Washington: Hours after loud explosions rocked Venezuela's capital, Caracas, Donald Trump confirmed that the United States carried out airstrikes on the Latin American country. Trump also confirmed that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured.
"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country," the US President posted on Truth Social.
"This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a news conference today at 11 am, at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP," he added.
The development came amid heightened tensions between the US and Venezuela over the past few weeks. Trump has repeatedly accused Maduro of presiding over what he has described as a "narco-terrorist" government.
The US had also imposed sanctions on vessels it claims are involved in transporting Venezuelan oil. Meanwhile, US forces have also stepped up actions against Venezuelan boats in the region, alleging their involvement in drug and narcotics smuggling.
Earlier, Trump had also warned Maduro and called on him to step down. Meanwhile, the Venezuelan government on Saturday called the airstrikes a "military aggression" by the United States against Venezuelan territory.
In an official statement, Venezuela alleged that the United States carried out attacks on civilian and military locations in Caracas and the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira. It termed the attack a flagrant breach of international law, including Articles 1 and 2 of the UN Charter, which uphold state sovereignty and prohibit the use of force.
In the wee hours of Saturday (local time), at least seven explosions rocked Caracas. After the explosions, several areas of the city witnessed power outages. Panic gripped residents of Caracas, with people rushing out of their homes. So far, there are no reports of any casualties due to the explosions.
