WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that Washington carried out a “large-scale strike” in Venezuela, saying that President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country.

“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Trump said the operation was conducted “in conjunction with US law enforcement,” adding that further details would be released later.

He announced that a news conference would be held at 11 a.m. local time at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

In a brief phone interview with The New York Times, Trump praised the operation, calling it “a brilliant operation” and crediting what he described as extensive planning and the involvement of US forces.

He declined to say whether congressional authorization had been sought, saying the issue would be addressed at the news conference.

US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said Maduro would “finally face justice for his crimes,” writing on X that the Venezuelan leader would now be held accountable.

According to US media reports, including CBS News, the operation to capture Maduro was carried out by Delta Force, the US Army’s elite special operations unit, citing unnamed officials.

US Senator Mike Lee said Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed him that Maduro had been arrested to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States.

Lee said Rubio indicated that no further US military action in Venezuela was anticipated following Maduro’s alleged detention.

Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said authorities were “unaware” of Maduro’s whereabouts and demanded that the United States provide proof that the president is alive.

Tensions between Washington and Caracas have escalated in recent months, with US officials repeatedly accusing Maduro of involvement in drug trafficking and organized crime.

In November, the United States formally designated the Venezuela-based Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization.

Independent verification of the claims made by US officials was not immediately possible, and there has been no confirmation from Venezuelan state media that Maduro has been captured. — Agencies