Donald Trump says US forces have 'captured' Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro

US President Donald Trump says the United States has "captured" Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and flown them out of the country.

Mr Trump said the US carried out strikes against targets in Venezuela, amid reports of explosions in the capital, Caracas, and several other states.

Meanwhile, Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has stated in an audio message to state TV that the government does not know the whereabouts of Mr Maduro or his wife, first lady Cilia Flores.

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US President Donald Trump says US is going to run Venezuela after strikes 

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Interim President Delcy Rodriguez

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Live updates: At least 24 Venezuelan regime security officers killed in Maduro capture, its military says

Follow the news on Venezuela and the United States | Jan. 6, 2026

Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello appeared at a pro-government march on Tuesday. Whilst Cabello has been seen in public this is his first time at a pro-government event since ousted President Nicolas Maduro was taken from the country on Saturday.

EDITED BY  BRIDGET BROWN, BERNARD MCGHEE, LUENA RODRIGUEZ-FEO VILEIRA, JEFF MCMURRAY, NELL CLARK AND SAM BURDETTE

Updated 11:34 AM AEDT, January 7, 2026

At least 24 Venezuelan security officers were killed in the U.S. military operation to capture Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s military announced Monday, bringing the official death count up to at least 56 people.

According to the Pentagon, seven U.S. servicemembers were injured in Saturday’s raid in Caracas, and the injuries included gunshot wounds and shrapnel-related injuries, a U.S. official told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive situation. Of the servicemembers, five have already returned to duty while two are still recovering.

In addition to the 24 Venezuelan security officers, 32 Cuban military and police officers working in Venezuela were also killed, according to Cuba’s government, prompting two days of mourning on the Caribbean island.

More civilians in Venezuela were killed in the strikes, AP reporting shows, but it wasn’t immediately clear how many.

Source: AP