Overview
- Multiple blasts began around 2:00 a.m. local time in Caracas, with reports of aircraft noise, power outages near Fuerte Tiuna, and explosions near La Carlota air base and other strategic sites.
- Venezuela accused the United States of a “severe military aggression,” declared a state of emergency, and announced mobilization, citing strikes in Caracas, La Guaira, and the states of Miranda and Aragua.
- Trump said on social media that U.S. forces carried out a large operation and that Maduro was detained and flown out of the country, while CBS and Fox cited unnamed officials saying he ordered the strikes days earlier.
- Formal U.S. government details remained limited as the FAA restricted U.S. flights in the area, the State Department warned Americans to shelter in place, and Colombia’s president urged urgent OAS and UN sessions.
- The escalation follows months of U.S. maritime strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats that officials say killed more than 100 people, a campaign widely criticized as unlawful, even as Maduro recently signaled openness to talks on drugs and oil.