US President Donald Trump announced a "large-scale strike" against Venezuela, which culminated in the capture of its leader, Nicolas Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores. Trump, speaking from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, hailed the operation as "brilliant," emphasizing the extensive planning and the dedication of the troops involved. This dramatic development unfolded after a night of intense explosions and significant military activity rocked Caracas and its surrounding regions.

In the early hours of Saturday, the Venezuelan capital experienced approximately an hour of sustained explosions, accompanied by the distinct sounds of helicopters and planes. Critical targets included Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, the Carlota airbase in Caracas, and areas within La Guaira, home to Caracas's primary airport and port. Residents reported feeling the powerful blasts, with some describing being "lifted out of bed." Many immediately began preparing emergency bags with essential documents, cash, and supplies, as power outages affected certain parts of the city. Eyewitnesses recounted a scene of widespread confusion, with people peering from windows and terraces or seeking refuge in safe, windowless spaces amidst the cacophony of detonations and gunfire.

Venezuela's government vehemently condemned the attacks, issuing a strong accusation against the United States for perpetrating "extremely serious military aggression" against its territory and people. President Maduro was reported to have declared a state of emergency, although his immediate whereabouts remained unknown until Trump's public announcement of his capture. The Venezuelan defense ministry specifically accused US forces of targeting residential areas and declared a "massive deployment" of its military resources in response. Neighboring Colombia's leftist President, Gustavo Petro, reacted by urgently calling for an emergency meeting of the United Nations and deploying troops to the Venezuelan border, explicitly alerting the international community to the attacks.

This military intervention represents a significant escalation in a months-long campaign of increasing military and economic pressure initiated by the Trump administration against Venezuela. The United States had previously deployed an aircraft carrier and multiple warships to the Caribbean, initially presenting these deployments as part of an anti-drug smuggling operation. President Trump had repeatedly issued threats of strikes on Venezuelan soil and publicly urged Maduro to step down, particularly following his 2024 re-election, which was widely dismissed by the international community as fraudulent. Prior US actions also included informally closing Venezuelan airspace, imposing further sanctions, ordering the seizure of tankers laden with Venezuelan oil, and numerous strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats in both the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, which the US military reported had killed at least 107 people.

Further intensifying the situation, US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores face grave charges in the Southern District of New York. These charges include "Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy," conspiracy to import cocaine, and charges related to machine guns. Bondi emphatically stated that the couple would "soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts." While the indictment against Maduro dated back to 2020, the charges against his wife were not previously made public. The Trump administration had also previously doubled a reward for information leading to Maduro's capture to $50 million, accusing him of leading the alleged "Cartel of the Suns" drug trafficking organization. Maduro, for his part, has consistently denied any involvement in the narcotics trade, maintaining that Washington's relentless efforts were driven by a desire to overthrow him due to Venezuela's immense oil reserves. President Trump is slated to provide more details during an upcoming press conference from Mar-a-Lago.