The United States hit Venezuela with a “large-scale strike” early Saturday and said its president, Nicolás Maduro, and first lady Cilia Flores, had been captured and flown out of the country after months of stepped-up pressure by Washington — an extraordinary nighttime operation announced by President Donald Trump on social media hours after the attack. …
Legal Authority For The US Strike On Venezuela Is Unclear
The United States hit Venezuela with a “large-scale strike” early Saturday and said its president, Nicolás Maduro, and first lady Cilia Flores, had been captured and flown out of the country after months of stepped-up pressure by Washington — an extraordinary nighttime operation announced by President Donald Trump on social media hours after the attack.
The legal authority for the strike — and whether Trump consulted Congress beforehand — was not immediately clear.
Multiple explosions rang out and low-flying aircraft swept through Caracas, the capital, as Maduro’s government immediately accused the United States of attacking civilian and military installations. The Venezuelan government called it an “imperialist attack” and urged citizens to take to the streets.
Trump announced the developments on Truth Social shortly after 4:30 a.m. ET and said he would host a news conference at 11 a.m. ET.
