In the early hours of Saturday, January 3rd, Venezuela’s government said a series of at least seven explosions and low-flying aircraft were reported in Caracas around 2 a.m., targeting civilian and military sites.

President Nicolás Maduro said it was the United States to carry out the attacks and declared a national emergency. U.S. President Donald Trump later confirmed that the U.S. had carried out “a large scale strike against Venezuela” and “captured its leader, President Nicolás Maduro” and his wife, adding that both the Venezuelan president and his spouse had been flown out of the country.

The U.S. president also announced on Truth Social that there would be “a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. 

The strikes came after Donald Trump accused the Venezuelan government of terrorism, drug smuggling and human trafficking, with Maduro claiming the pressure campaign is aimed at forcing regime change and gaining access to Venezuela’s oil reserves.