Trump: U.S. Forces Capture Venezuela’s President Maduro, Wife

United States President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife have been captured in a U.S.-led operation and flown out of Venezuela, a claim that, as of press time, had not been independently confirmed by U.S. or Venezuelan authorities.

Trump disclosed the development in a post on his Truth Social account, saying the United States had carried out what he described as a “large-scale strike” against Venezuela and its leader. According to the post, the operation was conducted in coordination with U.S. law enforcement agencies.

“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country,” Trump wrote. He added that more details would be provided at a news conference scheduled for 11 a.m. at Mar-a-Lago.

The announcement immediately triggered global attention, given the gravity of the claim and the potential implications for regional stability in Latin America. Neither the White House nor the U.S. Department of Justice had issued an official statement backing the claim at the time of filing this report. Venezuelan authorities also had not responded publicly.

Maduro has been at the center of long-running tensions between Washington and Caracas, with the United States refusing to recognize his legitimacy since his disputed re-election in 2018. Successive U.S. administrations have imposed sweeping sanctions on Venezuela and accused Maduro of corruption, human rights abuses, and links to international drug trafficking.

Only a few months ago, the U.S. government doubled its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million. The bounty was announced under a narcotics rewards program, with U.S. officials alleging that Maduro played a central role in transnational drug trafficking networks, accusations the Venezuelan government has consistently denied.

Trump’s statement did not clarify where Maduro and his wife were being held, the legal basis for the operation, or whether other Venezuelan officials were involved. He said further information would be released during the promised news briefing.

Analysts say that if confirmed, the capture of a sitting head of state would mark an unprecedented escalation in U.S.–Venezuela relations and could provoke sharp reactions across Latin America and beyond. For now, attention is focused on the expected news conference, which is likely to shed more light on what U.S. officials describe as a major international operation.