BREAKING: White House Confirms U.S. Operation in Venezuela, Maduro Taken Into Custody

President Donald J. Trump, the current President of the United States, announced early Saturday morning that a U.S. military operation in Venezuela resulted in the capture of the country’s long-time socialist ruler, Nicolás Maduro, who has been accused by U.S. authorities of narco-trafficking and corruption.

Shortly after 4 a.m. Eastern, President Trump confirmed the development in a statement posted to Truth Social.

“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. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow,” Trump said on Truth Social.

He added:

“There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Initial reports from The Associated Press suggested that neither the Pentagon nor the White House was prepared to comment on the unfolding situation, and calls to U.S. Southern Command reportedly went unanswered. However, Fox News soon contradicted that narrative, reporting just after 3 a.m. Eastern that administration sources had confirmed active U.S. military operations.

“The United States is attacking Venezuela.”

Although officials did not immediately disclose the mission’s objectives or initial targets, Fox News also reported that approximately one hour before the strikes began, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a notice barring all American aircraft from operating “at all altitudes within Venezuelan airspace”—a move typically associated with imminent military action.

Visual evidence quickly followed. Videos circulating online showed explosions in Caracas alongside aircraft flying at low altitude over the capital.

Subsequent reporting indicated that U.S. forces successfully extracted both Maduro and his wife from Venezuelan territory. Early analysis noted the use of a CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter, a platform commonly associated with troop insertion or high-value target extraction. With Maduro now reportedly in custody, it appears the operation was designed for the latter.

Eyewitness accounts from Caracas painted a picture of sudden chaos.

“The whole ground shook. This is horrible. We heard explosions and planes,” said Carmen Hidalgo, a 21-year-old office worker, told The Associated Press. “We felt like the air was hitting us.”

Despite Maduro’s reported capture, messages attributed to Venezuela’s regime claimed that he had “ordered all national defense plans to be implemented” and declared “a state of external disturbance.” It remains unclear whether the order was issued by Maduro himself or by regime officials attempting to project control amid the rapidly unfolding crisis.

“People to the streets!” a statement from the government said. “The Bolivarian Government calls on all social and political forces in the country to activate mobilization plans and repudiate this imperialist attack.”

Reuters reported that Maduro condemned U.S. “military aggression” in a statement, while Colombia’s president called for emergency meetings of the United Nations and the Organization of American States.

The Associated Press described widespread disruption in the capital following the strikes.

“The explosions in Caracas occurred within less than 30 minutes. People in various neighborhoods rushed to the streets. while others took to social media to report hearing and seeing the blasts. Two hours later, various areas of the city remained without power, but vehicles continued to move freely,” the AP reported.

“Smoke could be seen rising from the hangar of a military base in Caracas. Another military installation in the capital was without power.”

Relations between Venezuela’s socialist regime and the Trump administration—both during Trump’s first term and now his second—have long been strained. During his initial presidency, Trump recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, though that move failed to dislodge Maduro from power. Likewise, the 2024 Venezuelan elections were widely criticized by international observers as overtly fraudulent.

Tensions escalated further in recent months after the Pentagon began targeting vessels linked to Venezuelan narco-terrorist networks in the Caribbean. In December, U.S. forces seized two oil tankers accused of evading international sanctions. Last week, a drone strike targeted a cartel-operated docking facility—marking the first acknowledged U.S. military action on Venezuelan soil.

Those actions followed President Trump’s decision to impose a naval blockade on the Maduro regime after the initial tanker seizure.

“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America,” Trump said when announcing the blockade.

“It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before — Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us.”

The White House is expected to provide additional details during the president’s scheduled news conference later today.