Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump announced that U.S. forces had conducted strikes against Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in an operation that began around 2 a.m. local time.
The president emphasized the operation's success despite Venezuelan military readiness.
"Not a single American service member was killed, and not a single piece of equipment was lost — many helicopters, many planes, many people involved in air flight," Trump stated during his address alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
In a Fox News interview, Trump described the operation as "extremely complex" and executed with "speed and violence," involving massive numbers of aircraft and helicopters.
He noted that U.S. forces breached fortified positions designed to withstand such assaults.
However, some American troops sustained injuries when their helicopter was hit by Venezuelan ground defenses, though officials indicated none of the bullet and shrapnel wounds were life-threatening. One helicopter was damaged but continued its mission.
The operation involved approximately 150 aircraft from the U.S. Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, including F-22 Raptors, F-35 Lightning IIs, and support aircraft.
Explosions were reported across multiple locations in and around Caracas, with targets including Fuerte Tiuna military complex, La Carlota airbase, and other military installations.
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López reported that American combat helicopters fired in urban areas, causing casualties among both military personnel and civilians. The exact death toll remains unclear.
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