what happened in venezuela last night

Venezuela was hit by large overnight U.S. airstrikes, and President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were reportedly captured and taken out of the country in a dramatic escalation of the long-running U.S.–Venezuela confrontation.

What happened “last night”?

• Around the early hours of Saturday, multiple explosions were reported in and around Caracas, including near Fort Tiuna, the country’s main military complex, and other strategic sites. Residents described several loud blasts and fires in the capital.

• The U.S. government announced a large-scale strike on Venezuela, saying its forces had targeted sites linked to drug trafficking and the Maduro government.

• U.S. officials and state media reports say Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores were captured in the operation and flown out of Venezuela, an act Venezuela’s leadership is calling a “kidnapping.”

Official reactions

• Donald Trump, the current U.S. president, publicly confirmed that U.S. forces had “successfully executed a large-scale strike” and stated that the U.S. would effectively run Venezuela temporarily until what he called a “judicious transition.”

• Venezuela’s vice president Delcy Rodríguez declared a state of emergency, said they had lost contact with Maduro and his wife, and demanded proof of life from Washington, framing the attack as an imperialist violation of sovereignty.

• Venezuelan officials have also reported casualties among government and military personnel and widespread power outages in parts of Caracas and several states.

Why did this happen?

• Trump has for months accused Maduro of running or enabling major drug-trafficking networks and being tied to the Tren de Aragua gang, which the U.S. has designated a foreign terrorist organization.

• The U.S. had already put a multimillion-dollar bounty on Maduro, charged him with “narco-terrorism,” and steadily increased military pressure in the Caribbean and nearby regions before this strike.

• Critics note that U.S. intelligence itself has offered limited public evidence that Venezuela is a primary source of drugs reaching the U.S., and many governments and analysts are warning this operation may breach international law and set a volatile precedent.

How is the world reacting?

• Regional leaders, including Colombia’s president, have condemned or expressed deep concern over the U.S. action, calling it an attack on Venezuelan sovereignty and warning of destabilization across Latin America.

• Protests and spontaneous gatherings have emerged in Venezuela, with some people denouncing U.S. intervention and others celebrating the possibility of Maduro’s removal; the overall situation on the ground remains tense and fluid.

• International organizations and human-rights groups are urging restraint, independent investigations into civilian harm, and clarity on Maduro’s legal status and treatment in U.S. custody.

What to watch next

• Whether the U.S. announces any interim governing authority or backs a specific Venezuelan political figure to take power in the coming days.

• If Venezuela’s military fractures, rallies around the remaining leadership, or mounts any counteroffensive or asymmetric response inside or outside the country.

• How the U.N. Security Council, major regional blocs, and key countries like Brazil, Mexico, Russia, and China respond diplomatically or economically in the next 24–72 hours.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.