The United States carried out a “large-scale strike” against Venezuela early Saturday, capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and removing them from the country in a nighttime operation announced by President Donald Trump hours after the attack.
According to sources familiar with U.S. plans cited by CNN, Maduro and Flores were captured in Caracas by U.S. forces and detained aboard the USS Iwo Jima, a United States Navy vessel.
The sources said the two were taken into custody after the military operation and embarked on the ship shortly afterward.
ABC News reported that Maduro and his wife are expected to make a stop at the U.S. naval base in Guantánamo, Cuba, before being transferred by an FBI aircraft to New York.
Maduro is expected to arrive in New York later on Saturday, the same day he was captured.
Trump confirmed the attack hours after explosions and military aircraft overflights were reported in Caracas and other parts of the country.
He said the operation was successful and that Maduro and Flores are being transported to New York to stand trial on drug trafficking charges.
The U.S. president also warned that a second military offensive could follow if deemed necessary.
It remains unclear who will govern Venezuela following Maduro’s removal.
Speaking at a news conference in Florida, Trump said opposition leader María Corina Machado does not have the “support or respect” required to lead the country.
He described her as “a very nice woman” but said she does not inspire sufficient authority, adding that the United States has had no contact with her.
Machado, who has been identified by Trump as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, said former opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia should “immediately assume” the presidency following Maduro’s capture.
The Venezuelan government condemned the operation, describing it as a “very serious military aggression” by the United States, and declared a state of emergency.
In Canada, Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre welcomed the developments, congratulating Trump on what he described as the arrest of a “narco-terrorist and socialist dictator.”
Poilievre said Maduro should spend the rest of his life in prison and called for González to take office alongside Machado.
Canada´s Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand adopted a more cautious tone.
In a written statement, she said Canada has refused to recognize the legitimacy of the Maduro government since closing its embassy in Venezuela in 2019 and has opposed what it describes as repression of the Venezuelan people, including the persecution of political opponents.
Anand called on all parties to respect international law and said Canada is monitoring developments closely while standing ready to assist Canadians through consular officials and its embassy in Bogotá, Colombia.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed deep concern over the escalation of tensions, warning that U.S. military action could have worrying implications for the wider region.
