The United States launched a “large-scale strike” on Venezuela early Saturday and claimed that President Nicolás Maduro had been captured and flown out of the country, a dramatic escalation in Washington’s months-long pressure campaign against the South American nation.President Donald Trump announced the operation on Truth Social shortly after 4.30 am ET, hours after explosions and low-flying aircraft were reported over Caracas. Maduro, Trump said, “has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with US Law Enforcement. Details to follow.” He said the strikes were carried out “successfully” and said a news conference would follow later in the day.Venezuela’s government immediately accused the United States of attacking civilian and military installations, calling it an “imperialist attack” and urging supporters to take to the streets. It was not immediately clear who was in charge of the country, and Maduro’s whereabouts were unknown beyond Trump’s claim.What happened overnightAt least seven explosions were heard in Caracas in the early hours of Saturday as low-flying aircraft swept through the capital. Reuters witnesses reported seeing black smoke rising over parts of the city from around 2 am (0600 GMT), with blasts and aircraft visible for roughly 90 minutes.Smoke rose from the hangar of a military base in Caracas, while another military installation lost power. Parts of the city were left without electricity hours later, though traffic continued to move in several areas.Videos verified by the Associated Press showed tracers and smoke clouding the night sky over Caracas and an unidentified coastal city, with repeated muted explosions lighting up surrounding hills. Other footage showed cars moving on highways as blasts illuminated the landscape behind them.“The whole ground shook. This is horrible. We heard explosions and planes,” said Carmen Hidalgo, a 21-year-old office worker. “We felt like the air was hitting us.”Story continues below this adWhile armed civilians and members of a pro-government militia appeared on the streets in some ruling party strongholds, other neighbourhoods remained largely deserted hours after the strikes.US confirmation, limited official detailThe Federal Aviation Administration banned US commercial and private flights in Venezuelan airspace and over nearby Curaçao, citing “safety-of-flight risks associated with ongoing military activity”.Despite Trump’s announcement, there was no immediate detailed briefing from the White House or the Pentagon. The Pentagon referred queries to the White House, while US Southern Command did not respond. Trump was at his private club in Palm Beach, Florida, and offered no further comment on social media beyond his initial post.Reuters later quoted a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, as saying the United States carried out strikes inside Venezuela, without providing details on targets or objectives.Story continues below this adThe US Embassy website for Venezuela, though the embassy has been closed since 2019, warned American citizens to shelter in place after reports of explosions in and around Caracas.Why the US struck VenezuelaThe attack comes after nearly five months of escalating pressure by the Trump administration on Maduro, who has been charged with narco-terrorism in the United States. Since August, Washington has ordered a major military buildup off Venezuela’s northern coast, including the deployment of an aircraft carrier, warships and advanced fighter jets, the largest US military presence in the region in generations.Since early September, the US military has been attacking boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific that it alleges were carrying drugs. As of Friday, US figures showed 35 boat strikes and at least 115 people killed. Trump has justified the operations as necessary to stem the flow of drugs into the US, saying Washington is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels.Last week, Trump said the US had struck an area in Venezuela where boats were loaded with drugs, marking the first known land operations on Venezuelan soil during the current pressure campaign. Other media outlets have reported that the CIA was behind those operations.Story continues below this adAlongside military action, Washington has expanded sanctions, seized sanctioned oil tankers and sought what Trump has described as a “blockade” of Venezuelan oil, measures aimed at tightening economic pressure on Caracas. Trump has repeatedly threatened land strikes and has privately urged Maduro to leave the country, according to Reuters. Earlier this week, he said it would be “smart” for Maduro to step aside.The US, Venezuela’s opposition and several other countries say Maduro rigged last year’s election to remain in power, a charge his government rejects.Caracas’ response and international reactionVenezuela rejected what it called US “military aggression” and accused Washington of trying to seize the country’s oil and mineral resources. The government said the US “will not succeed” in taking those resources and urged the international community to denounce what it described as a violation of international law.In a statement, the government said Maduro had “ordered all national defense plans to be implemented” and declared “a state of external disturbance”, granting the authorities expanded emergency powers and a greater role for the armed forces.Story continues below this adColombia’s President Gustavo Petro said on social media that Caracas was being bombed and called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. He later published what he claimed was a list of bombed sites, including the Cuartel de la Montaña barracks in Caracas, which houses the mausoleum of Hugo Chávez, a central symbol of Chavismo, the political movement that has governed Venezuela since 1999.Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes, and Iranian state television broadcast images of explosions in Caracas. Cuba, a close ally of Maduro and a long-time US adversary, also criticised the attack.Legal and political questions in WashingtonIn the US, the strikes prompted questions about their legal basis. Senator Mike Lee, a Republican from Utah, said on X, “I look forward to learning what, if anything, might constitutionally justify this action in the absence of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force.”What to watch nextSaturday’s strikes, and Trump’s claim that Maduro has been captured, represent the sharpest escalation yet in the US campaign against Venezuela’s leadership. Key uncertainties remain: whether Maduro is indeed in US custody, who is exercising authority in Caracas, the full scale of damage and casualties, and whether further military action will follow.Story continues below this adThe developments come just a day after Venezuela said it was open to negotiating an agreement with the US to combat drug trafficking. Maduro also said in a pre-recorded interview aired this week that Washington was seeking regime change and access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.As clarity emerges, the events of early Saturday are likely to reshape not just Venezuela’s internal politics, but also regional stability and U.S. relations across Latin America.