United States launches military strikes on Caracas and captures Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro

Key facts

• United States launched large-scale military strikes on Caracas early Saturday and claimed to have captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
• US President Donald Trump announced the operation on Truth Social, describing it as aimed at ending a 'narco-terrorist regime'.
• US Special Forces seized Maduro and Flores, transported them via helicopter to a US Navy ship offshore, and then flew them to the United States.
• Maduro is currently being held at a federal detention facility in New York and is expected to appear in court on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy.
• Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez appeared on state television to condemn the attack, while a Venezuelan court named her interim president.
• Russia, China, Iran, and Cuba strongly condemned the US move as a violation of sovereignty.
• UN Secretary-General called the action a 'dangerous precedent' and an emergency Security Council meeting was scheduled.