The United States has launched large-scale military strikes against Venezuela, with President Donald Trump announcing that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country early Saturday morning. The announcement followed reports of multiple explosions in Caracas and other strategic locations, signaling one of the most dramatic U.S. military actions in the region in decades.

In a statement, President Trump confirmed that U.S. forces had carried out a “large-scale strike” targeting key Venezuelan assets. According to U.S. officials cited by CBS News, the operation to capture Maduro was conducted by the U.S. Army’s Delta Force, an elite special operations unit. The mission reportedly focused on neutralizing leadership targets while limiting civilian casualties.

A Republican senator familiar with internal discussions said Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed lawmakers that Maduro would face criminal charges in the United States. Maduro was indicted years ago on charges related to drug trafficking and alleged collaboration with criminal gangs designated by Washington as terrorist organizations. The Venezuelan leader has consistently denied these accusations.

The senator added that Rubio anticipates no further U.S. military action inside Venezuela following the capture, suggesting the operation’s primary objective has been achieved. However, the situation on the ground remains tense, with Venezuelan authorities yet to issue an official statement confirming Maduro’s whereabouts.

The strikes come after months of heightened U.S. military activity in the Caribbean. The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group, along with multiple warships, had been positioned in the region amid growing concerns over narcotics trafficking and regional security threats linked to Venezuela.

In recent weeks, the U.S. military seized two oil tankers near Venezuelan waters and carried out deadly strikes on more than 30 boats Washington claims were transporting illegal drugs. President Trump previously stated that U.S. forces had also targeted “the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs,” underscoring the administration’s aggressive stance against narcotics networks operating from Venezuela.

The unfolding developments are expected to have significant geopolitical implications across Latin America, raising questions about Venezuela’s political future, regional stability, and the international response to the unprecedented U.S. intervention.