FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
The moment of the arrest of Nicolas Maduro
Footage has been released of the moment Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was arrested.
He was captured by the American special forces unit Delta Force, following a large-scale military operation against the South American country.
US President Donald Trump said the left-wing Venezuelan president and his wife were taken out of the country as part of a military operation carried out in cooperation with US law enforcement agencies.
The Venezuelan government has demanded proof that Maduro is alive and has ordered the deployment of armed forces, while a state of national emergency has been declared in the country.
Maduro's capture comes as tensions between the two countries rise, with Washington also striking ships in the Caribbean that it says were used for drug trafficking.
The US has accused Maduro of personal involvement in drug trafficking and illegitimate leadership of the country, charges he has repeatedly denied, accusing the US of intimidation.
Details on Maduro's capture?
Details on Maduro's capture remain scarce. Trump did not provide further information on how he was arrested or his current whereabouts.
According to CBS, the BBC's media partner in the US, Maduro has been captured by Delta Force, the US military's elite counter-terrorism unit.
Trump is expected to hold a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, where he may reveal more details about the operation.
Night attacks
At around 02:00 local time, loud explosions were heard in Caracas, while large clouds of smoke were seen over the city. Reports speak of strikes on the La Carlota military airport, in the center of the capital, as well as the main Fuerte Tiuna military base.
The surrounding area was left without electricity. Videos showing explosions and helicopters flying over the city are circulating on social media, but have not yet been officially verified.
It is not yet known if there are any casualties, while the Venezuelan government also stated that the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira were also hit.
Venezuela's reaction
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said the government does not know the whereabouts of Maduro and his wife, First Lady Cilia Flores, and demanded "immediate proof of life" for both.
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said the attacks had also hit civilian areas and that authorities were collecting data on the number of dead and injured.
He added that Venezuela will “resist” the presence of foreign troops. The Venezuelan government also issued an official statement, condemning the “extremely serious military aggression” by the US “against Venezuelan territory and population, on civilian and military facilities.”
In the statement, the US is accused of threatening international peace and stability and that the attack aims to take "Venezuela's strategic resources, especially oil and minerals", to "forcibly break the country's political independence".
What did Donald Trump say?
Immediately after the explosions, the White House declined to comment. Trump later confirmed through his Truth Social platform that the US was behind the attacks.
"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale attack against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who, along with his wife, has been captured and taken out of the country," Trump wrote.
"The operation was conducted in cooperation with US law enforcement agencies. Further details will follow."
Who is Nicolas Maduro?
Nicolás Maduro rose to power under the leadership of leftist President Hugo Chávez and the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). He became president in 2013.
In 2024, Maduro was declared the winner of the presidential election, although the opposition claimed that its candidate, Edmundo González, had won convincingly.
He has had strong clashes with Trump over the massive Venezuelan immigration to the US and the fight against drug trafficking, especially fentanyl and cocaine.
Trump has declared two Venezuelan criminal groups, Tren de Aragua and the Cartel of the Sun, as foreign terrorist organizations and has claimed that the latter was led by Maduro himself.
The US had offered a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest. Maduro has vehemently denied the charges, accusing the US of using the “war on drugs” as an excuse to oust him from power and profit from Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
In recent months, US forces have also carried out more than 24 attacks in international waters on ships suspected of transporting drugs to the US, with over 100 people killed.
Sa i ngjan Ramsit ky.
SHBA keshtu duhet te veproje edhe ne Shqiperi me Ramen dhe Saliun, qe ti dridhen gjunjet atij tjetrit qe do vij me pas.
Venezuela eshte vend sovran! U.S vendi agresor! Se si do mare rruga, kjo dihet. U.S do vendosin nje president kukull (jo si ky zagari i gjahut qe kemi, se ky ska krahasim) qe do e perdorin, dhe pastaj do fshijne bythen pasi korporatat amerikane te naftes do kene mbaruar punet e tyre. Tani qe Venezuela nuk ka me bythe, kontinenti amerikan do jete drugs-free!!! Hahaha! I plasi trapi U.S per sasine e kokaines qe nxirrte nga Venezuela, dhe dergoi Juck Norrisin aty?! Ah o popull, gjithmone bageti do jeni, nuk do merr ndonjehere forme humane!!!
Zelenski dhe ukrahina e kanë rradhën por nga një agresor tjetër.
Gallofi gjate, tani nuk do e zere dhe gjumi naten, se keta amerikanet te vijne tek shtrati.
Populli e paguan me vuajtjet e veta, në çdo vend të botës.Atje ku ka futur hundët amerikani si vend ka marrë tatëpjetën.Shikoni vendet si Libia, Siria, Afganistani, Libani, Iraku, Irani po merr atë drejtim,dhe së fundi Venezuela do të marrë këtë rrugë të shkatërrimit total.Populli e pëson në çdo kohë.