Venezuela

Trump: US has captured Maduro

Albin Almqvist

Updated 11.52 | Published 10.57

 The United States has captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Trump confirms the attack on social media.

“Nicolás Maduro has been captured and taken out of the country with his wife,” the president writes as explosions are heard in Caracas.

At 1:50 a.m. on Saturday, local time, the first explosion is heard in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

In pictures, people are seen fleeing in panic from the large flames that arise, as more explosions follow.

A low-flying plane is seen in the sky.

 

Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. Archive photo. Photo: Alexey Maishev / AP

Not long afterwards, at around 03.30, a message from the Venezuelan government is shown on state television.

They say the US is behind the attack, with the aim of overthrowing the Venezuelan government.

“The aim of this attack is nothing more than to steal Venezuela’s strategic resources, especially its oil and minerals, in an attempt to forcibly break the nation’s political independence. They will not succeed,” reads the country’s television screens.

 

People in Caracas were captured on camera running from the explosions. Photo: Matias Delacroix / AP

At 5:20 a.m., Donald Trump responded.

The US is behind the attacks and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been captured by US forces:

“The US has successfully carried out a large-scale attack on Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who, together with his wife, has been captured and taken out of the country,” the president writes on his own Truth Social platform.

He continues:

"More information to follow. Press conference at Mar-a-Lago at 11 a.m. (Florida)".

According to American official sources to CBS News, it was Delta Force, the United States' top special operations unit, that captured Maduro.

Delta Force was also behind the capture and killing of former IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in 2019.

Trump on the phone in his car yesterday, on his way to Mar-A-Lago where the press conference will be held today.

 

Trump on the phone in his car yesterday, on his way to Mar-A-Lago where the press conference will be held today. Photo: Alex Brandon / AP

Trump has previously announced a reward of 50 million dollars, almost 500 million kronor, for the capture of President Maduro.

The American president accuses Maduro of being "one of the world's largest drug traffickers" who is responsible for the US being flooded with cocaine and fentanyl, according to Trump.

The US Senate Defense Committee was not informed of the military operation in advance, according to sources to CNN.