Venezuela declares emergency after Trump says US detained President Maduro

Shiva K Dhakal
National Press Corporation(NPC)
United Kingdom —US President Donald Trump has claimed that American forces have captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife during what he described as a “large-scale” military strike against Venezuela.

In a statement posted on social media, Mr Trump said Mr Maduro had been flown out of the country, though he provided no further details about the operation or the location to which the Venezuelan leader was taken. The White House has not released an official briefing, and key aspects of the claim remain unverified.

Venezuela’s government announced a nationwide state of emergency shortly after the statement, condemning what it described as “military aggression” against the country. Venezuelan authorities have not directly confirmed or denied Mr Trump’s assertion regarding the capture of the president.

Residents in the capital, Caracas, reported hearing multiple explosions, with video footage circulating online showing large plumes of smoke rising above parts of the city. “My heart was pumping and my legs were shaking,” one eyewitness told the BBC, describing scenes of panic following the blasts.

US media outlets, including CBS News, citing unnamed officials, reported that the operation involved Delta Force — the US military’s elite counter-terrorism unit — and that both Mr Maduro and his wife were taken into custody. The Pentagon has so far declined to comment on those reports.

The developments come after weeks of escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas, as the Trump administration increased political and economic pressure on Mr Maduro, whom the US has long accused of undermining democracy and committing human rights abuses.

International reaction has been cautious, with several governments urging restraint and calling for independent verification of events on the ground. Analysts warn that any confirmed military action involving the detention of a sitting head of state could have far-reaching consequences for regional stability and international law.