Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Jan 3: US President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife had been “captured” and removed from Venezuela following what he described as a major US-led military operation against the country.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said the United States had carried out a “large-scale strike” targeting Venezuela and its leadership. He alleged that Maduro and his wife were taken into custody and flown out of the country as part of the operation, which he said involved coordination with US law enforcement agencies. Trump added that more information would be shared during a scheduled news conference at 11 a.m. local time at Mar-a-Lago.
The claims came after residents of Caracas reported hearing multiple loud explosions in the early hours of Saturday. Witnesses described sounds resembling aircraft flyovers, followed by blasts that caused panic across several neighbourhoods of the Venezuelan capital.
In its first official response, the Venezuelan government sharply criticised the Trump administration, accusing Washington of carrying out what it called “extremely serious military aggression.” Caracas alleged that the attack was aimed at undermining the country’s sovereignty and seizing strategic resources, particularly oil and minerals.
US media outlets later reported that officials in Washington had confirmed strikes against Venezuela, though no detailed operational information was immediately released.
Amid the developments, the US Embassy in Bogota, Colombia—which oversees US interests related to Venezuela—issued an advisory warning Americans against travelling to Venezuela or its border regions. In a statement, the embassy said it was aware of reports of explosions in and around Caracas and urged US citizens currently in the country to shelter in place.
The US government raised its travel warning for Venezuela to Level 4, the highest advisory category, citing severe risks including wrongful detention, terrorism, kidnapping, civil unrest, crime and inadequate health infrastructure. All US citizens in Venezuela were strongly advised to leave the country immediately.
The embassy also reiterated that the US Department of State withdrew all diplomatic staff from Caracas in March 2019 and suspended embassy operations. As a result, the US government is unable to provide consular or emergency services to American citizens in Venezuela.
Reports from Caracas indicated that at least seven explosions were heard around 2:00 a.m. local time, prompting residents to flee their homes in fear. Videos circulating online showed smoke rising from multiple locations across the city. Brief power outages were reported in certain areas, including near a military installation, along with partial disruptions to telecommunications.
Following the incidents, President Maduro declared a national emergency as uncertainty and tension gripped the capital.