——Flown to U.S. For Prosecution
IPNEWS: President Donald Trump has announced that United States forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a “large-scale” military strike against Venezuela early Saturday morning.
Maduro and his wife were reportedly seized by the U.S. Army’s Delta Force, the military’s top special mission unit. They have been flown out of Venezuela to face criminal charges in the United States.
The operation involved a series of airstrikes on strategic and military targets in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, and other regions starting around 1:50 a.m. local time. Reported targets included the Fuerte Tiuna military complex and the La Carlota airbase.
The U.S. government has long sought Maduro’s arrest following his 2020 indictment on narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges. A $50 million reward was previously offered for information leading to his capture.
President Trump stated the operation was conducted in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement.
Vice President Delcy Rodríguez confirmed that the government was unaware of Maduro’s whereabouts and demanded “immediate proof of life”. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López declared a state of national emergency and called for a “united front of resistance” against the foreign intervention.
A formal news conference to provide more details is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. EST today at Mar-a-Lago.
Major allies of Maduro, including Cuba, have denounced the operation as “state terrorism,” while Colombian President Gustavo Petro called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting.
This development follows months of escalating tension, including a massive U.S. naval buildup in the Caribbean and the seizure of Venezuelan-linked oil tankers.
The captured of Maduro, follows a successful 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 said in a Truth Social post.
The U.S. had accused Maduro of running a “narco-state” and rigging last year’s election, which the opposition said it won overwhelmingly. The Venezuelan leader, who succeeded Hugo Chavez to take power in 2013, has said Washington wants to take control of Venezuela’s oil reserves, the largest in the world.
President Donald J. Trump said the operation was carried out “in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement” and promised more details at an 11 a.m. (1600 GMT) press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
Maduro was captured by elite special forces troops, a U.S. official told Reuters.
There was no immediate confirmation by the Venezuelan government of Maduro’s capture or departure, but Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino was defiant.
