(The Hill) – President Trump said that United States personnel captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, who were flown out of the country as the U.S. military carried out “large scale” strike inside the nation in the early morning hours on Saturday, an operation that came after a monthslong standoff between the two leaders. 

“This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, adding that more details will be announced at a press conference at 11 a.m. 

Explosions were heard in the early hours in Caracas, the nation’s capital, and some parts of the city reported being without electricity. 

The Venezuelan government accused the U.S. military of targeting military and civilian locations in Caracas, along with strikes in the states of Aragua, La Guaira and Miranda. 

Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, signed a state of emergency, the country’s communications ministry said in a statement, adding that it urged “all social and political forces” in the country to “activate mobilization plans and repudiate” the attack from the U.S. 

The capture of Maduro came just days after the Venezuelan strongman said he was open to conducting negotiations with the U.S. regarding drug trafficking and oil. Maduro and Trump spoke over the phone in November. 

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said that the whereabouts of Maduro and his wife are unknown and demanded proof of life from the Trump administration. 

Both the Pentagon and the U.S. Southern Command referred The Hill to the White House when reached for comment. The White House did not respond to a request for comment. 

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said he spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who told him that Maduro was arrested to “stand trial on criminal charges” in the U.S. and that the U.S. strikes in Venezuela were deployed to “protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant.” 

“This action likely falls within the president’s inherent authority under Article II of the Constitution to protect U.S. personnel from an actual or imminent attack,” Lee said Saturday morning on social platform X. 

Maduro was indicted in March 2020 by the Justice Department on terrorism and drug trafficking charges. 

The U.S. attack came after months of tensions, jabs and threats from Trump and U.S. officials toward Maduro, who the U.S. government has accused of being head of a drug cartel and was deemed an “illegitimate leader.” 

Since August, the U.S. military has been establishing a massive military presence in the Southcom area, sending warships, at least one submarine, F-35 fighter jets, MQ-9 Reaper drones and spy planes in what the administration argued was a buildup to curb the flow of illicit drugs in the region and protect the U.S. 

There are about 15,000 U.S. service members stationed in the Southcom area, a U.S. defense official recently told The Hill. 

Trump has repeatedly mused about authorizing land strikes inside Venezuela and told reporters in late December that it would be “smart” for Maduro to leave, but that it is “up to him what he wants to do.”

Since early September, the U.S. has been carrying out lethal strikes against alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. The U.S. forces have conducted a minimum of 35 strikes and killed at least 115 “narco-terrorists.” 

The CIA conducted a drone strike against a Venezuelan port facility recently, where U.S. officials believe the transnational gang Tren de Aragua stores drugs that are sent elsewhere. 

Trump confirmed in October that he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela.