Operation Absolute Resolve: U.S. Strikes Rock Caracas as Nicolás Maduro Is Captured and Flown to the U.S.

Overview: A dramatic new phase in U.S.–Venezuela relations unfolded early Saturday when the United States launched a broad series of strikes around Caracas and other sites, and hours later President Donald Trump announced that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro had been captured by U.S. forces and removed from the country.

Verified Timeline and Key Events

According to U.S. officials and open-source material verified by news organizations, planning for the operation—named Operation Absolute Resolve by U.S. authorities—was reportedly under way in secret since December. President Trump said he made the final decision to strike at 11:46 p.m. Venezuela time (10:46 p.m. ET) the previous evening.

Reports of explosions and low-flying aircraft over Caracas began arriving just before 2:00 a.m. local time. A video captured at 1:58 a.m., per its metadata, shows multiple blasts and fires near the Fort Tiuna military complex. Local eyewitnesses told CNN explosions continued into about 3:00 a.m.

Targets and Damage

CNN verified strikes on at least seven critical infrastructure and military locations, including La Guaira port (under 10 miles north of central Caracas) and the Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base, commonly known as La Carlota. Footage geolocated by analysts showed fires at a communications antenna installation just south of Caracas and damage at the capital’s national astronomical and meteorological observatory.

At Higuerote airport, roughly 52 miles east of Caracas, verified video showed a large blaze and successive explosions beginning shortly before 2:00 a.m. Witnesses described balls of fire arcing through the sky consistent with burning munitions or air-defense intercepts. Satellite imagery and ground video reviewed by analysts show heavy structural damage, a crater on a runway, and burn marks consistent with strike impacts.

Satellite imagery and image analysis indicate significant damage at Fort Tiuna, Venezuela’s largest military complex. Images provided by providers including Vantor show destroyed facilities—bunkers, vehicle shelters and a power station—alongside active fire damage. A Buk-M2 mid-range anti-air missile launcher at La Carlota appeared to have been struck and severely damaged.

This photo posted by US President Donald Trump to the social platform Truth Social appears to show Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima. - From President Donald Trump/Truth Social

Capture of President Maduro

President Trump said U.S. military helicopters landed at 2:01 a.m. local time as part of a separate mission to seize Maduro. Trump and U.S. officials claimed the Venezuelan leader was detained after being unable to close a steel shelter door and that he was taken out of the country. In one video verified by CNN, helicopters are seen moving toward the Fort Tiuna area.

U.S. Joint Chiefs leadership said forces were "over the water" and out of Venezuela by 4:29 a.m. local time with "indicted persons aboard." Trump announced the operation publicly at 4:21 a.m. Venezuela time via Truth Social, posting later an image he said showed Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima. U.S. officials say Maduro has been transported to the United States and is expected to face drug and weapons charges in Manhattan.

Eyewitness Accounts and Human Impact

Residents in Caracas and Higuerote reported waking to explosions and a sky lit red by fires. One 23-year-old Higuerote resident told CNN he initially believed the sounds were fireworks before realizing the scale of the attack as neighbors fled and buildings emitted large plumes of smoke.

"My neighbors started screaming and running through the street, so I went outside and saw this giant wall of smoke," the resident said. "It went silent for about 20 minutes and then we could hear planes again, then two more explosions. Everything was shaking after that."

Verification and Sources

The account above is compiled from verified videos and images, satellite imagery analysis, eyewitness reporting, statements from U.S. officials (including President Trump and Joint Chiefs leadership), and media verification by outlets that reviewed geolocation and metadata. Some details remain subject to further independent confirmation, and reporting agencies continue to update the record as more evidence becomes available.

What Remains Unclear: Open-source analysis shows heavy damage at several sites, but the precise locations where Maduro may have sheltered during the attack and full casualty figures were not immediately confirmed. Investigations and intelligence assessments are ongoing.

Note: This report compiles available verified open-source material and official statements. Further corroboration from independent investigations may refine the timeline and details.