The United States has launched targeted military strikes against Venezuelan defense installations, according to U.S. officials who confirmed the operation to CBS News. The pre-dawn attacks on Saturday morning sent plumes of smoke rising over Caracas and prompted the Venezuelan government to declare a national emergency.
Multiple explosions rocked the Venezuelan capital, with reports indicating strikes hit strategic military locations including La Carlota airfield and the primary Fuerte Tiuna military base. Social media circulated unverified footage showing explosions and military helicopters operating overhead, while several surrounding communities experienced power outages.
The Venezuelan government issued an official statement vehemently condemning what it described as “extremely serious military aggression” by the United States, calling on the international community to denounce the actions. The White House and Pentagon have maintained official silence regarding the operations.
This escalation occurs amid already heightened tensions between Washington and Caracas. President Trump had previously deployed naval forces to the Caribbean and repeatedly suggested potential military intervention in Venezuela. Recent weeks have seen U.S. forces targeting vessels suspected of drug trafficking in the region, including a strike earlier this week on a dock facility allegedly connected to Venezuelan drug operations.
The political context underscores the confrontation: The U.S. administration considers President Nicolás Maduro’s government illegitimate and has accused him of direct involvement in narcotics trafficking. Meanwhile, Maduro maintains that Washington’s true objective is regime change aimed at controlling Venezuela’s substantial oil reserves, citing recent U.S. seizures of Venezuelan oil tankers as evidence of this motivation.
The international community now faces a rapidly developing crisis that marks a significant escalation in the long-standing tensions between the two nations.