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The Venezuelan government termed the strikes as “military aggression” by the United States

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US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that American forces had captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during a military operation in Caracas, a claim Venezuela’s government said was unverified.

Trump said on social media that the United States had carried out a “large-scale strike” in Venezuela and that Maduro and his wife had been detained and were being flown out of the country. He said the operation was conducted in coordination with U.S. law enforcement agencies.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said on state television that the government did not know Maduro’s whereabouts and called on Trump to provide “proof of life,” according to the Associated Press.

Earlier on Saturday, explosions were heard in Venezuela’s capital Caracas, with residents reporting loud blasts and the sound of aircraft overhead at around 2 am local time, AFP reported.

The Venezuelan government termed the strikes as “military aggression” by the United States, according to state media. It said attacks took place in Caracas and in the surrounding states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira.

Unidentified U.S. officials told CBS News that Trump had ordered strikes on multiple sites inside Venezuela, including military facilities.

AFP reported that Maduro had declared a state of emergency and ordered military mobilisation following the attacks.

The incident follows months of rising tensions between Washington and Caracas, including an expanded U.S. military deployment off Venezuela’s coast that the United States has said is aimed at combating drug trafficking.

Since late August, the United States has assembled a significant naval force in the Caribbean, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and F-35 fighter jets. Trump has repeatedly accused Venezuela of facilitating drug smuggling and has threatened military action against what he described as cartel-linked targets.

The United States does not recognise Maduro’s government and has long backed Venezuela’s opposition.

In recent weeks, Trump announced the closure of Venezuelan airspace, ordered the seizure of an oil tanker carrying what Washington said was sanctioned Venezuelan and Iranian oil, and imposed a blockade on vessels transporting sanctioned crude to and from Venezuela.

Maduro said on Friday that he was willing to negotiate with Trump on combating drug trafficking but declined to comment on earlier U.S. claims that American forces had struck a Venezuelan docking facility.

The situation remains fluid, and independent confirmation of Trump’s claim regarding Maduro’s capture was not immediately available.

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