Breaking: Trump Claims U.S. Capture of Venezuelan President Amidst Airstrike Controversy

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United States President Donald Trump has said the US has captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and removed them from the country, after a wave of airstrikes on the South American nation.

“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,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

“This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow, Trump said, adding that there would be a news conference at 11am local time (3am AEDT) at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

Venezuelan vice president Delcy Rodriguez has said the Venezuelan government does not know the whereabouts of Maduro or his wife, Cilia Flores.

“We demand immediate proof of life of President Nicolas Maduro and the first combatant Cilia Flores,” Rodriguez said on Saturday morning in an audio clip played on state television.

The Venezuelan government has issued a strong denunciation of what it described as “military aggression” by the United States, following a series of airstrikes that targeted the capital city and other regions.

A woman in a white blouse and jeans runs down a city sidewalk at night with a concerned expression, while a man on a cell phone runs behind her.

In the early hours of January 3, 2026, the normally bustling streets of Caracas were thrown into chaos as explosions reverberated and aircraft flew at low altitudes overhead, sending pedestrians scrambling for safety. Source: AP / Matias Delacroix

Trump has repeatedly promised land operations in Venezuela. He has not publicly detailed his aims but has privately pressured Maduro to flee the nation, Reuters has reported.

The US has made a major military buildup in the region, including an aircraft carrier, warships and advanced fighter jets stationed in the Caribbean.

Trump has sought a “blockade” of Venezuelan oil, expanded sanctions against the Maduro government and staged more than two dozen strikes on vessels the US alleges were involved in trafficking drugs in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

According to the official statement, these attacks were not limited to Caracas; they also occurred in the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira. In response, President Maduro declared a national emergency, urging both social and political groups to implement “mobilisation plans” immediately.

The Venezuelan government said in its earlier statement that the goal of the attack was for the US to take possession of the country’s oil and minerals, adding that the US “will not succeed”.

“In strict adherence to Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, Venezuela reserves the right to exercise legitimate self-defence to protect its people, its territory, and its independence,” the statement read.

“We call upon the peoples and governments of Latin America, the Caribbean, and the world to mobilise in active solidarity in the face of this imperial aggression.”

The US has not made such a direct intervention in Latin America since the invasion of Panama in 1989 to depose military leader Manuel Noriega, over similar allegations.