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President Trump stunned the world early Saturday with a dramatic announcement saying Venezuela’s socialist strongman Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been captured and removed from the country following U.S. military action that rocked Caracas overnight. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the United States “successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader,” adding that Maduro and Flores were “captured and flown out of the country” in an operation conducted alongside U.S. law enforcement.

The announcement came just hours after multiple explosions were reported across Caracas and other parts of the country, with witnesses describing airstrikes and widespread power outages. Trump’s statement was quickly amplified by senior administration officials, including Pete Hegseth and Karoline Leavitt, who shared the message on X as speculation swirled about the scope and targets of the operation.

Maduro, who has clung to power through what critics and international observers have long described as rigged elections, has been a top target of U.S. law enforcement for years. Washington has accused him of running—or at minimum directing—the Cartel of the Suns, an international cocaine trafficking network allegedly embedded within Venezuela’s regime. In 2020, U.S. prosecutors charged Maduro with narco-terrorism, accusing him and senior officials of conspiring to “flood” the United States with cocaine. A $50 million U.S. reward remains in place for information leading to his arrest or conviction.

Venezuela’s government had not formally responded to Trump’s claim as of early Saturday, but local reporting painted a picture of chaos and uncertainty on the ground. The Venezuelan daily El Nacional reported that large portions of Caracas were without electricity, with residents evacuating areas around Fuerte Tiuna, the country’s main military complex long believed to house Maduro’s personal bunker. The outlet also said La Carlota, Venezuela’s principal military airport, was struck during the overnight bombardment.

Shortly before Trump’s announcement, Venezuela’s defense minister, Vladimir Padrino López, addressed the nation in a video posted to Instagram, denouncing the strikes as an “invasion” and “the greatest outrage suffered by Venezuela.” Padrino López, who is himself wanted by U.S. authorities on drug trafficking charges, dismissed the narco-terrorism allegations and claimed the attacks were part of a U.S.-led regime-change effort. “Desperation is the invader’s ally,” he said, urging Venezuelans to avoid “chaos and anarchy” and calling on the international community to condemn the United States.

Trump said further details on the operation, including how Maduro was taken into custody and where he was flown, would be released later in the day during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, setting the stage for what could be one of the most consequential developments in U.S.–Venezuela relations in decades.

(AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

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President Trump warned Friday that the United States stands ready to act if Iran’s regime escalates its crackdown on protesters, saying America would “come to their rescue” should peaceful demonstrators be violently killed as unrest spreads across the country. Writing on Truth Social, Trump said, “If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,” adding bluntly, “We are locked and loaded and ready to go.” His comments came as clashes between protesters and security forces erupted in multiple Iranian cities, leaving at least six people dead — the first confirmed fatalities since the latest wave of unrest intensified.

The demonstrations began as economic protests, driven by soaring prices, inflation, and a collapsing currency after years of sanctions tied to Iran’s nuclear program, but have quickly taken on a political edge. Shopkeepers in Tehran reportedly shut their doors in protest over economic stagnation, with similar actions and street demonstrations spreading into at least 15 cities, largely concentrated in western Iran. Iranian state media acknowledged deadly clashes in Lordegan and Azna, while state television reported that a member of Iran’s security forces was killed during unrest in Kouhdasht.

Tehran’s leadership responded sharply to Trump’s warning. Ali Larijani, head of Iran’s top security body, reportedly cautioned that U.S. involvement would “destabilize the entire region” and urged Trump to be “mindful of their soldiers’ safety.” Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, called Iran’s internal security a “red line,” warning that any American intervention would be met with a response. Even as Iranian officials attempt to strike a public tone of concern, the threat of force is unmistakable. President Masoud Pezeshkian described the protests over economic hardship as understandable and said Thursday that his government would “end up in hell” if it failed to fix the economy. At the same time, prosecutors and judiciary officials vowed zero tolerance. Lorestan prosecutor Ali Hasavand warned that participation in “illegal gatherings” or actions disturbing public order would be treated as crimes and punished “with the greatest firmness,” accusing “hostile individuals” of sowing chaos.

The unrest comes as Iran’s regional position appears weakened following setbacks to its allies in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, adding to pressure on the regime at home. While the current demonstrations remain smaller than the massive 2022 protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini — which left hundreds dead — the echoes are unmistakable. Similar nationwide unrest in 2019 over fuel prices eventually evolved into open calls to overthrow Iran’s clerical rulers. Trump’s message, characteristically direct, places Tehran on notice: if the regime chooses mass bloodshed again, he says the United States will not look away.