Washington, DC – US President Donald Trump announced early this morning via his Truth Social account that the United States had launched a “large-scale attack” against Venezuela. He confirmed the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and their removal from the country.
The US military operation began in the early hours of this morning. Around 2:00 AM Caracas time, airstrikes and explosions rocked the Venezuelan capital, particularly near the Fuerte Tiuna military complex.
Trump wrote in his post: “The United States has successfully carried out a large-scale attack against Venezuela and its leader… Maduro and his wife have been captured and have left the country.”
This strike comes as part of an operation dubbed “Operation Southern Spear.” The operation began with a US military buildup in the Caribbean in August 2015, ostensibly to combat drug trafficking.
The Venezuelan position:
Prior to the announcement of the arrest, the Venezuelan government issued a statement condemning what it called a “serious military aggression.” Maduro declared a state of emergency before news of his detention broke.
