Midnight Shock in Caracas: U.S. Strikes Venezuela, Claims Capture of President Nicolás Maduro

The United States launched what it described as a large-scale overnight military strike inside Venezuela on Saturday, announcing that President Nicolás Maduro had been captured and flown out of the country, following months of escalating pressure on his government.
The extraordinary operation, revealed by President Donald Trump on social media hours after the attack, marked one of the most dramatic U.S. military actions in Latin America in decades. Trump said the mission was carried out in coordination with U.S. law enforcement and resulted in the detention of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
Questions immediately arose over the legal authority for the strike and whether Congress had been consulted beforehand. The lightning-fast action — which removed a sitting head of state — drew comparisons to the 1990 U.S. invasion of Panama, when leader Manuel Noriega was captured and taken to the United States to stand trial.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and Flores will face criminal charges in New York, declaring in a social media post that the couple would “soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.” Maduro was previously indicted in 2020 on narco-terrorism conspiracy charges, though it had not been publicly known that his wife was also indicted.
In Caracas, residents reported multiple explosions and low-flying aircraft in the early hours of Saturday as the strike unfolded. Venezuela’s government accused the United States of attacking civilian and military targets, branding the operation an “imperialist attack” and urging citizens to mobilize in the streets.
With Maduro’s whereabouts initially unclear, officials said Vice President Delcy Rodríguez would assume power under Venezuelan law. While no formal transfer was confirmed, Rodríguez issued a statement demanding proof that Maduro and the first lady were alive.
“We do not know the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores,” Rodríguez said. “We demand proof of life.”
Trump later confirmed that both had been captured and removed from Venezuela, adding that a press conference would follow. The strike itself lasted less than 30 minutes, but at least seven explosions sent shockwaves through the capital, prompting panic and widespread social media reports.
Rodríguez said Venezuelan civilians and military personnel were killed, though she did not provide figures. Trump acknowledged that some U.S. forces were injured but said he believed none were killed.
Sen. Mike Lee of Utah said he was briefed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, confirming that Maduro had been arrested by U.S. personnel to face trial in the United States. The White House did not immediately disclose where Maduro and his wife were being taken.
Maduro had last appeared on state television Friday, meeting with Chinese officials in Caracas.
The operation followed months of mounting U.S. pressure, including a buildup of American forces near South America and repeated strikes on boats accused of smuggling drugs through the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. Last week, a CIA-backed drone strike hit a Venezuelan docking site believed to be used by drug cartels — the first acknowledged U.S. action on Venezuelan soil since strikes began in September.
As of Friday, U.S. officials said 35 boat strikes had been carried out, with at least 115 people killed. Trump has framed the campaign as part of an armed conflict with drug cartels, arguing it is necessary to stem the flow of narcotics into the United States.
Maduro has repeatedly denounced the U.S. operations as a pretext for regime change, accusing Washington of seeking to remove him from power by force.