United States President Donald Trump has claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife have been captured in what he described as a coordinated, large-scale operation led by American authorities.
Trump made the announcement on Saturday via a post on his Truth Social platform, asserting that the operation involved US law enforcement agencies and resulted in Maduro and his wife being flown out of Venezuela.
According to the former president, further details of the operation are expected to be unveiled at a news conference scheduled for 11am at Mar-a-Lago. He did not immediately provide independent confirmation or outline the circumstances under which the alleged arrest took place.
The dramatic claim comes months after the United States reportedly increased its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50m, citing longstanding allegations linking the Venezuelan leader to international drug trafficking networks.
Washington has, over the years, maintained a hardline stance against Maduro, accusing his administration of corruption, human rights abuses and undermining democratic institutions. In 2020, during Trump’s first term in office, the US formally indicted Maduro and several senior Venezuelan officials on charges related to narco-terrorism.
As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official response from the Venezuelan government, while international observers are awaiting verification from US authorities amid growing global attention to the development.
