US launches strikes on Venezuela, claims capture of President Maduro

January 3, Kathmandu: The United States carried out a large‑scale military strike on Venezuela early Saturday, targeting multiple sites including in the capital Caracas, President Donald Trump said. Trump announced that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured and flown out of the country during the operation.

Trump described the strikes as successful and said they were conducted in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement. He posted the announcement on his social media platform, adding that further details would follow at a planned news conference.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and his wife have been indicted in New York on charges including narco‑terrorism, drug and weapons offenses, and will “face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.”

Venezuelan authorities condemned the action as “extremely serious military aggression” and declared a national emergency. The government called on citizens to mobilize and rejected the strikes as a violation of sovereignty.

According to reports, explosions and aircraft activity were heard over Caracas during the early‑morning operation. The situation on the ground remains fluid, and independent confirmation of Maduro’s capture and movements is pending.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was reported to have said no further military action is anticipated now that Maduro is in custody, according to a Republican senator.