Trump Confirms U.S. Attack on Venezuela, Claims President Maduro and Wife Taken into Custody
Washington/Caracas: U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed that the United States carried out military strikes against Venezuela, claiming that the operation successfully targeted the country’s leadership and resulted in the detention of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who were allegedly transferred out of the country.
In a statement, President Trump said that the United States conducted “successful strikes” against Venezuela and its leadership. He added that the operation was carried out with the cooperation of U.S. law enforcement agencies and announced that further details would be shared during a press conference scheduled for 11:00 a.m. U.S. time.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s Minister of Defense announced resistance against what he described as U.S. aggression, stating that Venezuelan forces would oppose the presence of foreign troops. He claimed that civilian areas were targeted in the attacks and said information regarding casualties and injuries was being collected.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said the government was currently unaware of President Maduro’s whereabouts following the U.S. strikes. She demanded proof from Washington that President Maduro is alive, adding that security forces have been deployed to defend the public. She accused the United States of violating Venezuela’s sovereignty.
According to U.S. media reports, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Senator Mike Lee in a telephone conversation that President Maduro had been arrested by U.S. personnel and would face criminal charges in the United States. Rubio reportedly said the military action was carried out to enforce judicial warrants and fell within presidential powers under Article II of the U.S. Constitution.
U.S. media further reported that President Nicolás Maduro was detained by the U.S. Delta Force, noting that a U.S. court had indicted him in a narcotics-related case in 2020. Delta Force had previously carried out high-profile operations, including the 2019 mission against ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Earlier, multiple explosions were reported in Caracas and other Venezuelan cities. The Venezuelan government confirmed that U.S. strikes took place in Caracas, Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira provinces. Caracas accused Washington of attempting to seize Venezuela’s oil and mineral resources, rejecting what it called U.S. military aggression and declaring a state of emergency across the country.
The situation continues to develop amid rising international concern and calls for emergency diplomatic engagement.
