Venezuela President, wife captured after US airstrikes in Caracas

President Donald Trump said Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has been captured after the US carried out a “large-scale strike” on the country. He added that Maduro’s wife has also been captured and flown out of the country.  US DELTA FORCE team captured Maduro.In a post on his Truth Social, President Trump said the United States had "successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader", adding that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken into custody and flown out of the country in an operation conducted alongside US law enforcement agencies.

BREAKING US special forces (Delta Force) have just landed in Caracus, #Venezuela. pic.twitter.com/1fko0kmqtj

— RKM (@rkmtimes) January 3, 2026

The claim followed a series of loud explosions reported across Caracas from around 2 am local time on Saturday. Residents described low-flying aircraft overhead as blasts shook multiple neighbourhoods, forcing people onto the streets.Venezuela's defence ministry accused the United States of bombing residential areas on Staurday. There has been no confirmation from the Venezuelan government on the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

This comes amid Venezuela’s tensions with United States as Donald Trump-led administration takes actions against the government of President Nicolas Maduro, including the seizure of oil tankers and at least one airstrike on land earlier. Trump has repeatedly spoken about possible land operations in Venezuela as part of efforts to push Maduro to step down, including through tougher sanctions.Meanwhile, Nicolas Maduro has strongly rejected any links to criminal activity and has said the United States is trying to remove him from power to gain access to Venezuela’s large oil reserves and rare earth mineral resources.