The US Attorney General has outlined sweeping criminal charges following reports that the United States military launched a surprise operation in Venezuela and captured the country’s leader. In the early hours of Saturday, the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, was hit by US military strikes, footage of which quickly spread across social media. Shortly afterward, Donald Trump took to Truth Social to confirm American involvement, claiming the operation resulted in the capture of the Venezuelan president and his wife, who were allegedly flown out of the country. Trump described the action as a joint effort with US law enforcement and announced a press conference at Mar-a-Lago to provide further details, calling the mission “highly successful” and thanking the military for its role.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi later confirmed that both the Venezuelan leader and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been indicted in the Southern District of New York. According to Bondi, the charges against him include narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and multiple weapons-related offenses involving machine guns and destructive devices. She stated that he would face “the full wrath of American justice” in US courts, though she did not specify the charges against his wife. The Venezuelan government, however, disputed the claims, with Vice President Delcy Rodríguez demanding immediate proof that the president and his wife are alive. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López called the strikes the “worst aggression” against the nation and urged unity, announcing that armed forces were being deployed amid rising tensions.