Hours after US President Donald Trump confirmed that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife had been captured and flown out of Venezuela, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said that the whereabouts of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were unknown and demanded proof that they are safe.
“We do not know the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. We demand proof of life,” Vice President Rodríguez said on state TV.
US President Donald Trump took to Truth Social and said, "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. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago," the post read.
A picture of Maduro being captured by US soldiers is going viral on social media. In the viral photo, US soldiers could be seen holding the Venezuelan President. Meanwhile, a military chopper could also be seen. The exact location where Maduro and his wife were taken by US soldiers is not known.
Loud explosions were heard around the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, on Saturday. Visuals on social media showed many buildings on fire across the city. Loud explosions were reportedly heard starting at 2:00 am (local time).
In its official statement after the attacks, Venezuela said it rejected "military aggression" by the United States.
Trump had for weeks warned of ground strikes on drug cartels in Venezuela. He had also deployed a huge naval and aerial presence in the Caribbean, including the US' most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, and other warships. Trump has accused Venezuela President Nicol;as Maduro of heading a drug cartel. He recently said that "it would be smart" for Maduro to step down and warned the Venezuelan leader that his "days are numbered".
Maduro has denied any involvement in the narcotics trade, saying Washington is seeking to overthrow him because Venezuela has the largest known reserves of oil on Earth.
