WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, along with his wife, has been "captured" and "flown out" of the country, which came under large-scale attack early Saturday.
Taking to his social media platform 'Truth Social', Trump said, "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."
He mentioned that this operation was done in conjunction with US Law Enforcement, and further details will follow during a news conference at 11 a.m. (local time) at Mar-a-Lago.
Several large explosions were heard early Saturday in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.
Venezuela, in its first official statement since loud explosions were heard in the capital Caracas, strongly criticised the Donald Trump-led government of the United States, accusing it of carrying out what it described as "extremely serious military aggression". Soon after, US media reported that Washington officials had confirmed strikes against Venezuela.
Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, which also manages affairs in Venezuela, released a statement advising Americans against travelling to Venezuela or its borders.