United States President Donald Trump has claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife have been “captured and flown out of the country” following what he described as a “large-scale” US military operation, a dramatic escalation that has sent shockwaves across Latin America and raised profound questions about international law, sovereignty and regional stability.
In a post on Truth Social early Saturday, Trump said the operation was conducted “in conjunction with US law enforcement” and followed days of intensive strikes against Venezuelan targets. The White House has yet to release official operational details, but senior Republican figures have publicly backed Trump’s claims.
Republican Senator Mike Lee said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told him that Maduro had been arrested by US forces and taken into US custody to face criminal charges. “He anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in U.S. custody,” Lee wrote on X after speaking with Rubio.
Venezuela’s government swiftly rejected the US claims, accusing Washington of carrying out “military aggression” against civilian and military installations across multiple states. In a statement, Caracas said several areas, including the capital and surrounding states, had come under attack and that President Maduro had ordered the activation of national defence plans under constitutional authority.
At least seven explosions were reported in Caracas around 2am local time on Saturday, accompanied by the sound of low-flying aircraft. Venezuelan Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino said the strikes hit civilian areas and that authorities were compiling information on casualties. He vowed that Venezuela would resist the presence of foreign troops.
The government also declared a national emergency, citing the scale of the attacks and the threat to national security.
The developments have prompted swift reactions across the region, particularly in neighbouring Colombia, which shares a long and porous border with Venezuela and already hosts nearly three million Venezuelan migrants.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said public security forces were being deployed along the border following an emergency National Security Council meeting held at 3am local time. Colombia, he said, was also mobilising humanitarian resources in anticipation of a potential influx of refugees.
“The Government of Colombia rejects the aggression against Venezuela’s sovereignty and against Latin America,” Petro wrote on X, adding that Bogotá was contacting international partners to convene the United Nations Security Council. As a current UNSC member, Colombia is seeking urgent discussions on the crisis.
Petro later shared a list of locations he said were bombarded overnight in Venezuela, claims that have not been independently verified. They included major military installations such as Fuerte Tiuna, La Carlota airbase, Cuartel de la Montaña, and a helicopter base in Higuerote, as well as civilian infrastructure and parts of Caracas that reportedly lost electricity.
Colombia’s Defence Ministry said it had activated a unified humanitarian command post in the border city of Cúcuta and placed security forces on high alert to counter potential threats from armed groups such as the ELN, which operates on both sides of the border.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry condemned what it described as an act of “armed aggression” by the United States, warning of further escalation and accusing Washington of abandoning pragmatism in favour of ideological hostility.
“The pretexts cited to justify these actions are untenable,” the ministry said in a statement.
Cuba, one of Venezuela’s closest allies, issued a sharply worded condemnation. President Miguel Díaz-Canel accused Washington of a “criminal attack” and called the strikes “state terrorism” against not only Venezuela but Latin America as a whole. He urged urgent international action, ending his statement with the revolutionary slogan: “Homeland or Death, We Shall Overcome.”
The United States’ European allies have so far remained silent, while China has not issued an official response.
Sultan Barakat, professor of public policy at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar, warned that the US actions could mark a turning point in the erosion of international norms.
“This is probably a nail in the coffin of any international agreement,” Barakat said. “The very principle of state sovereignty has now been taken apart.”
He cautioned that such actions could set dangerous precedents, allowing rival powers to justify similar moves elsewhere. “China could now point to this as justification for doing the same with Taiwan,” he said.
Barakat also drew parallels with past US-led regime-change efforts. “We have seen many attempts by the United States to change regimes — Iraq is the clearest example — and they have all led to disasters,” he said, warning that without a clear plan, Venezuela and the wider region could face years of instability.
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau defended the operation, saying Maduro would “finally face justice for his crimes.” However, Washington has not formally confirmed Maduro’s arrest, nor has it released legal documentation outlining the charges or jurisdiction.
US media reports citing unnamed officials said Trump had authorised the operation days earlier, with US forces ready as early as Christmas Day. The strikes were reportedly delayed due to weather conditions and the prioritisation of other military operations.
Videos circulating on social media showed helicopters flying over Caracas in the hours following Trump’s announcement, though their origin and purpose could not be independently verified.
Trump, whose “America First” political base has traditionally opposed prolonged foreign interventions, has nonetheless ordered military strikes in multiple countries during his presidency, including Syria, Iran, Yemen, Somalia, and Venezuela.
Venezuela, home to the world’s largest proven oil reserves, has endured a prolonged economic and social crisis over the past two decades. Heavy reliance on oil, alleged mismanagement under Hugo Chávez and Nicolas Maduro, and sweeping US and Western sanctions have contributed to hyperinflation, unemployment, widespread poverty and food insecurity.
While higher global oil prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine provided temporary relief, recent years have seen record levels of hunger and outward migration.
Maduro, who has ruled since 2013, is a close ally of the late Chávez and a vocal critic of the United States. He has consistently accused Washington of attempting to engineer regime change to gain control of Venezuela’s oil resources — an allegation US officials deny.
Western governments and Venezuelan opposition groups accuse Maduro of authoritarian rule and electoral manipulation. His 2024 election victory was not recognised by the United States and most of its allies.
Venezuela’s opposition has so far declined to comment officially on the reported US action. A spokesperson said there was no formal position as details remained unclear.
One of the opposition’s most prominent figures, Maria Corina Machado, has previously welcomed increased US pressure on Maduro, praising Trump’s recent seizures of Venezuelan oil shipments as “decisive.” However, she was barred from running in the presidential election, and her current whereabouts are unknown.
The US embassy in Bogotá said it was aware of reports of explosions in and around Caracas and reiterated its highest-level “Do Not Travel” advisory for Venezuela. US citizens currently in the country were urged to leave as soon as it is safe to do so or shelter in place.
The embassy noted that diplomatic operations in Caracas have been suspended since 2019.
As uncertainty grows over Maduro’s fate and Venezuela’s next steps, analysts warn the region could be entering its most volatile period in decades — one where the consequences of this unprecedented escalation are still impossible to fully grasp.
