Trump Says Venezuelan President and Wife Detained, Flown to US After Airstrikes

US President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been captured by US forces following what he described as “large-scale airstrikes” on Caracas, an assertion that could not be independently verified.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the United States had carried out a “large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader,” adding that Maduro and Flores were taken into custody and flown to the US in an operation involving American law enforcement agencies. He said further details would be provided at a news conference scheduled for 11 am (US time) at his Mar-a-Lago residence.

Trump’s statement came hours after reports of explosions across Caracas, with residents describing low-flying aircraft, fires and power outages in several areas of the capital. Videos shared on social media showed smoke rising from multiple neighbourhoods. Venezuelan authorities did not immediately confirm the cause of the explosions or report casualties.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and Flores had been indicted in the Southern District of New York on multiple charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons offences. She said the two would face trial in US courts and praised what she called a successful US military operation.

US officials cited by CBS News said Maduro was detained early Saturday by members of Delta Force, the US military’s elite special operations unit, during an operation carried out in the early morning hours. No further details were released.

There was no independent confirmation of Maduro’s detention, and Venezuela’s government did not acknowledge Trump’s claim.

Venezuelan Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López said in a video message that military forces had been deployed nationwide following what he described as US attacks on the country. Calling the action “the worst aggression” Venezuela had faced, he urged unity and calm and warned against unrest, without mentioning reports that Maduro had been captured.

The reported strike followed months of escalating pressure by the Trump administration on Maduro, whom Washington accuses of leading a “narco-state” and of rigging last year’s presidential election — allegations the Venezuelan leader denies.

Residents in Caracas reported at least seven explosions in the early hours of Saturday, with blasts shaking several neighbourhoods. The apparent strike lasted less than half an hour, though it remained unclear whether further military action would follow.

Venezuela’s government accused the United States of attacking civilian and military facilities and announced emergency defence measures, urging supporters to mobilise against what it called an “imperialist attack.”