President Trump announced Saturday that U.S. armed forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife during an overnight military operation that struck multiple sites across Venezuela, with Trump declaring the U.S. would temporarily run the country.
The operation began around 2 a.m. local time with explosions reported at military installations in Caracas, including Fuerte Tiuna military base and La Carlota airport, as well as sites in Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira states. Residents reported hearing low-flying aircraft and seeing fires on runways as power went out across parts of the capital.
Trump said at a Mar-a-Lago news conference that the operation utilized what he called overwhelming air, land and sea power against what he described as a heavily fortified military fortress in downtown Caracas. He posted a photo on Truth Social showing Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima, where he and his wife Cilia Flores were held before being transferred to New York.
The Venezuelan president and his wife now face a superseding indictment in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on charges including narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine. Attorney General Pam Bondi said they would face trial on American soil.
Trump said the U.S. would run Venezuela indefinitely until what he called a safe and proper transition could take place. He said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth would lead the effort, and announced plans to bring American oil companies into the country to rebuild Venezuela’s damaged petroleum infrastructure.
The operation drew immediate international criticism. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he wanted to establish facts about the military action, while China condemned what it called a violation of Venezuelan sovereignty. Congressional Democrats demanded briefings and questioned the lack of congressional authorization, though Republican lawmakers largely supported the action.
Trump justified the intervention by referencing what he called the Monroe Doctrine, though he suggested it should now be called the “Donroe Doctrine,” saying American dominance in the Western Hemisphere would not be questioned again.
Venezuelan officials denied knowing Maduro’s whereabouts and demanded proof of life. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello appeared flanked by police shortly after the strikes, vowing the government would not be cowed. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez later confirmed Maduro had been removed but insisted he remained the rightful leader.
The strikes followed months of escalating U.S. military pressure, including more than 30 attacks on alleged drug boats that killed over 110 people, the seizure of multiple oil tankers, and the positioning of the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier group in the Caribbean with approximately 15,000 troops.
Trump said the operation resulted in no U.S. fatalities, though he acknowledged some personnel were hit but expected to recover. He said military forces were prepared to launch a second, larger wave of attacks if necessary to secure American operations in Venezuela’s oil sector.
