US President claims that military operation was ‘successful’ and that the Venezuelan leader was captured, along with his wife, and ‘removed from the country by air’
The President of the United States, confirmed this Saturday (3) that the country’s forces “successfully carried out a large-scale attack against and its leader, the president who was, together with the first lady, Cilia Flores, captured and removed from the country”.
“The United States of America successfully carried out a large-scale attack against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who was captured, along with his wife, and airlifted out of the country,” Trump said on his Truth Social network.
In a post on his social network, Trump stated that new details will be announced at a press conference scheduled for 11 am (local time; 1 pm Brasília) at his residence in Florida.
The announcement was made after a night of explosions in Caracas and states such as Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira. Local reports indicate attacks against strategic infrastructure, including Fort Tiuna (military complex where the Ministry of Defense is headquartered) and the La Carlota air base.
The Venezuelan government, which had previously denounced a “very serious military aggression” and declared a state of emergency, has not yet officially commented on the information about Maduro’s capture.
Escalation of tensions
Trump’s surprising announcement comes after months of increasing military and economic pressure from the United States on the leftist Maduro and on the South American country’s economy, dependent on oil exports, a resource of which it has the largest reserves in the world.
The President of the United States said in December that the “smartest” thing would be for Maduro to resign and, later, stated that the Venezuelan leader’s days in power were “numbered”.
Trump’s announcement about Maduro’s capture comes just two days after the latter tried to start talks between the two, offering cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking and illegal migration.
Trump presented different arguments to justify his campaign against Venezuela, including the claim that the country is an important exporter of narcotics to the United States and that Venezuela has appropriated American oil interests.
The Republican did not explicitly call for Maduro’s removal, but the United States government, along with many European countries, did not recognize his legitimacy after his contested re-election in 2024.
Washington in recent months has deployed a massive naval and air presence to the Caribbean, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and other combat ships.
US forces seized two oil tankers at sea as part of an oil blockade of Venezuela and killed more than 100 people in airstrikes to destroy vessels accused of drug trafficking.
Trump told reporters on Monday that the United States had attacked and destroyed a docking area for suspected drug trafficking boats, in what was considered the first attack on Venezuelan soil of the campaign.
Updating
*With International Agencies
