The President of the United States of America, Donald Trump has announced that the country has conducted a large-scale military operation against Venezuela, culminating in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who he said have been “flown out of the Country”.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump declared: “The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country.

This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago”.

The announcement followed reports of explosions in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, early Saturday. Venezuela’s government had earlier accused the U.S. of attacking civilian and military sites across multiple states, condemning what it called “military aggression” by Washington.

The Maduro government declared a national emergency in response to the strikes.The operation follows months of heightened tensions between the two nations, during which the U.S. has accused Maduro of involvement in drug trafficking, an allegation he has consistently denied.

Just two days prior, Maduro had expressed openness to negotiating a deal with the U.S. to combat narcotics trafficking.In recent months, the U.S. has intensified military pressure on Venezuela, carrying out over twenty airstrikes in nearby waters since September alongside expanding economic sanctions.