Trump Orders Military Strike on Caracas, Seizes Maduro in Unprecedented Operation

The United States has faced widespread international condemnation after launching military strikes on Venezuela’s capital and capturing President Nicolás Maduro along with his wife, Cilia Flores. The operation, carried out by US troops on Saturday morning, has been denounced by major world powers including France, Russia, China, and the European Union as a violation of international law.
The dramatic military action marks an escalation in six months of growing tensions between Washington and the South American nation. US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the deposed Venezuelan leader and his wife would face criminal charges in New York, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicating the charges would be related to drug trafficking operations.
President Trump confirmed that Maduro and Flores were taken aboard a ship following their capture by US forces and would be transported to New York to face prosecution. Russia has demanded their immediate release, while UN Secretary General António Guterres warned that the American action sets a “dangerous precedent” for international relations.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva strongly criticized the US intervention, comparing it to “the darkest moments of interference in Latin America and the Caribbean,” referencing centuries of American military interventions in the region. China’s foreign ministry condemned what it called “hegemonic behaviour” and expressed deep shock at the use of force against a sovereign nation’s leader.
The international response has been divided along political lines, with some right-wing leaders like Argentina’s Javier Milei celebrating the action while leftist Latin American presidents joined in condemnation. Colombia mobilized its armed forces amid concerns about a potential refugee crisis, while analysts questioned whether removing Maduro would actually lead to democratic change in Venezuela.