Overview
- At least seven blasts were reported around 2 a.m. local time, with witnesses citing low‑flying aircraft, power outages, and fires near military sites including Fort Tiuna, La Carlota, and locations in La Guaira.
- Caracas condemned what it called a U.S. attack, declared a nationwide state of emergency, ordered mobilization, and framed the strikes as an effort to seize Venezuela’s resources.
- Anonymous U.S. officials told CBS News that President Trump authorized operations days earlier, the Pentagon declined immediate comment, and the FAA barred U.S. flights from Venezuelan airspace.
- Trump later stated the United States carried out a large‑scale operation and claimed Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured and taken out of the country, a claim not independently confirmed.
- The blasts follow months of intensified U.S. anti‑narcotics actions and a reported December drone strike, days after Maduro publicly offered to negotiate on drug trafficking and oil; Colombia called for UN action and Russia condemned the operation.