US strikes Venezuela, captures Maduro and wife; Europe urges restraint, Russia alarmed

New Delhi: The United States carried out what it described as a “large-scale strike” on Venezuela early Saturday and said President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured in the operation and flown out of the country, in an extraordinary escalation that immediately triggered questions over legal authority and a wave of international reactions. 

US President Donald Trump announced the operation on social media hours after the attack, saying Maduro and Flores were in US custody and would be brought to face prosecution in New York. US Attorney General Pam Bondi said the couple would face criminal charges following an indictment in New York. 

The Trump administration did not immediately spell out the legal basis for the strikes or clarify whether Congress was consulted before the operation, a point that quickly became part of the political debate around the raid. 

The operation, which removed a sitting head of state in a rapid overnight move, was compared by observers to the 1990 US intervention in Panama that ended with the seizure of leader Manuel Antonio Noriega. 

Europe urges restraint; Russia says it is alarmed

European leaders reacted cautiously, urging de-escalation and respect for international law.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she had spoken with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the EU’s ambassador in Caracas, and reiterated that the EU has questioned Maduro’s legitimacy while calling for restraint and adherence to the UN Charter.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also called for de-escalation and said international law and UN principles must be respected. 

Russia’s foreign ministry said it was “extremely alarmed” and sought “immediate clarification”, warning that such actions, if confirmed, would amount to an unacceptable violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK was not involved and would seek more information from Trump, adding that international law should be upheld. 

Mixed response on the ground in Caracas

In Caracas, reactions were divided between pro-government mobilisation and visible anxiety in parts of the capital.

At a pro-Maduro gathering, Caracas Mayor Carmen Melendez joined supporters demanding Maduro’s immediate return. Elsewhere, residents described fear and uncertainty as transport disruptions and roadblocks were reported. Some voiced anger at US action and framed Washington as acting without limits. 

Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, said the operation caused casualties among civilians and military personnel, while the government called on supporters to take to the streets.

Opposition stays silent

Representatives for Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado declined to comment on the US operation, according to AP’s live updates. 

Celebrations among Venezuelans in Florida

In the United States, celebrations broke out among sections of the Venezuelan community in South Florida.

In Doral, a city near Miami known for having one of the largest Venezuelan populations in the US, people gathered outside a South American restaurant, waved Venezuelan flags, ate snacks and chanted for “liberty” as music played. 

US case and the New York indictment

Bondi said Maduro and Flores would face prosecution in the United States, tying the action to longstanding American allegations against the Venezuelan leader. Maduro was indicted in New York in 2020, AP reported, and Bondi said the case now extends to his wife as well. 

Trump said he would address the operation publicly later in the day. 

Wider fallout

The capture of Maduro has opened a new phase in an already tense US-Venezuela relationship and raised fresh questions over what comes next inside Venezuela — including who controls the state apparatus, how security forces respond, and whether the operation triggers a broader regional crisis.

Analysts noted that international condemnation and legal scrutiny could intensify even as Washington frames the mission as decisive.