US launches strikes on Venezuela, captures President Maduro and charges him with drug offences
The United States says it has carried out a large-scale military strike against Venezuela, capturing President Nicolás Maduro in a dramatic escalation following months of U.S. threats against the Caracas government.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the operation early Saturday on social media, saying Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been “captured and flown out of the country.” Speaking later to Fox News, Trump said the operation “could not have been better” and confirmed the U.S. would play a central role in determining Venezuela’s next steps.
“We’re making that decision now,” Trump said. “We can’t take a chance on letting somebody else run it and just take over where he left off.”
The strike follows a months-long pressure campaign by Washington that included the deployment of U.S. military assets to the Caribbean and repeated attacks on boats the U.S. claims were involved in drug trafficking. The Trump administration has accused Maduro of ties to drug cartels—allegations the Venezuelan government has denied.
Maduro has repeatedly rejected the accusations, arguing the U.S. is seeking to remove him to gain access to Venezuela’s oil reserves.
In a statement posted on X, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and Flores had been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Maduro faces charges including “narco-terrorism conspiracy” and “cocaine importation conspiracy.” It remains unclear whether his wife faces the same charges, though Bondi referred to the couple as “alleged international narco traffickers.”
“They will soon face the full force of American justice in American courts,” Bondi said.
Venezuela condemns the action
Venezuela’s government reacted angrily, calling the strikes a “military aggression.” Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said the country would not surrender and announced the full mobilization of the armed forces.
“We will remain united behind one purpose: victory,” López said, adding that Venezuela’s independence was “not negotiable.”
The exact location of Maduro and Flores was not immediately confirmed. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez demanded that the U.S. provide “proof of life” for Maduro. Ruling party official Nahum Fernández said the couple were captured at their residence inside the Fort Tiuna military complex in Caracas, which he said had been bombed.
The Venezuelan government declared a national state of emergency, reporting explosions in Caracas and strikes in the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira. Officials accused Washington of attempting to seize Venezuela’s oil and mineral resources, vowing resistance.
International backlash and legal concerns
The U.S. justified the operation as part of its campaign against international drug trafficking. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau called Maduro’s capture a “new dawn” for Venezuela, saying the former leader would now face justice.
However, human rights experts and international leaders strongly criticized the operation. UN Special Rapporteur Ben Saul described the action as “illegal aggression” and an “illegal abduction” of a head of state. Analysts also compared the event to the U.S.-led capture of Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega in 1990, questioning the legality of the move.
Several Latin American leaders condemned the strikes. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said the U.S. had crossed “an unacceptable line,” while Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum cited the UN Charter’s prohibition on the use of force against another nation’s sovereignty.
Prior talks offered
Earlier this week, Maduro had said he was open to talks with the U.S. on drug trafficking, oil, and migration. In an interview aired on Venezuelan state television, he said his government was ready to negotiate “wherever and whenever” Washington wished.
His comments followed a U.S. strike last week on what Trump described as a docking area used by Venezuelan drug traffickers—the first known U.S. attack on Venezuelan territory in the campaign.
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