Caracas Erupts After Maduro Capture: What Just Happened—and Who Ordered the Strike?

Midnight Blast Lights Up Caracas Skyline

Caracas—The clock had barely struck 01:14 a.m. when a rolling boom swept across the capital. Residents who rushed to their balconies saw a plume of orange blooming over the Miraflores district, followed by smaller flashes that lit the Avila hills like summer lightning.

"We thought it was thunder—then the windows shook and car alarms screamed," says Marisol Peña, a pharmacist who lives three blocks from the presidential palace. "No one on my street is sleeping tonight."

Within minutes, state television cut to a jittery anchor who announced—without visuals—that President Nicolás Maduro had been "secured" by unidentified forces. The feed went dark. Cell service faltered. Rumors galloped faster than the flames.

Conflicting Claims About the Operation

Two hours later, a short statement posted on a U.S.-registered social-media account claimed responsibility for the capture, describing it as a "pre-emptive strike against narco-terror leadership." The post was deleted within 20 minutes, but cached copies ignited debate in Washington about whether former president Donald Trump—still the leading Republican candidate—had green-lit the action.

The Pentagon referred all queries to the White House. National Security Adviser Jacob Reed issued a terse response: "The United States was not involved in any kinetic operation in Venezuela tonight." Yet three congressional aides, speaking on background, confirmed that a contingency plan bearing Trump-era signatures had circulated on Capitol Hill earlier this week.

Street Reaction: Jubilation and Gunfire

Opposition strongholds in eastern Caracas erupted in pot-banging cheers; pro-Maduro motorcycle gangs answered with sporadic gunfire. By dawn, at least 14 people had been admitted to the Policlínica Centro with bullet wounds, according to emergency-room doctor Andrés Rojas.

• Power outages now blanket five of the capital’s seven municipalities.
• Internet-monitoring group NetBlocks reports a 64% drop in national connectivity.
• Airlines suspended all flights to Simón Bolívar International until further notice.

Legal Fog: Can a Private Citizen Order a Foreign Raid?

Constitutional scholars are split. Prof. Carla Whitaker of Georgetown argues that any authorization by a private citizen—no matter how influential—would violate the 1973 War Powers Act. "Only a sitting president can command U.S. forces," she said. Meanwhile, Trump’s spokesperson Taylor Merry insisted the former president "offered advice, not orders," and accused critics of "election-year panic."

What Happens Next?

The National Assembly, now controlled by opposition parties, has called an emergency session for 6 p.m. local time. Interim speaker María Corina Machado vowed to "restore constitutional order," but analysts warn the military high command remains the wild card. Defense Minister Gen. Vladimir Padrino López has not appeared in public since the blasts, fueling speculation of an internal rupture.

Regional markets are already reacting: Venezuela’s defaulted 2034 dollar bonds jumped 11 cents on the dollar in thin overseas trading, while oil futures rose more than 3% on fears of supply disruption.

One Story Among Thousands

Back in Altamira, Marisol Peña clutches a blood-pressure monitor, waiting for daylight. "We’ve lived through coups, blackouts, exile," she says, "but tonight feels like the first page of a different book—no one knows who’s writing it."