President Donald Trump on Saturday confirmed US strikes against Venezuela, saying President Nicolás Maduro and his wife had been captured and taken out of the country.
“The United States has successfully conducted a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who was captured and taken out of the country along with his wife. This operation was carried out in cooperation with US law enforcement,” Trump said on the Truth Social website.
A press conference is scheduled for 11 a.m. (local time) today at Mar-a-Lago, he added.
US-Venezuela conflict
Residents of Caracas reported hearing loud explosions and seeing planes flying overhead, while several parts of the city experienced power outages. Gunfire was also reported in several areas, including Higuerote and La Guaira, towns near the capital, a Bloomberg report noted.
The incidents began around 2 a.m. local time, when residents first heard planes and explosions. According to witnesses, explosions occurred near military facilities.
Trump has accused Venezuela of using its oil revenues to fund a range of criminal activities, including drug trafficking and terrorism. As part of his campaign of pressure, U.S. Navy SEALs have raided vessels suspected of drug trafficking, resulting in more than 100 deaths, and seized two oil tankers. Venezuela rejected the accusations and called the US actions illegal.
Maduro, who took office in 2013 after replacing Hugo Chávez, countered that Washington was seeking to seize control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the largest in the world, according to Reuters. In recent weeks, Washington has stepped up pressure on Maduro by imposing sanctions on his relatives and on Chinese companies involved in trading Venezuelan oil.
(This is a developing story. More to come)
