Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
The United States launched a large-scale military operation against Venezuela early Saturday, triggering explosions across the capital Caracas and prompting President Donald Trump to announce that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were detained while asleep and later transferred to USS Iwo Jima assault ship, with plans to move them to New York to face drug trafficking and weapons charges.
In a series of statements posted on social media and later echoed by allies, Trump said U.S. forces carried out what he described as a “successful” strike in coordination with U.S. law enforcement agencies. According to the president, the operation culminated in the arrest of Maduro, who has been indicted in the United States on narco-terrorism conspiracy charges since 2020.
“President Nicolas Maduro has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country,” Trump said, adding that further details would be released at a press conference scheduled for later in the morning at Mar-a-Lago.
The announcement followed a tense night in Caracas, where residents reported multiple explosions beginning shortly before 2 a.m. local time. Witnesses described low-flying aircraft, loud detonations, and columns of smoke rising from military installations, including areas near Fort Tiuna, the headquarters of Venezuela’s Ministry of Defense. Parts of the city experienced power outages, while in some neighborhoods people fled into the streets in fear.
“The whole ground shook,” said Carmen Hidalgo, a 21-year-old office worker who was returning from a family gathering when the blasts began. “We heard explosions and planes. It felt like the air was hitting us.”
Venezuela’s government quickly denounced the attack, accusing the United States of striking both civilian and military targets. In an official statement, authorities labeled the operation an “imperialist attack” and called on supporters of the ruling party to mobilize. The government declared a “state of external disturbance,” a form of emergency rule that expands the role of the armed forces and allows for the suspension of certain civil rights.
Despite the scale of the reported strikes, Venezuelan state television did not interrupt its regular programming, instead airing cultural segments. Officials said they did not know the whereabouts of Maduro or First Lady Cilia Flores and demanded proof that the president was alive.
Under Venezuelan law, the vice president would normally assume power in the president’s absence, but there was no immediate confirmation that a transfer of authority had taken place, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the country’s leadership.
In Washington, key figures began to weigh in. Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah said he had been briefed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who told him that Maduro had been arrested by U.S. personnel and would stand trial in the United States. The White House did not immediately clarify where Maduro and his wife were being taken or under what specific legal authority the operation was conducted.
The legal and constitutional implications of the strike quickly became a subject of debate in Congress. Lawmakers from both parties noted that there had been no formal declaration of war or explicit authorization for the use of military force against Venezuela. As of Saturday morning, members of the congressional armed services committees said they had not been officially notified of the operation.
The Federal Aviation Administration responded to the unfolding situation by banning U.S. commercial flights from Venezuelan airspace, citing safety risks linked to ongoing military activity. The U.S. Embassy, which has been closed since 2019, issued an online warning urging American citizens still in Venezuela to shelter in place.
The strike marked a dramatic escalation in months of rising tensions between Washington and Caracas. Since September, the U.S. military has carried out dozens of attacks on vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean that U.S. officials say were involved in drug trafficking. The Trump administration has reported at least 35 such strikes and more than 100 deaths, framing the campaign as part of an “armed conflict” against international drug cartels.
In recent weeks, that strategy appeared to shift closer to Venezuelan territory. U.S. officials and media outlets reported that a covert drone strike, allegedly carried out by the CIA with support from U.S. special operations forces, hit a dock facility on Venezuela’s coast believed to be linked to organized crime groups. Trump had hinted publicly that land-based targets were “much easier” and suggested that strikes inside Venezuela would begin soon.
International reaction to Saturday’s events was swift and divided. Cuba and Iran condemned the U.S. action, calling it a violation of Venezuelan sovereignty and urging an international response. Colombian President Gustavo Petro warned that Caracas was being bombed and called for emergency meetings of international bodies. Argentina’s President Javier Milei, a close political ally of Trump, praised the reported capture of Maduro, framing it as a victory for freedom.
For years, Maduro has accused the United States of using drug trafficking allegations as a pretext to pursue regime change, while Washington has insisted its actions are aimed at disrupting criminal networks and holding Venezuela’s leadership accountable. Whether the overnight operation achieves those goals or plunges the region into deeper instability remained unclear as Venezuela awoke to one of the most dramatic episodes in its modern history.
