Johnson Progress

In a dramatic and unprecedented escalation of tensions, the United States military has captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in what U.S. President Donald Trump described as a “large scale strike.”

The operation, which has plunged the region into crisis and drawn swift international condemnation, marks a direct intervention by U.S. forces into the sovereign territory of Venezuela.

President Trump announced the operation today via his Truth Social platform.

He stated that the strike against the South American nation and its leader was successful.

The operation was conducted alongside U.S. law enforcement agencies, with further details promised at a forthcoming news conference.

Trump provided a specific time and location for the announcement, writing: “This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago.”

The action follows years of increasing U.S. pressure on the Maduro government, which Washington has accused of narco-trafficking and rigging elections through sanctions and prior strikes on suspected drug trafficking vessels.

However, this move represents a qualitative leap from economic and diplomatic measures to direct military action.

Reports from the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, detailed a night of chaos and confusion.

Residents reported hearing explosions and the sound of low-flying aircraft, prompting the government to declare a national emergency and mobilize all defensive forces.

Prior to the capture, the Venezuelan government had issued a fierce condemnation, labeling the attack an “extremely serious military aggression” and accusing the United States of attempting to seize control of the country’s vast oil and mineral resources.

The Venezuelan defense establishment reacted with outrage.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez issued a statement rejecting the incursion, channeling the nation’s history of independence struggles.

“Free, independent and sovereign Venezuela rejects with all the strength of its libertarian history the presence of these foreign troops, which have only left behind death, pain and destruction.”

The international reaction was immediate and severe.

Leaders across Latin America and allies of Venezuela voiced alarm and disapproval.

Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, while nations including Cuba and Iran condemned the attack as a blatant violation of international law and national sovereignty.

The capture of a sitting head of state by a foreign military is a rare event in modern geopolitics, setting a profound precedent and raising urgent questions about the future of Venezuelan governance and the stability of the region.

The world now awaits further details from the U.S. administration on the justification for the operation and the legal status of the detained Venezuelan leader.