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US strike on Venezuela: Where did operation take place? Here’s the map
Maduro was captured in a US military operation amid accusations of drug trafficking. The strikes involved over 150 aircraft and months of intelligence work.
The United States carried out a large-scale military operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The operation involved air, naval, and special forces.
US officials said Maduro and his wife were later flown to New York to face federal charges related to drug trafficking and weapons offenses.
The strikes targeted multiple locations in Venezuela. The operation was carried out over a 2.5-hour window, involving more than 150 aircraft and personnel from US special forces and intelligence agencies, according to US Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine. He told reporters that months of intelligence work went into tracking Maduro’s movements, routines, and locations prior to the operation.
Where the US strikes took place
According to US officials and news reports, most of the strikes took place in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, where Maduro and his wife were captured at a heavily guarded residence.
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Some reports on social media said there were explosions and heavy military activity in other parts of the city, but these have not been independently confirmed. The capture team used helicopters to take Maduro and his wife to the USS Iwo Jima, a military ship off the coast, and then flew them to New York, USA Today reported.
The operation comes after months of US military strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific that were said to be carrying drugs. USA Today reported that at least 32 strikes have happened since September, with over 100 people killed. The Trump administration says these actions are part of an effort to break up drug networks, which it claims Maduro helped run, including the “Cartel de los Soles.”
Maduro has denied the allegations, calling the US actions a pretext to seize control of Venezuela’s oil resources.
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President Trump said the US would “run” Venezuela temporarily until a “safe and proper transition” occurs, and suggested American oil companies would expand operations in the country. The Venezuelan government has declared a national emergency, with Vice President Delcy Rodríguez appearing on state television to assert Maduro remains the country’s only president.
