US President Donald Trump has officially confirmed the US attack on Venezuela.
Breaking News: US attacks Caracas, Venezuela declares state of emergency.
“The United States has successfully carried out a large-scale attack on Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro. Maduro and his wife have been arrested and taken out of the country.”
This operation is being carried out in coordination with U.S. law enforcement agencies. Details will be released later. There will be a press conference at 11 a.m. today at Mar-a-Lago,” Trump wrote on the social media platform Truth Social.
Mr. Trump: “An excellent campaign”
In a brief telephone interview with the New York Times, President Trump praised the success of the operation to arrest Maduro.
“Well-planned, lots of good soldiers and great people. It was truly an outstanding operation,” Trump said.
Trump has not ruled out the possibility of war with Venezuela.
READ NOW
When asked whether he had sought congressional approval for the campaign, or what would happen next with Venezuela, President Trump said he would address those issues at a press conference at Mar-a-Lago this morning (US time).
If President Trump’s statement is true, the Venezuelan constitution stipulates that power would be transferred to Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who is in charge of economic policy.
However, the US has not recognized Maduro as the legitimate president, while the Venezuelan opposition says the legitimate president is exiled politician Edmundo Gonzalez.
The Venezuelan government does not know the whereabouts of Maduro and his wife.
According to Reuters, in a recording broadcast on state television, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez stated that the Venezuelan government does not know the whereabouts of President Nicolas Maduro or his wife, Cilia Flores.
“We demand immediate proof that President Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores are alive,” Rodriguez said.
According to CNN, Rodriguez also stated that the US attack resulted in the deaths of many officials, soldiers, and civilians, but did not specify the exact number.
Smoke and flames rise from the explosion in Caracas – Photo: REUTERS
“The US military has arrested Maduro to bring him back to the US for trial.”
US Senator Mike Lee wrote on social media platform X that he had just spoken to Secretary of State Marco Rubio by phone.
“He informed me that Nicolas Maduro had been arrested by U.S. forces to be tried on criminal charges in the United States. The action we witnessed tonight was taken to protect those carrying out the arrest,” Lee wrote.
According to Lee, this could fall within the president’s inherent authority under Article 2 of the Constitution, to protect American servicemen from a real or imminent attack.
Senator Mike Lee said that Rubio had anticipated no further action in Venezuela, since Maduro had been arrested by the U.S.
Colombia deploys troops near the Venezuelan border.
According to AFP, Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced that military forces had been deployed to the Venezuelan border following US attacks on Caracas.
Petro described Washington’s actions as an “attack on the sovereignty” of the Latin American region and argued that it would lead to a humanitarian crisis.
CBS: US Delta Force elite forces arrest Maduro.
U.S. officials revealed to CBS News that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was apprehended by members of Delta Force, the U.S. military’s top special operations unit, in the early morning of January 3.
Delta Force is an elite unit of the US military, responsible for the operation to kill former ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2019.
US Deputy Secretary of State declares “a new dawn for Venezuela”
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said Venezuela is entering a “new dawn,” after President Donald Trump announced that US forces had captured President Nicolas Maduro.
“A new dawn for Venezuela! He will finally face justice for his crimes,” Landau wrote on social media platform X.
Venezuela announces deployment of troops on orders from Maduro.
A column of smoke rises after an explosion at the port in La Guaira on January 3 – Photo: REUTERS
According to CBS News, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez announced the deployment of military forces across the country. He called for a united resistance front against “the worst invasion” Venezuela has ever faced.
He said that all armed forces would be deployed “on Maduro’s orders,” but made no mention of Maduro’s arrest.
“They attacked us, but they will not subdue us,” he said.
He called for calm and unity, while warning against chaos and anarchy.
Earlier, the Venezuelan government accused the US of attacking the capital Caracas and the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira on the morning of January 3 (local time). The country stated that President Nicolas Maduro had signed a declaration of a state of emergency.
On the same day, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino declared that Venezuela would resist the presence of foreign troops.
According to him, the US attack targeted populated areas, and Venezuela is gathering information on casualties.
Explosion at an airport in Higuerote, Venezuela – Video: CNN
US Senator: Washington should not interfere in Venezuela.
According to CNN, Senator Brian Schatz, a member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warned against US military intervention in Venezuela. He was one of the first senators to speak out in response to reports of the situation in Venezuela.
On social media platform X, he wrote that the US “has no vital national interests in Venezuela to justify war.”
“We should have learned our lesson not to get involved in another adventure. And he didn’t even bother to tell the American people what the hell was going on,” Schatz said, seemingly referring to President Trump.
The U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia, issued a warning to American citizens in Venezuela, urging them to shelter in place, citing reports of explosions in and around the city. The U.S. suspended its embassy in Caracas in 2019.
Earlier, CNN reported that multiple explosions had occurred in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, in the early morning of January 3. The first explosion was recorded at approximately 1:50 local time.
Venezuelan news agencies Efecto Cocuyo and Tal Cual Digital reported that multiple explosions were also heard in La Guaira state, in coastal areas, and in Higuerote, a coastal city in Miranda state.
According to Reuters, the area south of the city near a major military base experienced a power outage. Aircraft were seen in the sky.
