US launches military strikes on Venezuela, captures President Maduro, says Trump 

Washington (Web Desk/Agencies): US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that American forces had taken Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro into custody following a “large-scale strike” on the Latin American country.

In a post shared on his Truth Social platform, Trump claimed the United States had executed a “large-scale strike” on Venezuela that resulted in the detention of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, who were then flown out of 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.

He said the mission was conducted with the support of US law enforcement agencies and announced that he would hold a press conference at 11:00am (1600 GMT) at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

“This operation was done in conjunction with US law enforcement,” he added.

Trump also spoke briefly by phone with The New York Times, where he praised the mission’s execution. “A lot of good planning and a lot of great, great troops and great people,” the newspaper quoted him as saying, describing the action as “brilliant.” According to a US official, Maduro was apprehended by elite American special forces.

If verified, the operation would represent the most direct US military involvement in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama that led to the removal of military ruler Manuel Noriega. At the time of Trump’s announcement, there was no immediate confirmation or response from the Venezuelan government.

The dramatic claim came after months of intensifying US military and economic pressure on Maduro’s left-wing administration and on Venezuela’s economy, which is heavily dependent on oil exports.

Trump had earlier warned in December that “it would be smart for (Maduro)” to resign and had also stated that the Venezuelan leader’s “days are numbered.”

Trump’s assertion that Maduro had been captured emerged just two days after the Venezuelan president attempted to open lines of communication with Washington, offering cooperation in combating drug trafficking and illegal migration.

The United States has repeatedly accused Maduro of running a “narco-state” and manipulating election outcomes, and Trump has frequently spoken of the possibility of land operations in Venezuela.

Maduro, who took office in 2013 after succeeding Hugo Chavez, has long argued that Washington’s real objective is to seize control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the largest in the world.

Trump has put forward multiple justifications for his hardline stance, including allegations that Venezuela is a major source of narcotics entering the United States and claims that the country has expropriated American oil interests.

Although the Republican president has not explicitly demanded Maduro’s removal from power, the US government — along with several European nations — does not recognize him as Venezuela’s legitimate leader.

In recent weeks, the United States has significantly expanded its naval and air presence in the Caribbean, deploying assets such as the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and additional warships.

As part of an oil blockade, US forces have seized two tankers at sea and carried out air strikes that reportedly killed more than 100 people while targeting small boats accused of drug trafficking.

Earlier in the week, Trump told reporters that American forces had struck and destroyed a docking facility allegedly used by Venezuelan drug boats, describing it as the first known attack on Venezuelan territory during the campaign.