Trump Shares First Image Of Captured Maduro; Venezuela President On Board US Warship – See Pic
President Donald Trump released the first photograph of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro after his capture by American military forces in a midnight raid on Saturday. The image depicted the ousted Venezuelan leader handcuffed and blindfolded aboard a naval vessel. “Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized overnight from their residence at a military base and transported to a US warship heading toward New York, where they are expected to face federal prosecution over alleged “narco-terrorism” conspiracy charges.
The capture followed large-scale military strikes on Venezuelan soil, with multiple explosions reported in Caracas and surrounding areas. Maduro’s administration denounced the action as an “imperialist attack” and “extremely serious military aggression,” proclaiming a state of emergency and calling on citizens to protest in the streets.
During an appearance on “Fox and Friends Weekend” Saturday morning, Trump revealed that Maduro and Flores were apprehended at the presidential palace before being airlifted by helicopter to the waiting warship.
Trump described Maduro as “highly guarded” inside a palace resembling “a fortress,” which included a secure room fortified with steel reinforcement. American forces stood ready to cut through it using “massive blowtorches” if required, Trump stated. He added that Maduro failed to seal himself inside the protected space, and that troops had practiced the assault using a full-scale replica of the building.
The raid unfolded under cover of darkness, with Trump claiming US forces disabled “almost all of the lights in Caracas.” At least seven explosions were documented, and the entire operation lasted less than 30 minutes. Venezuela’s vice president reported casualties among both civilians and military personnel, while Trump acknowledged only “a couple of guys were hit” on the American side.