The United States has claimed it captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro following a series of explosions reported in the capital, Caracas, according to a statement posted by U.S. President Donald Trump on his social media platform, Truth Social.
In the post, Trump alleged that U.S. forces carried out what he described as a “large scale strike” against Venezuela and said Maduro and his wife were taken into custody and removed from the country.
“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 wrote.
He added that the operation was conducted “in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement” and said additional details would be released at a news conference scheduled for 11 a.m. at Mar-a-Lago.
The statement came amid reports of explosions in Caracas early Saturday. The cause, scope, and targets of the blasts were not immediately clear, and no official confirmation had been issued by Venezuelan authorities at the time of publication.
As of this writing, there has been no independent verification from U.S. government agencies, the Pentagon, Venezuelan officials, or international observers confirming Trump’s claims regarding missile strikes or the alleged capture of Maduro.
Venezuela’s government has not publicly commented on the situation, and state media in the country have not reported the removal or detention of the president.
The developments, if confirmed, would represent an unprecedented escalation in U.S.–Venezuela relations. Observers note that major military or law-enforcement actions involving a sitting head of state would typically involve formal announcements from multiple branches of government and international reaction.
Trump said further information would be provided at the announced news conference.
