Overview
- President Trump said U.S. forces carried out a large strike in Venezuela and that Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country in coordination with law enforcement.
- Senator Mike Lee, citing a call with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, said Maduro was arrested by U.S. personnel to face criminal charges in the United States and argued the action falls under the president’s Article II authority, adding no further operations are expected.
- Residents in Caracas reported multiple pre-dawn explosions and low-flying aircraft as U.S. targets included military sites, according to officials.
- Venezuela’s government condemned the action as a military aggression that violates the U.N. Charter, announced nationwide force deployments, declared a state of external commotion, and said it will take its case to international bodies.
- U.S. officials publicly celebrated the capture, while commentators and some lawmakers challenged the Article II rationale and questioned the legality and war powers basis for the operation.