'Dragged from their bedroom': How the US struck Venezuela - and removed Maduro and wife

The US has carried out a "large-scale strike" against Venezuela, and its leader, Nicolas Maduro, has been flown out of the country with his wife.

The raid marks a dramatic escalation after months of tension between the two countries and a US military build-up in the region. This is what we know so far.

Where and when did the US strike? Several explosions rang out in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, early on Saturday, as low-flying aircraft swept over the city. Witnesses reported smoke rising from the hangar of a military base in Caracas.

Read more:US strikes Venezuela: Follow latestWhy removal of Maduro is unprecedentedHow did we get here? The explosions sent people rushing into the streets, while others posted videos of the blasts on social media. The strikes, which lasted about 30 minutes, also hit the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira, according to the Venezuelan government.

Donald Trump told Fox News there were a few injuries to US forces, but no deaths. How was Maduro captured? Mr Trump said Maduro and his wife were flown by helicopter to a US warship and would go on to New York to face charges.

Maduro was captured by elite special forces troops, a US official told the Reuters news agency. On Saturday morning, sources inside the opposition told Sky News they believe Maduro's capture was a "negotiated exit".

An image shared on Truth Social by Mr Trump showed Maduro blindfolded, with the caption: "Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Imo Jima." According to the country's ruling party leader, Nahum Fernandez, the president and his wife were at their home within a military base when they were seized. "That's where they bombed," he told The Associated Press.

"And, there, they carried out what we could call a kidnapping of the president and the first lady of the country." Venezuelan officials said people had been killed, but the scale of casualties was unclear. US broadcaster CNN reported the couple were "dragged from their bedroom".

Citing two sources, they said they were "captured in the middle of the night as they were sleeping". Maduro to face charges US attorney general Pam Bondi said Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores have been indicted in the Southern District of New York.

"They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts," Ms Bondi wrote on X. She said the Venezuelan president faces charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy; cocaine importation conspiracy; possession of machine guns and destructive devices; and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the US.

Maduro was indicted in March 2020 on "narco-terrorism" charges in the Southern District of New York. We're going to run the country, says Trump Mr Trump said the US will run Venezuela until a "proper transition" is made.

Meanwhile, vice president Delcy Rodriguez addressed the nation, saying Venezuela would "never be a colony" of any country. Ms Rodriguez reiterated her call for Maduro and his wife to be released.

She said the captured leader was the "only" president of Venezuela. Mr Trump spoke to the media at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday about the assault on Venezuela.

He told reporters "air, land and sea was used" for an assault "like people have not seen since World War Two". The US president said the goal of the attack on a "heavily fortified military fortress in the heart of Caracas" was "to bring outlaw dictator Nicolas Maduro to justice".

"This was one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays of American military might and competence in American history," he added. Mr Trump said the US was "ready to stage a second and much larger attack if we need to do so".

The armed forces assumed that a second wave would be necessary, he added, but said the first attack "was so successful, we probably don't have to do a second". "But we're prepared to do a second wave, a much bigger wave, actually," he said.

US oil firms will enter the country during the transition period, Mr Trump added. He said: "We're going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country." What has Keir Starmer said about the strikes? The UK prime minister shared a statement about the US attack on Venezuela and capture of Maduro on Saturday.

He said: "The UK has long supported a transition of power in Venezuela. We regarded Maduro as an illegitimate president and we shed no tears about the end of his regime.

"I reiterated my support for international law this morning. The UK government will discuss the evolving situation with US counterparts in the days ahead as we seek a safe and peaceful transition to a legitimate government that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people." Earlier on Saturday, Sir Keir Starmer had said he "will want to talk" to the US president to "establish the facts" about the operation.

He added the UK wasn't involved in the strikes. National emergency declared The Venezuelan government declared a national emergency "to protect the rights of the population, the full functioning of republican institutions, and to immediately transition to armed struggle.