WASHINGTON/CARACAS — U.S. President Donald Trump announced via his social media platform on Saturday that American forces have captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in what he described as a large-scale military operation.
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump confirmed the strike on Caracas, stating, “The United States successfully carried out a large-scale attack against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who was captured along with his wife and flown out of the country.” He added that U.S. law enforcement agencies were involved in the operation.
President Trump is scheduled to hold a press conference at 11 a.m. local time at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. In a brief, preliminary phone interview with The New York Times, he praised the operation as “brilliant” and the result of extensive planning. “A lot of good planning and a lot of great troops and people,” he was quoted as saying.
The announcement culminates months of escalating military and economic pressure from Washington on the Maduro government. In December 2025, President Trump suggested it would be wise for Maduro to step down, asserting his days in power were numbered. Just two days prior to that statement, Maduro had attempted to open communication, offering cooperation on issues of drug trafficking and illegal migration—an overture that received no positive response from Washington.
The Trump administration has long characterized Venezuela as a center for drug trafficking and has accused Caracas of seizing U.S. oil rights. Alongside several European nations, the U.S. has refused to recognize the legitimacy of Maduro’s presidency, though it had stopped short of explicitly calling for his overthrow through direct military action.
In recent months, the U.S. significantly bolstered its military presence in the Caribbean, deploying the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group and other warships to the region. As part of an ongoing blockade, U.S. forces have seized tankers at sea and conducted airstrikes targeting vessels suspected of drug smuggling, which American reports state have resulted in over 100 casualties. Earlier in the week, President Trump stated that U.S. forces had attacked and destroyed a dock area used by Venezuelan drug boats, marking what would have been the first direct strike on Venezuelan territory prior to today’s major escalation.
The situation remains fluid, with the international community awaiting further official details and the response from Venezuela’s remaining government structures.
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