The United States launched air strikes on Venezuela from Friday night into Saturday, with US President Donald Trump stating that American special forces had captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
When did the attacks begin?
Powerful explosions were first heard shortly before 2:00am local time (8:00am Cyprus time) in Caracas and surrounding areas. According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the explosions continued until around 5:15am (9:15am Cyprus time).
Images shared on social media showed missiles streaking across the sky before striking their targets. Helicopters were also seen flying over Caracas.
Shortly before 1:00pm Cyprus time, US Republican Senator Mike Lee said, citing a telephone conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, that the United States had completed its military operation in Venezuela following the capture of Maduro.
What were the targets of the attacks?
The explosions, some of which were extremely powerful, appeared to have occurred in southern and eastern parts of the capital, possibly including Fuerte Tiuna, the vast military complex in Caracas that houses the Ministry of Defence and the Military Academy.
The site also includes residential areas for troops, where thousands of families live. At one of the entrances, which remained guarded, a small armoured vehicle and a truck were seen with visible bullet holes, AFP journalists reported.
Residents were seen leaving the area early in the morning with suitcases and bags. They declined to speak to reporters, although one woman said she was leaving “because we were almost killed”.
Other explosions were reported near the La Carlota aeronautical complex, a military and private airport in eastern Caracas. A burnt-out armoured vehicle and a destroyed bus were visible, according to AFP.
Explosions were also reported in western Venezuela, in La Guaira - home to Caracas’ international airport and port - as well as in Maracay, the capital of Aragua state, around 100 kilometres south-west of Caracas, and in Higuerote, in Miranda state on the Caribbean coast.
Are there reports of casualties?
Venezuelan Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López accused the US military of attacking civilian areas, saying that “invading forces violated our territory”, striking residential zones with missiles and rockets launched from combat helicopters.
He said authorities were gathering information on the wounded and the dead. No official casualty figures were available at the time of writing.
Was President Maduro captured and taken out of the country?
“President Nicolás Maduro and his wife (Cilia Flores) were captured and flown out of the country,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi later said that Maduro and his wife would face criminal charges following indictments filed in a New York court.
It remains unclear how the Venezuelan president was captured. US helicopters were seen flying over Caracas, and American officials told CBS News that Maduro was seized by Delta Force commandos, an elite US special operations unit.
Maduro’s whereabouts had been uncertain in recent months, with reports suggesting he frequently changed locations. On Thursday, Venezuelan television aired an interview showing him driving through Caracas.
Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez demanded “proof of life” for the presidential couple, while Russia called for “immediate clarification” regarding Maduro’s fate.
What has been the international reaction?
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva condemned the US military attack and Maduro’s arrest, saying the move exceeded all “acceptable limits”.
Cuba denounced what it described as a “criminal” US attack, while Colombian President Gustavo Petro ordered troops to be deployed along the Venezuelan border, warning of the risk of regional destabilisation and a humanitarian crisis. Mexico, Chile and several other Latin American countries also condemned the strikes.
Russia, Venezuela’s main ally, described the operation as an “act of armed aggression”, rejecting what it called the pretexts used to justify it. Iran likewise condemned what it described as a “blatant violation” of Venezuela’s sovereignty.
In Europe, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said any solution must respect international law, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called for restraint. Spain offered to act as a mediator to help find a peaceful resolution.
Venezuela has requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.