Shock US strike upends Venezuela

The United States carried out a lightning military strike on Venezuela early Saturday, capturing President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and spiriting them out of the country.

- 

American officials say the pair will face narco-terrorism charges in US courts.The overnight operation left Venezuela reeling, with its leadership uncertain and details of casualties and the impact on its military still to emerge. Countries across the region and the wider world were absorbing the destabilising implications of the apparently unilateral US action.

Rising US pressure, then an overnight attack

Explosions rang out, and low-flying aircraft swept through Venezuela's capital, Caracas, early Saturday. At least seven blasts were heard in an attack that lasted less than 30 minutes. The targets appeared to include military infrastructure. Smoke was seen rising from the hangar of a military base in Caracas, and another military installation in the capital was without power.

Venezuelan officials said people had been killed, but the scale of casualties was unclear.

Trump said in a social media post that Maduro “has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country.”

US terrorism charges