US President Trump announces capture of Venezuela's Maduro

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - US President Donald Trump announced Saturday that Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and his wife have been captured following a “large‑scale strike” by US forces in the country.

"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Trump added that the operation was "done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement," and said further details would be released later.

Earlier, the government of Venezuela accused the United States of attacking both civilian and military installations across multiple states, rejecting what it described as “military aggression” by Washington.

Maduro’s administration declared a national emergency in response to the reported strikes.

There was no immediate confirmation from Venezuelan authorities regarding Trump’s announcement.

The United States has repeatedly accused Maduro of presiding over a “narco‑state” and of manipulating elections.

Maduro, who succeeded Hugo Chavez as president in 2013, has maintained that Washington’s true objective is to seize control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the largest in the world.