West Palm Beach, Florida
Former US President Donald Trump has claimed that American forces have captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro following what he described as a “large-scale” US operation against the South American country.
In a post on his social media platform Truth Social on Saturday, Trump said the United States had carried out a major strike against Venezuela and that Maduro and his wife had been detained and flown out of the country. He said the operation was conducted in coordination with US law enforcement agencies.
The claim has not been independently verified, and there was no immediate confirmation from the White House, the US Department of Defence, or Venezuelan authorities.
Trump said he would provide further details at a news conference scheduled for 11:00am local time (1600 GMT) at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, where he has been spending the Christmas and New Year holiday period.
In a brief telephone interview with The New York Times, Trump described the alleged operation as “brilliant”, praising what he said was extensive planning and the role of US troops involved. The newspaper quoted him as saying the operation involved “great, great people”.
The announcement follows months of heightened US military and economic pressure on Venezuela, whose economy has been severely affected by international sanctions and declining oil production. Trump has repeatedly accused the Maduro government of corruption and involvement in drug trafficking, allegations that Venezuelan authorities have consistently denied.
In December, Trump said it would be “smart” for Maduro to step aside and warned that the Venezuelan leader’s “days are numbered”. Although Washington has not formally called for Maduro’s removal by force, the United States and several European countries do not recognise his legitimacy following disputed elections.
The claim also comes just days after Maduro reportedly sought engagement with Trump, offering cooperation on combating drug trafficking and illegal migration.
In recent weeks, the United States has significantly increased its military presence in the Caribbean, deploying naval and air assets, including the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford. US forces have also seized oil tankers linked to Venezuela as part of an expanded oil blockade and carried out aerial strikes against vessels accused of involvement in drug trafficking.
Earlier this week, Trump told reporters that US forces had destroyed a docking facility used by alleged Venezuelan drug boats, which he described as the first direct strike on Venezuelan territory during the current campaign.
Analysts say that if confirmed, the capture of a sitting foreign head of state by US forces would mark a major escalation in Washington’s confrontation with Caracas and could have serious implications for regional stability.
As of Saturday evening, however, key details of Trump’s claim remained unverified, and it was unclear whether US authorities would confirm or deny that such an operation had taken place.
