The United States conducted an overnight military strike on Venezuela on Saturday, Jan. 3, President Donald Trump said, and has seized the nation's leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
The operation marks a dramatic escalation of action against Venezuela after months of rising tensions and military buildup by the U.S.
Here's what we know.
In a social media post Saturday, Jan. 3, Trump described a "large scale strike" against Venezuela. Images from within the country showed explosions, burning vehicles and plumes of smoke rising over the capital, Caracas, and other locations. Witnesses reported the sounds of low-flying jets. The extent of damage and casualties from the strikes was not immediately known.
CBS News reported that members of the Army's elite Delta Force led the raid to capture Maduro and his wife. Considered the Army's equivalent to the Navy's SEAL Team 6, Delta Force soldiers are trained to conduct counterterrorism operations and raids against important targets.
