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New Delhi: Residents of Caracas were woken early today by blasts and the sound of aircraft flying low over the city. Hours later, an extraordinary claim emerged from Florida, where Donald Trump said United States forces had carried out a “large-scale strike” on Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro, flying him out of the country in coordination with US law enforcement agencies.
The announcement, posted on Truth Social, marked a sharp escalation in Washington’s long-running pressure campaign against a government it has refused to recognise as legitimate. Trump framed the operation as part of a broader push tied to migration, drugs and national security.
Trump has repeatedly linked Venezuela to irregular migration at the US southern border. He has pointed to the exodus of nearly eight million Venezuelans since 2013 due to economic collapse and political repression, most of whom settled elsewhere in Latin America. Without offering evidence, he has accused Maduro of “emptying his prisons and insane asylums” and “forcing” inmates to migrate to the United States, allegations Caracas has firmly denied.
Drugs form the second pillar of Washington’s case. Trump has argued that Venezuela functions as a key transit route for cocaine and has contributed to the US fentanyl crisis. His administration designated the Tren de Aragua and the Cartel de los Soles as Foreign Terrorist Organisations, alleging that the latter is led by Maduro, a charge the Venezuelan government rejects, saying the “war on drugs” is being used as a pretext for regime change.
According to Trump, US forces carried out a brief but intense mission that resulted in the capture of Maduro and his wife, who were flown out of Venezuela. He said US law enforcement agencies were involved and promised further details at a news conference at Mar-a-Lago. In a short interview with The New York Times, Trump praised the planning and the troops involved.
On the ground, residents reported explosions, power disruptions near military facilities and aircraft overhead. Video verified by the Associated Press showed tracer fire and smoke over parts of the city and a coastal area. Venezuela’s government accused the United States of striking both civilian and military targets and urged supporters to mobilise, declaring a state of “external disturbance”.
The latest developments follow months of heightened US military activity in the Caribbean, including the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford. Washington has seized oil tankers as part of an oil blockade and acknowledged killing more than 100 people in strikes on small boats it described as drug-trafficking vessels. Trump said a docking area used by alleged drug boats had been destroyed, calling it the first publicly acknowledged strike on Venezuelan territory in the campaign.
The US government maintains it is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels. Maduro has denied any role in drug trafficking and accused Washington of trying to remove him to gain access to Venezuela’s oil resources, noting that Caracas had offered cooperation on migration and narcotics just days before the strikes.
