WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump announced Saturday that the United States has captured Venezuala’s President Nicolas Maduro following a “large-scale” military strike on the country.
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela,” Trump said in a social media post, adding that Maduro and his wife have been “captured and flown out of the Country.”
The announcement came after at least seven explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard in the capital Caracas, according to media reports. The explosions sent residents fleeing into the streets.
The Venezuelan government has reportedly condemned the “imperialist attack” on the country and sought an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council.
According to Trump, the operation “was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement.”
The Trump administration has accused Maduro’s government of involvement in drug trafficking to the United States and Maduro himself of narco-terrorism.
Republican Sen. Mike Lee posted on social media that Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed him that Maduro would “stand trial on criminal charges in the United States, and that the kinetic action we saw tonight was deployed to protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant.”
The senator also said that Rubio “anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in U.S. custody.”
Meanwhile, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said on state television that the whereabouts of Maduro were unknown.
CBS News reported that the U.S. Army’s Delta Force, an elite special forces unit, carried out the operation to capture Maduro, and quoted U.S. officials as saying that Trump ordered strikes on sites inside Venezuela including military facilities.
BY: The Times Union
