Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were dragged from their bedroom during the U.S. military’s nighttime raid that led to their capture, according to officials briefed on the operation quoted by CNN.The couple was sleeping in their home in the heavily guarded Fort Tiuna military complex in Caracas when US special forces stormed the residence, the AP news agency reported.capital-caracas-president-donald-trump/liveblog/126319848.cms" styleobj="[object Object]" class="" commonstate="[object Object]" frmappuse="1">US bombs Venezuela – follow live updates The operation, carried out by the U.S. Army’s elite Delta Force along with FBI agents, lasted less than 30 minutes and resulted in no American casualties.
US President Donald Trump said Maduro had been kidnapped from a “fortress” and called the absence of US deaths “astonishing” but acknowledged that some staff had been injured. Trump said they were aboard a US warship. Fox reported that the duo will reach New York on Monday.The United States launched a rapid nighttime military operation against Venezuela early Saturday, capturing Maduro and his wife. U.S. officials say both must face drug terrorism charges in American courts.Explosions were reported across Caracas in an attack that lasted less than half an hour. At least seven explosions were heard, apparently targeting military sites, with smoke billowing from a hangar at the base and power being knocked out at another facility. Trump had previously said in a social media post that Maduro had been “captured along with his wife and flown out of the country.” Nahum Fernández, a member of Venezuela’s ruling party, said the two were at their residence in Ft. Tiuna military complex.The operation followed months of increasing U.S. pressure, including naval operations and attacks on suspected drug smuggling routes. Last week, a CIA drone strike reportedly hit a Venezuelan docking site linked to cartels.U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and Flores were indicted in New York and “will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.” She explained the charges, including “drug and terrorism conspiracy” and weapons offenses. Trump said the pair were being held aboard a U.S. warship and would be prosecuted in New York.
