Nicolas Maduro And Wife Dragged From Bedroom At Military Base By US Forces: Report

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores were seized during a surprise nighttime raid by US forces after being pulled from their bedroom, according to a report by CNN. The couple had been asleep inside their residence at Caracas' high-security Ft Tiuna military compound when American commandos breached the property.

The mission involved the US Army's Delta Force with support from the FBI and was over in under 30 minutes. US authorities said no American troops were killed during the operation.

Commenting on the raid, US President Donald Trump said Maduro was extracted from what he described as a "fortress".

"He was in a fortress," Trump told Fox News in a telephone interview. 

"You know, that we had nobody killed was amazing," he said, adding that a "couple of guys were hit, but they came back, and they're supposed to be in pretty good shape."

Washington launched the rapid overnight strike in the early hours of Saturday, detaining Maduro and Flores and removing them from Venezuela. US officials said the pair are expected to be prosecuted in the United States on narco-terrorism charges.

Residents of Caracas reported multiple explosions during the brief assault. At least seven blasts were heard, reportedly striking military installations. Some Venezuelan civilians and members of the military were killed, said Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, without giving a number. 

Trump said that the US administration would take charge of governing Venezuela, at least for an interim period, adding that this process had already begun.

The operation followed months of escalating pressure by the Trump administration on the oil-rich South American country, coupled with weeks of detailed surveillance focused on Maduro's daily routines, including his movements, meals, and sleeping arrangements.

Vice President JD Vance said the White House had issued repeated warnings before approving the mission. "The President offered multiple off-ramps but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States," Vance said.

US law enforcement agencies have long accused Maduro of heading a criminal organisation linked to cocaine trafficking and other crimes. Charges against him were formally unveiled by federal prosecutors in 2020, forming a cornerstone of Washington's broader strategy against Caracas that has also included economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation.