The United States hit Venezuela with a “large-scale strike” early Saturday and said President Nicolás Maduro and his wife had been captured and expelled from the country after months of intense pressure from Washington – an extraordinary overnight operation announced by President Donald Trump on social media hours after the attack.
Multiple explosions erupted and low-flying planes flew over Caracas, the capital, as Maduro’s government immediately accused the US of attacking civilian and military installations. The Venezuelan government called it an “imperialist attack” and urged citizens to take to the streets.
Trump announced the developments on Truth Social shortly after 4:30 a.m. ET and said he would host a news conference at 11 a.m. ET.
Here are the latest:
The US accused Maduro of narco-terrorism in 2020
During Trump’s first term, the Justice Department charged in multiple indictments that Maduro effectively turned Venezuela into a criminal enterprise in the service of drug traffickers and terrorist groups as he and his allies stole billions from the South American country.
The coordinated indictment of 14 government officials and individuals, and $55 million in rewards for Maduro and four others, attacked all key elements of what then-Attorney General William Barr called the “corrupt Venezuelan regime,” including the Maduro-dominated judiciary and powerful military.
An indictment by New York prosecutors accused Maduro and Socialist Party chief Diosdado Cabello, head of the Constitutional Assembly, of conspiring with Colombian rebels and members of the military “to flood the United States with cocaine” and use the drug trade as a “weapon against America.”
Read our 2020 tax news
State Department officials say ‘the tyrant is gone’
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau says the military action and capture of Maduro marks “a new dawn for Venezuela”, saying “the tyrant is gone”.
Posted on X hours after the strike. His boss, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, posted in July saying Maduro is “NOT the president of Venezuela and his regime is NOT the legitimate government.”
Sen. Lee says Rubio told him he doesn’t anticipate any further action in Venezuela
Utah Sen. Mike Lee said Rubio informed him he “does not anticipate any further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in U.S. custody,” the lawmaker posted on social media.
Senator Lee says Rubio informed him that Maduro will be tried in the US
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, posted on X that he spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who informed him of the strike. Rubio told Lee that Maduro “has been arrested by American personnel to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States.”
The White House did not immediately respond to questions about where Maduro and his wife were taken. Maduro was indicted in March 2020 on “narco-terrorism” conspiracy charges in the Southern District of New York.
Colombia prepares to receive refugees from Venezuela
Colombian President Gustavo Petro, one of Trump’s fiercest critics, said the Colombian government called a national security meeting before dawn Saturday and sent security forces to the border in preparation for a potential “massive influx of refugees” from neighboring Venezuela.
He said he would also ask the UN Security Council to consider “aggression against the sovereignty of Venezuela and Latin America”.
“Without sovereignty, there is no nation,” Petro wrote on social media.
Russia calls US action ‘an act of armed aggression’
Russia’s Foreign Ministry condemned what it called an “act of armed aggression” by the US against Venezuela in a statement posted on its Telegram channel on Saturday.
“Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny without any destructive intervention, let alone military, from outside,” the statement said.
The ministry called for dialogue to prevent further escalation and said it reaffirmed its “solidarity” with the Venezuelan people and government, adding that Russia supports calls for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
The State Department is urging Americans in Venezuela to shelter in place
The State Department issued a new travel alert early Saturday, warning Americans in Venezuela to “shelter in place” because of the situation.
“The US Embassy in Bogota is aware of reports of explosions in and around Caracas, Venezuela,” it said without elaborating.
“The U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia warns U.S. citizens not to travel to Venezuela. U.S. citizens in Venezuela should shelter in place.” The Bogota embassy has been closed since March 2019, but is operating remotely.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio retweeted Trump’s announcement without comment, but his deputy, Christopher Landau, tweeted Trump’s statement, adding that it marked “a new dawn for Venezuela!” “The tyrant is gone. Now, finally, he will face justice for his crimes,” Landau said.
Venezuelan VP demands proof of life for Maduro
Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez says: “We don’t know where President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores are.” He added: “We demand proof of life.”
Trump says Maduro, the wife, has been captured
Trump said Maduro “was, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement. Details to come.” He set a press conference for later Saturday morning.
Explosions rock Caracas
Explosions in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, at the start of the third day of 2026 – at least seven explosions – sent people rushing into the streets, while others took to social media to report hearing and seeing the blasts. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties. The apparent attack itself lasted less than 30 minutes, but it was unclear if further action was forthcoming, although Trump said in his post that the strikes had been carried out “successfully”.