Trump Says US Has ‘Captured’ Venezuelan President Maduro And His Wife In ‘Large Scale Strike’

President Donald Trump says the US has captured Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife as he confirms “large scale” strike against the country.

He adds that Maduro has been flown out of the country, though details remain scarce – read Trump’s Truth Social statement in full.

Venezuela announces a state of national emergency and rejects and denounces “military aggression” – it has not yet responded to Trump’s post.

“My heart was pumping and legs were shaking,” an eyewitness in Caracas tells the BBC after explosions were heard across the city.

There are still lots of unknowns about this morning’s strikes. What damage was done to the military infrastructure hit? And what casualties are there?

Venezuela’s defence minister Vladimir Padrino has said that the government is compiling information about the dead and injured people and alleged that the strikes hit civilian areas.

He added that Venezuela will “resist” the presence of foreign troops.

Maduro and wife captured by US army’s Delta Force, officials tell CBS

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured by the US army’s Delta Force, officials tell the BBC’s US partner CBS News.

Delta Force is the US military’s top counter terrorism unit.

Details of Maduro’s capture remain thin

The US has long accused Nicolás Maduro of leading an international drug trafficking organisation, something that Maduro denies.

Trump did not give more detail about how Maduro was captured or where he has been taken.

The Venezuelan government have not yet confirmed this.

The US had offered a $50m reward for information leading to the arrest of Maduro. That, along with the huge military build-up in the region over the last few months, were interpreted in the region as encouragement for someone inside the country to turn against him.

Donald Trump adds on Truth Social that there will be a news conference at 11:00 EST (16:00 BST), at the president’s Florida residence Mar-a-Lago.

Trump says US has ‘captured’ Venezuelan President Maduro amid large scale strikes

President Donald Trump says the US has carried out a “large scale strike against Venezuela” and “captured its leader, President Nicolas Maduro” and his wife.

Here’s the statement from Truth Social in full:

”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.

“This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”

An explosion following strikes in Caracas.
High rise buildings in the city of Caracus, Venezuela.

A fire burns near vegetation in Caracas, Venezuela.

A significant ramp up – how did we get here?

This is the biggest US military build-up in the Americas since the Cold War – it’s huge.

First, there were airstrikes on speed boats allegedly carrying drugs through Venezuelan waters.

This has extended into the eastern Caribbean, Pacific and elsewhere – 110 have been killed so far.

US forces have confiscated two sanctioned oil tankers, and a third is being pursued.
Over Christmas, Trump made reference to the first land strike. We have very few details about that, although the BBC is looking into witness statements and it is believed to have taken place in Zulia, which is an oil-rich state.

We know so far that there’s been a special communique – or statement – from the Venezuelan government, which repudiates actions which it blames immediately on the US government.

It also calls the government’s social supporters to action across the length and breadth of the country – that’s militias and grass roots organisations.

To an extent, Maduro is doing what one would expect – appealing to his socialist base.

There’s very little he can actually do at this point, because we’re waiting for more details to emerge.

But it does appear that this is a significant ramping up of a situation that has been building for months.

What we know

US President Donald Trump has ordered strikes on sites in Venezuela, including the capital Caracas and military facilities, US officials tell the BBC’s US partner CBS News – the White House is yet to respond.

Venezuela rejects and denounces the “military aggression” as President Maduro declares a national emergency.

Footage shows fire and smoke rising above the Venezuelan capital.

“My heart was pumping and legs were shaking,” an eyewitness tells the BBC.

The developments come at a moment of heightened tension between the US and Venezuela.

‘My heart was pumping and legs were shaking’ – witness in Caracas

Journalist Vanessa Silva, who lives in Caracas, saw an explosion from her window.

She said the sound of the explosion was huge and “stronger than thunder”, causing her home to vibrate. Caracas is a valley, so the sound echoed around the city.

“My heart was pumping and legs were shaking,” she said, saying she was scared by how close the explosions were but that they did seem very precise.

She said there is now silence in the city but everyone is still frantically messaging each other to see if they are okay. A relative of hers saw something falling from the sky and ten seconds later saw and heard a boom.

Maduro said he was open to US talks on drug trafficking in interview this week

On Thursday, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said he was open to talks with the US on drug trafficking and oil “wherever and whenever they want”.

In the interview with Venezuelan state TV, Maduro also avoided responding to a statement by US President Donald Trump that the US had hit a docking facility in Venezuela – marking the first such attack inside the country reportedly carried out by the CIA.

A few days before Maduro’s interview, Trump said the US carried out a strike on a “dock area” linked to alleged Venezuelan drug boats, adding there had been a “major explosion” where “they load the boats up with drugs”.

It follows weeks of Trump’s ramped up pressure on Maduro, who he accuses of “emptying his prisons and insane asylums” and “forcing” its inmates to migrate to the US – along with using oil money to fund drug-related crime.

Since September, the US has launched 30 strikes on what it says are drug-smuggling boats, targeting vessels in the Pacific and the Caribbean.

More than 110 people have been killed since the US carried out its first attack on a boat in international waters on 2 September.

How rattled will people in Venezuela be following strikes?

Very, I think.

I have been speaking to Venezuelan journalists who are concerned for themselves and their families.

I spoke to one colleague via video, who kept the lights out. She lives quite close to La Carlota, which is a military airstrip in the very centre of Caracas. She could see what was unfolding from her window.

As she contacted me with updates, she was also receiving similar images from friends and family and across social media, backing up what she was seeing but in other parts of the city.

The sense of a co-ordinated event was very acute. You can imagine how frightening that is for ordinary people – whether they agree with Maduro or oppose him.

Where is Caracas?

Caracas, officially known as Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital, and largest city, of Venezuela.

The city is located within the Cardillera de la Costa mountain range in the northern part of Venezuela, near to the Caribbean Sea.

‘A state of external commotion’, Maduro urges mobilisation plan

The statement says the strikes in Caracas aim to “seize Venezuela’s strategic resources, particularly its oil and minerals” and “forcibly break the nation’s political independence”.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has “signed and ordered the implementation of the Decree declaring a state of external commotion throughout the national territory”.

He has also ordered all national defense plans to be implemented “at the appropriate time and under the appropriate circumstances”.

They have urged “all social and political forces in the country to activate mobilization plans and condemn this imperialist attack”.

Venezuelan president declares national emergency

The Venezuelan President has declared a national emergency, and has denounced the attacks as an attempt by the US to take his country’s oil and minerals.

Venezuela government rejects and denounces US military aggression

“Venezuela rejects, repudiates, and denounces before the international community the extremely serious military aggression perpetrated by the current Government of the United States of America against Venezuelan territory.”

Trump ordered strikes on Venezuelan military sites – CBS

President Trump ordered strikes on sites inside Venezuela, including military facilities, US officials tell the BBC’s US partner CBS News.

CBS said the Pentagon referred all requests for comment to the White House.

Trump administration aware of explosions and aircraft over Caracas – CBS

Trump administration officials are aware of reports of explosions and aircraft over Venezuela’s capital Caracas early Saturday morning, sources tell the BBC’s US partner CBS News.

This comes after weeks of pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from the Trump administration.

The US president accuses his Venezuelan counterpart of infiltrating America with drug trafficking and crime.

Reports of explosions come at moment of heightened tension

There were numerous near-simultaneous reports of explosions in several places in Caracas, including military installations.

La Carlota, a military airfield in the centre of the city, and the main military base of Fuerte Tiuna were described by eyewitnesses as having been affected, with video circulating of apparent explosions at both.

Several of the surrounding communities are without power. There are unconfirmed reports of planes flying over the city.

The developments come at a moment of heightened tension between the US and Venezuela as Washington keeps up its military strikes on speedboats in the Caribbean allegedly carrying drugs.

The US says the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was illegitimately elected and is personally involved in drug-smuggling through the country.

The Venezuelan Government say recent actions by Washington – which include the confiscation of sanctioned oil tankers – are part of an effort to force the removal of President Maduro from power and control Venezuela’s oil reserves.

Pictures show flames and smoke rising

Flames can be seen above the Venezuelan capital.

A column of smoke rises following an explosion, as the sky is illuminated by another explosion in the distance in the early hours of the morning, in Caracas, Venezuela.

Explosions heard in Venezuelan capital

Explosions have been heard and smoke is seen rising above the Venezuelan capital Caracas.

This is a breaking news story, we’ll bring you the latest as we get it – stay with us.

Credit: BBC