What We Know About the US Attacks on Venezuela

AFP/APP

Caracas: After months of threats and pressure tactics, the United States on Saturday bombed Venezuela and toppled authoritarian left-wing leader Nicolas Maduro, who was seized and flown to New York to face trial.

How did it start?

The first explosions were heard in the capital Caracas and surrounding areas shortly before 2:00 am (0600 GMT), continuing until around 3:15 am.

Images shared on social media showed helicopters silhouetted against the night sky and missiles slamming into targets, creating fireballs and massive plumes of smoke.

At 0921 GMT, US President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform that the United States had “successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela” and that Maduro and his wife had been “captured and flown out of the country.”

Top US General Dan Caine said the goal of “Operation Absolute Resolve” was solely to seize Maduro, with airstrikes clearing the way for helicopters used in the capture raid. He said the operation involved more than 150 aircraft and followed months of preparation.

What was hit?

Fort Tiuna, Venezuela’s largest military complex, was among the primary targets.

The vast base in southern Caracas houses the defense ministry, a military academy, and residential units for thousands of troops and their families. AFP reporters saw flames and huge plumes of smoke rising from the complex. At one entrance, an armored vehicle and a truck were riddled with bullet marks.

La Carlota airbase, east of Caracas, was also targeted. AFP reporters saw an armored vehicle in flames and a burned bus at the base.

Explosions were also reported in La Guaira, north of Caracas and home to a port and international airport; the north-central city of Maracay; and Higuerote on the Caribbean coast — all within 100 kilometers (60 miles) of the capital.

Are there casualties?

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez accused US forces of firing missiles and rockets into residential areas.

As of Saturday night, Venezuelan authorities had not released any official casualty figures.

Trump, speaking on Fox News’ Fox and Friends, said no US soldiers were killed. He later told the New York Post that “many Cubans” who were protecting Maduro had died, marking the first indication of casualties from the strikes.

What has become of Maduro?

The operation ended 12 years of increasingly authoritarian rule by Maduro, who had a $50 million US bounty on his head.

Trump posted an image on Truth Social showing Maduro handcuffed and blindfolded aboard a US naval ship in the Caribbean. From there, he and his wife, Cilia Flores, were flown to New York to face drug trafficking and weapons charges.

Trump said he followed the operation live from his Mar-a-Lago estate. “He was in a very highly guarded place — like a fortress actually,” Trump said, adding that Maduro tried unsuccessfully to flee.\

General Caine said intelligence agencies had spent months tracking how Maduro “moved, where he lived, where he traveled, what he ate, what he wore, what were his pets.” He said Maduro and his wife surrendered without resistance.

What next for Venezuela?

Trump stunned allies and rivals alike by saying the United States would “run” Venezuela during an unspecified transitional period, suggesting US troops could be deployed on the ground.

Venezuela’s opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado said on social media that the country’s “hour of freedom has arrived,” calling for the opposition’s 2024 election candidate to “immediately” assume the presidency.

Trump dismissed speculation that Machado herself could take power, saying she lacked “support or respect” inside Venezuela.