President Trump suggested the U.S. used cyber or technical capabilities to cut power in Caracas during strikes that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro. Gen. Dan Caine said Cyber Command and Space Command "layered different effects" to enable U.S. forces but did not detail those measures. NetBlocks recorded internet outages, and PDVSA previously accused the U.S. of a cyberattack last month; U.S. officials declined to comment. If confirmed, the episode would be an unusually public use of American cyber power.
Trump Suggests U.S. Used Cyber Tools to Darken Caracas During Raid on Maduro
President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States employed cyberattacks or other technical capabilities to cut power in parts of Caracas during strikes that culminated in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. If confirmed, this would be one of the most overt uses of American cyber power against another nation in recent memory.
What Was Said
At a press briefing at Mar-a-Lago, Mr. Trump described the capital as plunged into darkness and attributed the outages to a U.S. capability used to support the operation.
"It was dark, the lights of Caracas were largely turned off due to a certain expertise that we have, it was dark, and it was deadly," Trump said.
Military Comments
Gen. Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the same briefing that U.S. Cyber Command, U.S. Space Command and other combatant commands "began layering different effects" to "create a pathway" for U.S. forces entering the country early Saturday. Gen. Caine did not specify what those effects involved.
Independent Reporting and Claims
Internet monitoring group NetBlocks reported a loss of internet connectivity in Caracas during early morning power cuts. Alp Toker, founder of NetBlocks, said if cyberattacks contributed to the outages, they were likely targeted rather than broadly disruptive to the region's networks.
Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA (Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A.) has previously accused the U.S. government of carrying out a cyberattack last month that caused delays to operations. PDVSA said its facilities were not damaged in the Saturday operation.
Official Response and Context
Spokespeople for the White House, U.S. Cyber Command and U.S. Space Command did not respond to requests for comment about the alleged cyber operations. Such activities, when conducted by the U.S., are typically classified and rarely publicly acknowledged.
Why This Matters
A public suggestion that the U.S. used cyber tools during a kinetic operation raises legal, strategic and diplomatic questions. Admissions of offensive cyber activity are unusual and could affect international norms, attribution, and escalation risks. Independent verification of the precise role of cyber or technical effects in the Caracas outages remains limited.
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