See more of our trusted, verified journalism when you search on Google.
US President Donald Trump has announced that President Nicolás Maduro has been captured and flown out of Venezuela after the United States launched a military operation in the country.
President Trump did not provide any further details about Saturday’s military operation or the whereabouts of Maduro, who has been Venezuela’s president since 2013 and is not recognized by Washington and many other countries as the country’s legitimate leader.
Maduro has always claimed that the Trump administration’s increasing pressure on his government, which has included attacks on drug ships, was aimed at regime change.
On Saturday morning, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the United States had launched a large-scale attack against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who was captured and flown out of the country along with his wife (Cilia Flores).
There was no confirmation from Caracas of President Trump’s claims, but the capital has condemned the US military strikes on various parts of Venezuela. Maduro was last seen publicly on state television on Friday, meeting with a delegation of Chinese officials in Caracas, Newsweek reported, citing the Associated Press.
Tensions between the United States and Venezuela have been simmering since 2025, with media speculation that the Trump administration could launch a military operation, which became a reality in the new year. Trump first ordered a large-scale US military buildup in Caribbean and South American waters in August of last year, targeting suspected drug-laden boats and later imposing a blockade on US-sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers.
Also Read: Trump Empowers Venezuela Amid Maduro’s Defiance CIA Mission to Operate
See more of our trusted, verified journalism when you search on Google.