopters flying through the city. There is no indication of how many people were killed or injured in the bombardments.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro, the first apparent regional leader to comment on the explosions, reported on X that the city was being attacked with missiles, although he did not identify the attacker. Explosions were reported around the densely packed city, including in Fort Tiuna, home to the headquarters of the Ministry of Popular Power for Defense, which oversees Venezuela’s armed forces.
Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Affairs directly accused the United States of the attack.
“President Nicolas Maduro has ordered all national defense plans to be implemented at the appropriate time and under the appropriate circumstances,” Yván Gil Pinto, Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, wrote in an official government statement on Telegram. Gil said that in addition to Caracas sites in the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira were also hit. More than 3 million people live in the dense urban area of Caracas. Maduro has declared a state of national emergency.
CBS News reports that President Trump gave the green light for land strikes in December, before Christmas.
The United States has repeatedly accused the Venezuelan government, headed by Maduro, of being involved in the trade of illegal drugs. It has designated several drug trafficking groups, including a possibly nonexistent cartel allegedly led by Maduro, as a foreign terrorist organization. Since September the U.S. has carried out at least 35 airstrikes on vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean accused of being drug smuggling ships. More than 100 people have died from these strikes. In the last month the U.S. also enacted a blockade of oil tankers coming or going from Venezuela.
The explosions come a week after President Donald Trump told a radio host that the United States had “hit” a coastal facility in Venezuela allegedly used for drug trafficking. He affirmed the attack on Dec. 29, although gave no other details. The New York Times, CNN and The Intercept have confirmed there was a strike in December on Venezuelan soil although the full nature of it remains unclear. Trump claimed on Dec. 26 that the strike happened two days prior although that has also not been confirmed.
The United States currently has approximately 15,000 personnel in the Caribbean, including several ships amassed at sea. That armada includes the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and its supporting strike group, as well as several warships. Additionally, the U.S. military has multiple fighter jets stationed in the area as well as the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, carrying the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit. The Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, a special operations helicopter unit, has also been in the region in recent months training.
UPDATE: 01/03.2026; this story has been updated with a statement from President Donald Trump.
The post US bombs Venezuela, captures Nicolás Maduro, Trump says appeared first on Task & Purpose.
Classification
Region
Latin America
Analytical Domain
Tactical
Primary Category
Military Operations
Subcategory
Airstrike
SALUTE Report
Size
Not specified
Activity
U.S. bombs Venezuela and captures Nicolás Maduro
Location
Venezuela
Unit
U.S. Armed Forces
Time
Not specified
Equipment
bombs
Summary
The U.S. conducted airstrikes in Venezuela, resulting in the capture of Nicolás Maduro. The operation involved the U.S. Armed Forces using bombs, marking a significant military action in the region.
Key Facts
- U.S. conducted airstrikes in Venezuela
- Nicolás Maduro was captured
- The operation involved U.S. Armed Forces
- Bombs were used in the operation
- The report is from a primary source with high reliability