https://www.newsweek.com/world-leaders-distance-trump-depose-maduro-11302118
World Leaders Left Stunned by US Attacking Venezuela

World leaders on Saturday were stunned as the United States moved in the early hours of Saturday to strike Venezuela and capture the country's president Nicolás Maduro, with some seeking clarity and others condemning the move.

The White House referred Newsweek to President Donald Trump's statement on Truth Social, in which he wrote, in part: "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. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow."

Maduro and his wife, Cilla Flores, have been formally indicted in the Southern District of New York, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has announced, after Trump confirmed the U.S. captured them during a "large-scale strike" against Caracas early Saturday morning. Maduro earlier declared a national emergency after multiple explosions rocked the capital city.

Maduro and his wife face U.S. charges of narco-terrorism. Maduro, meanwhile, had been indicted in March 2020 on "narco-terrorism" conspiracy charges in the Southern District of New York. In August 2025, the U.S. doubled its bounty to $50 million for information leading to Maduro's arrest.

Last week, a CIA drone strike targeted a docking area allegedly used by Venezuelan drug cartels—the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since U.S. strikes on boats began in September.

Trump had long warned he might authorize strikes on land targets. The U.S. has also seized sanctioned oil tankers off Venezuela's coast, and Trump ordered a blockade of others in a move aimed at tightening economic pressure on the country.