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Based on Latest Verified Sources
The night sky over Caracas erupted before anyone understood what was happening. Explosions rolled across the capital, lighting the horizon with fireballs captured in shaky phone videos. Within hours, the United States confirmed what Venezuelans were witnessing in real time: a large‑scale U.S. military strike had been launched across multiple Venezuelan states, hitting targets in and around Caracas, Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira.
President Donald Trump announced the operation shortly before dawn, declaring that the U.S. had “successfully carried out a large‑scale strike against Venezuela”. Witnesses described low‑flying aircraft, rapid detonations, and fires burning near major military installations, including the vast Fuerte Tiuna complex in Caracas.
According to U.S. officials speaking to CBS News, the attack was not limited to airstrikes. It was part of a coordinated military action that included the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were “flown out of the country” after the operation. Trump repeated this claim publicly, praising the mission as “brilliantly executed” and stating that the United States would “run the country” on a temporary basis until further notice.
ABC News and Good Morning America confirmed that explosions were heard across the capital just hours before Trump’s announcement, with images showing plumes of smoke rising over residential and military zones. GBH News reported fires at Fuerte Tiuna and described the operation as a “large‑scale strike” that unfolded across multiple regions simultaneously
USA Today’s live coverage echoed the same sequence: overnight U.S. airstrikes, widespread blasts, and the confirmed seizure of Maduro by U.S. forces.
The Venezuelan government has accused the United States of attacking civilian areas and causing casualties, though full casualty numbers have not yet been independently verified. The situation remains fluid, with international reactions pouring in and regional governments assessing the geopolitical shock.
For now, Venezuela is a country struck in the dark, its leadership removed, its military installations damaged, and its future suspended in uncertainty as the world watches the aftermath of one of the most dramatic U.S. military operations in decades.