US President Donald Trump has claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been captured and removed from the country following what he described as a large-scale US military operation overnight.
In a statement published early on 3 January, Trump said the United States had “successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela” and that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been “captured and flown out of the Country.” He said the operation was conducted in conjunction with US law enforcement and added that further details would be provided at a press conference scheduled for 11 a.m. at Mar-a-Lago.
The announcement follows hours of reported explosions and strikes across northern Venezuela, including multiple locations in and around Caracas. Military bases, airfields, communications infrastructure and the port of La Guaira were among the sites reported hit during the early-morning operation. Verified footage from the capital shows a military helicopter engaging ground targets, while additional imagery shows large fires burning at the main port.
US helicopter opens fire on Venezuelan military facility
As of publication, there has been no official confirmation from the Department of War or other US government agencies publicly corroborating Trump’s claim that Maduro has been detained. Venezuelan state media has not acknowledged the statement, and Maduro’s whereabouts remain unconfirmed.
Earlier, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a notice closing Venezuelan airspace to US aircraft citing ongoing military activity. The US Embassy in Caracas issued a shelter-in-place advisory, while Venezuela declared a national state of emergency and denounced the strikes as an act of aggression.
This is a developing story and will be updated as further information emerges.