Sources from the United States government confirmed to American media that Nicolás Maduro was captured by the special operations unit Delta Force, regarded as the most secretive and lethal force of the U.S. Army.
The information was reported by journalist Jim LaPorta of CBS News, citing reporter Jennifer Jacobs, who stated that high-ranking officials confirmed the direct involvement of this elite unit in the operation conducted in Venezuela.
According to sources, Delta Force carried out a precision operation early Saturday morning to arrest the Venezuelan ruler and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were "extracted from the country" following a series of bombings in Caracas, Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira.
The U.S. President, Donald Trump, announced hours later on Truth Social that Maduro had been "captured and taken out of Venezuela," describing the mission as "successful."
The Delta Force, officially known as 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D), is a covert operations unit of the United States Army specializing in counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and capture of high-value targets.
This same unit was responsible in 2019 for the mission that ended the life of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State, in Syria.
Meanwhile, in Caracas, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez confirmed that the government "does not know the whereabouts of President Maduro" and demanded "immediate proof of life" from Washington.
Rodríguez condemned this as "an unprecedented imperial aggression" and urged the international community to reject what he described as "a kidnapping."
The Republican senator Mike Lee, for his part, stated that he spoke with the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, who informed him that Maduro will be transferred to the United States to stand trial for federal offenses.
International tension continues to rise. Cuba, Iran, and Bolivia have condemned the attacks, while Colombia has called for urgent meetings of the UN and the OAS.
So far, Washington has not released any visual evidence confirming the capture of the Venezuelan leader.
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