Multiple explosions rocked the Venezuelan capital Caracas on Saturday morning, with columns of black smoke and planes visible, according to Reuters witnesses and images circulating on social media. Witnesses said the southern part of the city, near a large military base, was hit by a power outage.
The AP news agency said there were at least seven explosions.
An unnamed US official confirmed to Reuters that the United States carried out attacks in Venezuela early Saturday morning. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not provide any details.
CBS News and Fox News also reported on the involvement of the US armed forces, citing unnamed officials from Donald Trump's administration.
AFP also added that shortly before the escalation in Caracas, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) banned US commercial flights in Venezuelan airspace due to "ongoing military activity."
Trump: US captures Venezuelan President Maduro
Later on Saturday, the US president announced on Truth Social that the US had captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
"The United States has successfully carried out a large-scale attack against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who, along with his wife, has been captured and taken out of the country," Trump said in the post. According to him, the operation was carried out in cooperation with US law enforcement agencies.
An unnamed US official told Reuters that Maduro had been captured by US elite forces. The Venezuelan government did not immediately confirm this information.
Maduro mobilises defence forces in response to US 'aggression'
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday declared a state of national emergency in the country and is mobilising the defence forces in response to a "very serious military aggression" by the United States.
"Venezuela rejects, repudiates and denounces before the international community the extremely serious military aggression committed by the current United States government against the Venezuelan territory and people," Maduro's government said in a statement.
Attacks have also taken place in the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira, the Venezuelan government said in a statement.
US pressure campaign
"At this moment they are bombing Caracas," wrote Colombian President Gustavo Petro on the social network X. "Warn everyone - they have attacked Venezuela. They are bombarding it with missiles. The Organization of American States and the United Nations must meet immediately."
Petro, who did not provide further information or cite the source of his claims, has repeatedly expressed disapproval of the US pressure campaign. The latter has significantly stepped up its military presence around Venezuela, including aircraft carriers, warships and advanced fighter jets stationed in the Caribbean.
Washington has already carried out ground operations in Venezuela for the first time last week. Trump said the United States had "hit" the area where the ships were loading drugs.
The US president has repeatedly hinted at the possibility of ground attacks against Venezuela in the past. He has also declared that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's days are "numbered". He accuses him of running an extensive drug trafficking network, which Maduro denies. He claims that the US wants to force a change of government in Venezuela and gain access to its oil reserves, which are among the largest in the world.
Venezuela, meanwhile, declared on Friday that it was open to negotiating an agreement with the United States to combat narcotics trafficking.
(reuters, tasr, afp, sak)