US President Donald Trump has announced that American forces have launched a “large-scale strike” on Venezuela, resulting in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro.
According to the US President, both Mr. Maduro and his wife have been detained and “flown out of the country.” Officials told the BBC’s US partner, CBS News, that the operation to capture the Venezuelan leader was carried out by the US Army’s elite Delta Force.
The move marks the most significant US military build-up in the Americas since the Cold War and follows weeks of escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas.
Venezuela declares emergency
In response to the operation, the Venezuelan government has declared a state of national emergency. Authorities in Caracas issued a statement saying they “reject and denounce” what they described as “military aggression.”
Despite the scale of the operation, some senior US figures suggest the intervention may be limited in scope. Republican Senator Mike Lee stated that Secretary of State Marco Rubio anticipates no further military action against the country.
What remains unclear
While the capture of the President has been confirmed by Washington, several critical details remain unknown:
- Location: The current whereabouts of President Maduro and his wife have not been disclosed.
- Casualties: There is currently no official word on deaths or injuries resulting from the strikes.
- Damage: The extent of the physical damage to Venezuelan infrastructure remains unclear.
- Scale: The exact number of strikes and their specific locations across the country have yet to be confirmed.
Our correspondent, Will Grant, says the region is now bracing for the fallout of an intervention that has fundamentally shifted the geopolitical landscape of the Americas.
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