President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has been captured by US forces following what he described as a “large-scale strike” on the South American country.
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. He added that the operation was carried out in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement agencies.
Trump, nearing the end of a two-week holiday at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, said he would hold a news conference at 11:00 a.m. (1600 GMT) to provide further details.
In a phone interview with The New York Times, Trump described the operation as “brilliant,” praising the planning and execution: “A lot of good planning and a lot of great, great troops and great people,” he said.
The announcement marks a dramatic escalation in US-Venezuelan tensions, following months of increasing US military and economic pressure on Maduro and Venezuela’s oil-dependent economy. In December, Trump had warned that Maduro’s “days are numbered” and suggested it would be “smart” for him to step down.
Trump’s campaign against Venezuela has been justified by claims that the country is a major exporter of drugs to the United States and that it has seized US oil interests. While he has not explicitly called for Maduro’s removal, the US government and several European nations do not recognize Maduro’s legitimacy.
The reported operation coincides with heightened US military presence in the Caribbean, including the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and other warships. US forces have also seized tankers at sea as part of an oil blockade and carried out aerial strikes, reportedly killing more than 100 individuals involved in alleged drug trafficking.
Earlier this week, Trump said US forces had targeted and destroyed a docking area for Venezuelan drug boats, marking what is believed to be the first direct strike on Venezuelan territory during the campaign.
The capture claim comes just two days after Maduro offered cooperation with the US on tackling drug trafficking and illegal migration, highlighting a sharp turn in the already tense relations between the two countries.
