“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who, along with his wife, has been captured and flown out of the country”, Trump wrote on Truth Social.

A CNN team witnessed several explosions and heard aircraft early Saturday in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas. The network reported that several areas of the city were without electricity. The first blast observed by the CNN team was recorded at approximately 1:50 a.m. local time (12:50 a.m. ET). Journalists in the capital said they could hear the sound of aircraft following the explosions, while multiple neighborhoods experienced power outages.

In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly warned that the United States was preparing to take new action against alleged drug trafficking networks in Venezuela, stating that strikes on land would begin “soon.” His pressure campaign against Maduro has included attacks that destroyed more than 30 boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean, actions the US has described as part of a counter-narcotics operation. Last month, Trump ordered a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.

According to CNN, the CIA carried out a drone strike in December on a port facility along Venezuela’s coast, citing sources. The incident marked the first known US attack on a target inside the country. (CNN)