U.S. Launches Strikes in Venezuela as Trump Claims Maduro Captured

Overview

• President Donald Trump said U.S. forces carried out a large-scale operation and removed Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores from Venezuela, with no detailed, on-the-record U.S. briefing released so far.
• Venezuela declared a national emergency and called for mobilization after explosions and aircraft activity were reported in Caracas and the states of Miranda, La Guaira, and Aragua, with impacts near Fuerte Tiuna and the La Carlota air base.
• Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said the government does not know the whereabouts of Maduro or Flores and demanded immediate proof of life.
• Brazil convened an emergency meeting to gather facts before taking a position, Colombia and Cuba condemned the action and urged OAS and UN consultations, and Argentina’s Javier Milei voiced support.
• Coverage notes months of U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean and reports of new U.S. narcotics and terrorism charges, as questions grow over legal justification, verification of the capture, and the risk of wider regional instability.