US President Donald Trump revealed on Saturday unprecedented details about a large-scale US military operation carried out inside Venezuela, which resulted in the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, and their transfer out of the country, in what is considered the most dangerous development in the history of relations between Washington and Caracas.
Trump said he followed Maduro’s arrest operation “live on air”, describing what happened as closer to a “television program”, in a striking expression of the nature and speed of the operation.
He added in a phone interview: “I literally watched it as if I were watching a television show. You should have seen the speed and the violence. We watched every aspect of it.”
Storming a “Fortress” and Naval Transfer Abroad
The US president explained that American special forces arrested Maduro from inside what he described as a “fortress”, before transferring him directly to a US Navy warship.
Trump confirmed that Maduro and his wife are currently aboard an American warship and will be transferred to New York, where Maduro faces criminal charges, a step he described as ending an entire political phase in Venezuela.
He added that the operation was surrounded by strict military measures, including preparing fighter jets in anticipation of any emergency scenario. He noted that US forces “entered places with steel doors that cannot be breached, and exited within seconds”, adding: “I have never seen anything like this before.”
Limited Injuries and a Damaged Helicopter
According to Trump, the operation resulted in “only minor injuries” among US forces, with no fatalities recorded, stressing that it was “militarily successful”. He pointed to damage to one helicopter, while all helicopters and aircraft involved returned safely.
The US president warned Maduro loyalists that “their future will be bad if they continue their loyalty to him”, affirming that the United States “will not stand idly by in the face of a repeat of what happened during his rule”, and that it is currently deciding the next step regarding Venezuela’s future leadership.
In the same context, Trump said his administration would consider the possibility of the Venezuelan opposition leading the next phase, naming opposition leader María Corina Machado, and adding that Venezuela “now has a vice president”, in reference to potential arrangements for a transitional phase.
Intelligence Roles Behind the Scenes
In parallel, the American outlet Axios reported, citing informed sources, that the US Central Intelligence Agency had a team operating inside Venezuela since August, facilitating Maduro’s arrest.
The sources added that the operation was jointly managed by Stephen Miller, the Secretaries of State and Defence, and the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The New York Times also reported, citing its sources, that an individual inside the Venezuelan government was working for the CIA and monitored Maduro’s location before his arrest.
Explosions in Caracas and Low-Altitude Flights
On the ground, the capital Caracas and other Venezuelan cities earlier on Saturday witnessed a series of explosions, coinciding with low-altitude flights by warplanes. US media quoted officials in the Trump administration as saying the president ordered strikes on specific targets inside Venezuela, including military facilities.
According to eyewitnesses, at least seven explosions were heard in the capital around 2 am local time, prompting residents of many neighbourhoods to leave their homes and take to the streets. Aircraft flying at low altitudes also caused widespread panic.
Posts circulating on social media showed images of explosions in different areas of the city, alongside photos of armoured vehicles belonging to the Venezuelan army near the Miraflores presidential palace.
Last Diplomatic Meeting Before the Strikes
About 12 hours before the US attacks, Maduro held an official meeting at the Miraflores Palace with a senior Chinese delegation headed by China’s special representative Qiu Xiaoqi, attended by Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, Foreign Minister Iván Gil, and China’s ambassador to Caracas Lan Hu.
According to local media, the meeting discussed more than 600 bilateral agreements between the two countries covering energy, trade, and infrastructure. It was Maduro’s last official diplomatic appearance before the US military operation.
Defence Minister: A Brutal Attack and Violation of Law
In the first official response from the Venezuelan government, Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López called on the international community to condemn the United States, describing what occurred as “the most brutal military attacks” carried out by Washington against his country.
In a video posted on social media, López said the attacks targeted the Fort Tiuna military base in Caracas, as well as the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira. He confirmed that civilian residential areas were bombed and that work was underway to determine the numbers of dead and wounded.
He added that these attacks threaten peace and stability in the region and represent a clear violation of the United Nations Charter and international law, considering that the United States is acting out of “greed” for Venezuela’s strategic resources, under the pretext of “combating drug trafficking”.
The defence minister stressed that “the attacks aim to impose regime change and subject Venezuela to the false schemes of American imperialism”, adding: “They attacked us, but they will not defeat us.”
López announced support for the decision to declare a state of external emergency throughout the country, calling on the people for unity, resistance, and calm. He confirmed that the army, police, and the public would cooperate to use “all available weapons systems for comprehensive defence”.
Venezuelan media reported hearing explosions in the coastal state of La Guaira and in the city of Higuerote in Miranda state, where the airport was heavily bombed. Power outages were also reported in several areas, particularly in the south of the capital, where a major military base is located.
Maduro Supporters Take to the Streets
In response, Maduro supporters took to the streets following the attacks and his removal from the country, expressing their anger at the United States and international institutions.
One demonstrator chanting “Venezuela is free and sovereign” said: “We condemn the international institutions that remain silent while our people are being attacked.” She added, criticising Washington: “The United States is not the world’s police, and Venezuela will prove that. This struggle is not for one president, but for an honourable people standing together.”
Regime Change and an Uncertain Path
Specialists offered their readings of what happened. Associate Professor Dr. Murat Aslan, a researcher at the SETA research centre in Turkey, said that the American “Southern Spear Operation” was launched under the pretext of combating drugs, but ended with Maduro’s removal, and he is likely to be transferred to the United States for trial.
He added that Venezuela is entering an uncertain phase amid sharp political division and the possibility of tensions between socialists and the opposition.
For his part, Professor Mehmet Özkan, a professor of international relations in Turkey, considered what occurred to fall within the framework of reinterpreting the Monroe Doctrine during the Trump era. He stressed that the US attacks clearly aim at regime change, restoring American influence in Venezuela and South America more broadly, and preventing external powers from entrenching their presence in the region.
