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Trump says Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, wife ‘captured' after large-scale strikes
Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured by US forces during a “large-scale” nighttime military operation early Saturday, President Trump announced.
“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“This operation was done in conjunction with US Law Enforcement. Details to follow.”
President Trump announced on Truth Social that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured by US forces in a large-scale nighttime military operation early Saturday. The strike was conducted with US law enforcement involvement, following recent US strikes on Venezuela. Maduro faces charges related to drug trafficking and terrorism, with officials stating he'll be tried on American soil. Venezuela's government has denounced it as an act of aggression. For ongoing details, check Al Jazeera's live coverage: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/1/3/live-loud-noises-heard-in-venezuelas-capital-amid-us-tensions
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Trump celebrated the mission in which Maduro and first lady were flown to the US, where the Venezuelan president is set to stand trial on criminal charges.
“A lot of good planning and lot of great, great troops and great people,” Trump told the New York Times. “It was a brilliant operation, actually.”
Trump ordered airstrikes on military sites around the Venezuelan capital of Caracas with at least seven explosions and low-flying aircraft reported in the region, which began around 2 a.m. local time amid heightened tensions between Maduro and the US.
The strikes rocked sites in the state of Miranda, where Caracas is located, and nearby Aragua and La Guiera, sending plumes of smoke and fire into the air and causing power outages.
Photos show a fire tearing through Fuerte (Fort) Tiuna, Venezuela’s largest military complex located in Caracas, after an explosion.
President Trump praised the operation capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, calling it a "brilliant" success involving meticulous planning and elite US troops. The mission followed US airstrikes on military targets around Caracas starting at 2 a.m. local time, including Fuerte Tiuna—the country's largest military complex—triggering explosions, fires, and power outages in Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira states. Maduro is en route to the US for trial on drug trafficking and terrorism charges. For live updates, see Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/loud-noises-heard-venezuela-capital-southern-area-without-electricity-2026-01-03/
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Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who would take power under the country’s law, said she didn’t know the whereabouts of Maduro and Flores.
“We demand proof of life,” Rodriguez said.
Residents reacted to the ground-shaking explosions as they were walking the streets of the capital.
“The whole ground shook. This is horrible. We heard explosions and planes in the distance,” Carmen Hidalgo told the Associated Press. “We felt like the air was hitting us.”
The Federal Aviation Administration banned US commercial flights over Venezuela early Saturday because of “ongoing military activity.”
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, next in line under the country's constitution, stated she was unaware of Maduro's and Flores's whereabouts and demanded "proof of life" to confirm their status. Residents in Caracas described intense ground-shaking explosions and low-flying aircraft around 2 a.m., with one witness, Carmen Hidalgo, telling the Associated Press, "The whole ground shook. This is horrible. We heard explosions and planes in the distance. We felt like the air was hitting us." The FAA imposed a ban on US commercial flights over Venezuela due to ongoing military activity.
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The US Embassy in Caracas advised Americans not to travel to Venezuela and urged those in the country to leave.
The Venezuelan government denounced the alleged attack as an aggression from the US and a violation of the United Nations charter.
“The objective of this attack is none other than to seize Venezuela’s strategic resources, particularly its oil and minerals, attempting to forcibly break the nation’s political independence,” the government said in a statement. “They will not succeed. After more than two hundred years of independence, the people and their legitimate government remain steadfast in defense of sovereignty and the inalienable right to determine their own destiny.”
The Venezuelan government declared a state of emergency and “ordered all national defense plans to be implemented.”
The US Embassy in Caracas issued a travel advisory urging Americans to avoid all travel to Venezuela and advising those present to depart immediately due to heightened risks from the ongoing military situation.
Venezuela's government condemned the US strikes and capture of President Maduro as a direct violation of the UN Charter and an illegal aggression aimed at seizing the nation's oil and mineral resources while undermining its sovereignty. In response, they declared a nationwide state of emergency and activated all national defense plans to protect the country.
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