Venezuela has accused the United States of targeting residential areas in a series of strikes early Saturday and announced a significant deployment of its military resources in response.
In a video statement shared on social media, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López condemned what he described as the actions of “invading US forces,” saying they had “desecrated our soil, going so far as to strike, using missiles and rockets fired from combat helicopters, residential areas populated by civilians.”
Padrino López added that Venezuela would launch a “massive deployment of all land, air, naval, riverine, and missile capabilities… for comprehensive defense,” signaling a strong military stance against further attacks.
The allegations come amid claims by US President Donald Trump, who on Saturday said that US forces had captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro following a “large-scale strike” on the country.
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, adding that the operation was conducted in conjunction with US law enforcement agencies.
Trump also announced he would hold a news conference at 11:00 a.m. (1600 GMT) at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, where he is concluding a two-week Christmas and New Year holiday.
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