Editor’s note: This is a developing story.

The U.S. military carried out large-scale air strikes on Venezuela on Jan. 3. President Donald Trump said that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured and taken out of the country.

“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country,” Trump said on Truth Social.

A series of explosions rocked Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, at about 1:50 a.m. local time on Jan. 3, knocking out power in several parts of the city.

Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry described the events as a “military aggression” by the U.S., while Maduro declared a state of emergency and ordered the deployment of the armed forces.

Relations between the U.S. and Venezuela deteriorated this fall, as Washington launched attacks on Venezuelan vessels, citing efforts to combat drug trafficking.

Trump has also repeatedly warned that the U.S. is preparing additional measures against drug trafficking networks operating out of Venezuela.

Venezuela responded by launching military exercises in the Caribbean and, on Oct. 9, appealed to the U.N. Security Council to convene an emergency meeting on the recent U.S. military actions in waters off its southern coast.

Tensions escalated further in late November when Trump announced the closure of U.S. airspace over Venezuela.

Washington also unveiled on Dec. 11 a new package of sanctions targeting three nephews of Maduro’s wife, along with six oil tankers and transport companies involved in shipping Venezuelan oil.

On Dec. 16, Trump ordered a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela.

The U.S. president also accused “the illegitimate Maduro regime” of using stolen oil to “finance themselves, drug terrorism, human trafficking, murder, and kidnapping” in his Truth Social post.

Venezuela’s government condemned the move, saying in a statement that Trump “seeks to impose, in an absolutely irrational manner, a so-called naval military blockade on Venezuela with the aim of stealing the riches that belong to our Homeland.”

Although Washington framed the restrictions as part of efforts to combat drug trafficking, an interview with White House chief of staff Susie Wiles published by Vanity Fair on Dec. 16 indicated the measures were intended to pressure Maduro to step down.

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