The United States carried out military strikes inside Venezuela early Saturday in a major escalation of tensions, with President Donald Trump claiming the operation resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump described the action as a “large-scale strike” conducted “in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement,” asserting that Maduro and his wife had been “captured and flown out of the country.” The White House has not released further details confirming the claim.
U.S. media outlets, including Fox News and CBS News, separately reported that American forces had conducted strikes inside Venezuela, marking a dramatic shift in Washington’s posture toward the Maduro government.
In an initial response, Maduro accused Washington of launching an unlawful attack on Venezuelan territory.
“Venezuela rejects, repudiates, and denounces before the international community the extremely serious military aggression perpetrated by the current government of the United States of America,” the government said in a statement.
Officials in Caracas did not immediately confirm Trump’s claim that Maduro had been captured or removed from the country.
The strikes prompted swift reactions from governments across Latin America and beyond.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said the attack risked destabilizing the region. Writing on X, Petro said Colombia was “alerting the whole world that Venezuela has been attacked,” while urging respect for international law and the protection of civilian life.
Cuba issued a strongly worded condemnation, accusing Washington of carrying out what it described as a “criminal attack.” President Miguel Díaz-Canel said the action amounted to “state terrorism” and called for an urgent international response, warning that Latin America’s declared “zone of peace” was under threat.
Iran’s foreign ministry also condemned the strikes, describing them as a “flagrant violation” of Venezuela’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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Russia’s foreign ministry said it was “deeply concerned” by what it called an “act of armed aggression,” urging all sides to prevent further escalation and pursue dialogue instead. Moscow reaffirmed its support for Venezuela’s leadership and its right to determine its own future without outside military intervention.
Spain’s foreign ministry called for restraint and de-escalation, stressing the need to respect international law. Madrid said it was willing to help facilitate negotiations aimed at a peaceful resolution.
The reported strikes follow weeks of heightened tensions between Washington and Caracas, as the Trump administration has intensified pressure on Maduro over allegations related to drug trafficking, migration, and democratic governance.
It remains unclear how Venezuela will respond militarily or diplomatically, or whether the United States plans further operations. Independent verification of Trump’s claims regarding Maduro’s status was not immediately possible.