Venezuela Bombing: Trump Asserts Maduro & Wife Caught After Massive Strikes On Caracas By US | World News
In a shocking move that resonated around the world, US President Donald Trump announced just after midnight on Saturday, January 3, 2026 that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were now in US custody.
The statement came just hours after a series of massive explosions in the Venezuelan capital Caracas, marking a fundamental shift in the Trump administration’s “anti-drug” military operations in the region.
‘We were caught and flew’: Claim from the President
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President Trump announced the raid on the social media site Truth Social, stating that it was carried out jointly with law enforcement agencies in the United States.
“The United States has successfully carried out a major attack against Venezuela and its president, Nicolas Maduro, who was arrested and removed from the country along with his wife,” Donald Trump wrote.
The president will hold a formal press conference at 11 a.m. today at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to provide more information about the mission.
Air Strikes in the Early Night
This comes as there are reports of intense bombardments in Caracas since 2am. That’s according to locals who heard the roar of low-flying planes followed by at least seven large explosions.
Key Goals: Smoke was seen from La Carlota military airport and the Fuerte Tiuna military complex, which serves as the headquarters of the Venezuelan army.
Civilian Casualties: Although the US appears to be targeting military and “narco-terrorist” infrastructure, the Venezuelan government finds that the US is conducting a “brutal military assault” on civilian infrastructure.
Venezuela Declares State of Emergency
Before any allegations of his arrest emerged, Maduro’s government had already declared a “state of external unrest” and national emergency. Government leaders called for “mass mobilization” of the people to reject imperialist aggression.
News that Maduro was expelled from the country created a huge power vacuum in Caracas. Venezuelan opposition leaders such as Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado have previously supported the “maximum pressure” policy advocated by President Donald Trump, although they have not yet reacted to today’s extraordinary events.
READ ALSO | Caught on Camera: Fireballs Explode in Caracas in Suspicious US Attack; Citizens Flee to the Streets
