Washington/Caracas, January 3,2026: US President Donald Trump on Saturday claimed that American forces had captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife following what he described as a “large-scale strike” against Venezuela, triggering sharp international reactions and confusion on the ground.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump said the United States had “successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela” and that President Nicolas Maduro, along with his wife Cilia Flores, had been captured and flown out of the country. Trump announced he would address the matter in a news conference at 11:00am (1600 GMT) at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
US Attorney General Pamela Bondi later said that Maduro and Flores had been indicted in the Southern District of New York. In a post on X, she stated that Maduro faces charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess such weapons against the United States. She added that the couple would soon “face the full wrath of American justice on American soil.”
The United States has long accused Maduro of running a “narco-state” and rigging last year’s presidential election, which the Venezuelan opposition claims it won decisively. Maduro, who has been in power since 2013 after succeeding Hugo Chávez, has repeatedly rejected the allegations, accusing Washington of seeking regime change to gain control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the largest in the world.
A US senator later said that Washington had concluded its military action. Senator Mike Lee, a Republican, said he spoke by phone with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who indicated that no further action in Venezuela was anticipated now that Maduro was allegedly in US custody.
However, conflicting reports emerged from Caracas. Venezuela’s vice president said the government did not know the whereabouts of President Maduro or First Lady Cilia Flores. The Venezuelan government also reported attacks in several states, including Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira, prompting Maduro to declare a national emergency and order the mobilisation of defence forces.
Earlier, US media outlets such as Fox News and CBS News reported that American forces were carrying out military strikes on Venezuela in what was described as a dramatic escalation. Explosions and the sound of aircraft were heard over Caracas around 2:00am (0600 GMT), according to an AFP journalist. Blasts were also reported in La Guaira, north of the capital, home to Caracas’s main airport and port.
In a statement, the چ“rejected, repudiated and denounced” what it called “extremely serious military aggression” by the United States against Venezuelan territory and people.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro also reacted strongly, posting on X that Caracas was being bombed and calling for an immediate meeting of the Organisation of American States and the United Nations. Petro has consistently opposed US pressure on Venezuela.
The Trump administration has in recent weeks announced a blockade of Venezuelan oil, expanded sanctions, and carried out multiple strikes on vessels the US claims were involved in drug trafficking in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. Trump has accused Venezuela of flooding the United States with drugs, allegations that Caracas has consistently denied. Several countries have condemned the US actions, describing them as violations of international law and extrajudicial use of force.
