US attack on Caracas, Maduro and his wife captured and taken out of the country. CNN: "They were in bed."

US attack on Venezuela. President Donald Trump described it as a "successful, large-scale attack" and said the US military had "captured Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife and taken them out of the country." The two "have been indicted in New York," added US Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Immediately after the first explosions, the Venezuelan government declared a state of emergency and called for the population to "mobilize" following the attack, which US media reported had resulted in deaths and injuries. Venezuelan opposition sources told Sky News they believed Nicolas Maduro's capture was the result of a "negotiated exit."

"They wanted" to act four days ago , but bad weather prevented it , Donald Trump explained in an interview with Fox, emphasizing that the residence where Maduro was staying was a "fortress." The Venezuelan president and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken from their bedroom in the middle of the night , CNN reports. A press conference to explain the details of the action is scheduled for 5 p.m. Italian time at Trump's residence in Mar-a-Lago, Florida.

THE ATTACK – The strong explosions, accompanied by low-flying planes , occurred around 2am (7am in Italy) in Caracas, and are said to have lasted until 4am local time.

Images of large fires with plumes of smoke are visible on social media in the southern and eastern areas of the Venezuelan capital.

" Caracas is being bombed right now . Alert the world: Venezuela is under attack! They are bombing with missiles. The Organization of American States and the UN must meet immediately ," Colombian President Gustavo Petro wrote on X.

The power outages were also confirmed by CNN journalists in the Venezuelan capital, who also heard the sound of planes after the explosions.

According to testimonies collected by Reuters, the agency writes on its website, the southern area of the city is without electricity.

The Mamo Military Academy in La Guaira , 40 kilometers from the capital, was hit. Other areas affected include the La Carlota air base and the Higuerote airport , with minor explosions.

OUR FELLOW CITIZENS – "I am following the evolution of the situation with our diplomatic representation in Caracas, with particular attention to the Italian community. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is constantly informed. The Farnesina crisis unit is operational," Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on X. The Italian Ambassador to Venezuela, Giovanni Umberto De Vito, spoke of sites near the embassy that were hit . De Vito specified that there are currently approximately 160,000 Italians in the country.

TENSIONS – Tensions between the United States and Venezuelan governments have been running high for weeks, and in recent days the U.S. military has targeted vessels believed to be used by drug traffickers. Just yesterday, Maduro gave an interview saying he was ready to engage in dialogue with the United States.

"The objective of this attack is none other than to seize Venezuela's strategic resources, particularly its oil and minerals, seeking to forcibly undermine the nation's political independence. They will not succeed," wrote Nicolas Maduro's government in an official statement rejecting the attacks on Venezuela that the statement attributes to Washington. "After more than two hundred years of independence, the people and their legitimate government remain steadfast in their defense of sovereignty and the inalienable right to decide their own destiny. The attempt to impose a colonial war to destroy the republican form of government and force a 'regime change,' in alliance with the fascist oligarchy, will fail like all previous attempts," the statement adds.

REACTIONS – Meanwhile, the Russian Foreign Ministry has condemned the "US armed aggression against Venezuela." This act raises "deep concern and condemnation," according to a statement from the ministry posted on Telegram.

The Iranian regime also "strongly condemned the US military attack" against Venezuela, standing with de facto President Nicolás Maduro Moro, one of its main political and strategic allies. The Islamic Republic also criticized the US use of force, reiterating its support for the Caracas government and calling for respect for international law.

- NEWS UPDATE -