Daijiworld Media Network - Washington

Washington, Jan 4: The United States early Saturday claimed it carried out a “large-scale strike” on Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro in a dramatic overnight operation, triggering sharp international reactions and plunging the crisis-hit Latin American nation into fresh uncertainty ahead of key political developments.

US President Donald Trump announced the operation on social media hours after the attack, posting a photograph that he said showed Maduro in custody aboard a US naval vessel. The image, shared on Trump’s Truth Social platform, appeared to show the Venezuelan leader blindfolded, handcuffed and wearing grey sportswear, with Trump writing: “Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima.”

Trump later said Maduro had been captured by US forces and flown out of Venezuela along with his wife, Cilia Flores. “We’ll be involved very much as to who will govern the country,” Trump told Fox News, adding that Washington could not risk a power vacuum. He described the raid as a message that the United States would “not be pushed around.”

According to Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernandez, Maduro and his wife were at their residence inside the Ft. Tiuna military complex in Caracas when US forces struck. He alleged that the operation involved bombing and amounted to a “kidnapping of the president and the first lady.”

Trump said the couple would face prosecution in New York. US Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that Maduro and Flores would face charges, saying they would “soon face the full wrath of American justice.” Maduro was indicted by US authorities in 2020 on narcotics-related charges, though details of any fresh indictment against his wife remain unclear.

The legality of the strike and whether Congress was consulted was not immediately known. The operation, which reportedly lasted less than 30 minutes, drew comparisons to the 1990 US invasion of Panama that led to the capture of leader Manuel Noriega.

Explosions and low-flying aircraft were reported across Caracas during the night, with Venezuela accusing the US of attacking civilian and military installations. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said the government did not know Maduro’s whereabouts and demanded “proof of life,” while also claiming that civilians and military personnel were killed, without giving figures.

Russia condemned the US action as an “act of armed aggression,” while the European Union urged restraint and respect for international law. Cuba and Iran also denounced the strikes, whereas Argentina’s President Javier Milei praised Trump’s move.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs issued an advisory urging Indian nationals to avoid non-essential travel to Venezuela and asked those in the country to exercise extreme caution and stay in touch with the Indian embassy in Caracas.

As dawn broke, some pro-government supporters rallied in parts of Caracas shouting “Bring back Maduro,” while other areas remained eerily quiet amid power outages. US authorities have warned pilots to avoid Venezuelan airspace, citing ongoing military activity.

With Washington claiming Maduro’s capture and Caracas disputing the narrative, the episode has set off a geopolitical storm, raising questions over Venezuela’s leadership, regional stability, and the broader implications of a direct US military intervention.