US President Donald Trump has announced that Washington has carried out a large-scale operation against Venezuela and its leader, Nicolas Maduro. According to Trump, Maduro and his wife were captured and taken out of the country, with the operation conducted in coordination with US law enforcement agencies.

Journalists from CBS reported that the detention of Maduro and his spouse was carried out by members of Delta Force, an elite US military special operations unit. The New York Times noted, citing its sources, that no US servicemen were injured during the special operation on Venezuelan territory.

Earlier, on the night of 3 January, at least seven explosions were reported in Caracas. Later, footage appeared on social media showing combat helicopters flying over the Venezuelan capital, while other sources spoke of «low-flying» aircraft.

Venezuelan authorities later stated that strikes had targeted sites in Caracas as well as in the states of Aragua, Miranda and La Guaira. Official Caracas described the events as a large-scale act of aggression and declared a state of emergency across the country.

Several districts of the capital experienced power outages. So far, there have been no official reports of dead or wounded among civilians, and no information has been released about potential losses on the American or Venezuelan side.