Washington/Caracas. The United States launched a “large-scale strike” on Venezuela early Saturday, with President Donald Trump saying President Nicolás Maduro and his wife had been captured and flown out of the country after months of escalating pressure by Washington — an extraordinary nighttime operation announced on social media hours after the attack.

Multiple explosions were reported across Caracas as low-flying aircraft swept over the capital. Venezuela’s government accused the United States of attacking civilian and military targets, calling it an “imperialist attack” and urging citizens to take to the streets.

Trump announced the operation on Truth Social shortly after 4:30 a.m. ET and said he would hold a news conference at 11 a.m. ET.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said his government convened a national security meeting before dawn and deployed security forces to the border in preparation for a potential “massive influx of refugees” from Venezuela.

Petro said he would call on the UN Security Council to address what he described as “aggression against the sovereignty of Venezuela and Latin America.”

“Without sovereignty, there is no nation,” Petro wrote on social media.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry condemned what it called a US “act of armed aggression” against Venezuela, saying the country must be allowed to determine its own future without military intervention.

The ministry called for dialogue to prevent further escalation and said it supported calls for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

The US State Department issued a travel alert early Saturday urging Americans in Venezuela to shelter in place.

“US Embassy Bogota is aware of reports of explosions in and around Caracas,” the alert said, warning US citizens not to travel to Venezuela. The US Embassy in Bogota, which handles Venezuela-related matters, has been shuttered since 2019 but operates remotely.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reposted Trump’s announcement without comment. Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau praised the operation, calling it “a new dawn for Venezuela” and saying, “The tyrant is gone.”

Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said authorities did not know the whereabouts of Maduro or First Lady Cilia Flores and demanded proof that they were alive.

At least seven explosions were reported in Caracas early Saturday, sending residents into the streets as others posted videos and accounts on social media. The attack appeared to last less than 30 minutes. It was not immediately clear whether there were casualties or whether further military action was planned.

Add as a preferred source on Google +