Overview
- President Trump said U.S. forces conducted a large-scale operation, claimed Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out, and announced an 11 a.m. EST news conference at Mar-a-Lago.
- Venezuela’s government denounced the action as military aggression, declared an emergency and mobilization, and Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said Maduro’s whereabouts are unknown while demanding proof of life.
- Residents and journalists reported multiple pre-dawn blasts and low-flying aircraft over Caracas and the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira, with localized power outages and no confirmed casualty figures.
- The FAA restricted U.S. commercial flights in Venezuelan airspace due to ongoing military activity, and a U.S. official confirmed strikes occurred without providing operational details.
- Regional responses included Colombia calling for emergency UN action and deploying forces to the border, Cuba and Russia condemning the strikes, and mounting questions in Washington over legal authority and congressional notification.