US Military Strike Captures Venezuela’s Maduro/sbkinews.in
President Donald Trump announced a daring US military operation capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, following intense half-hour airstrikes on key regime targets. The Friday night raid—aired live on American TV—targeted Caracas, Maracay, Aragua, and San Guevarra, marking Washington’s boldest Latin American intervention since the 1989 Panama invasion. Maduro faces drug trafficking and election fraud charges, with global powers decrying it as oil grab aggression.
Operation Details and Live Broadcast Sensation
US Delta Force executed the raid at 2 AM Friday (11:30 AM IST Saturday), breaching steel doors in seconds to secure Maduro’s bedroom. Trump live-tweeted the operation, calling it “textbook precision” unseen since Panama’s Noriega takedown. Airstrikes demolished four command centers; casualty figures remain unconfirmed amid blacked-out Venezuelan communications. Emergency rule declared nationwide.
Viral footage shows handcuffed Maduro couple airlifted to New York for prosecution—echoing Noriega’s 1989 fate over similar drug cartel ties. Trump cited months of Venezuelan boat interdictions as prelude, framing Maduro’s FARC alliances and rigged 2024 elections as casus belli. Operation codenamed “TAGI” stunned viewers worldwide.
Trump airstrikes Caracas
Strategic Targets and Venezuelan Fallout
Strikes hit Caracas presidential palace, Maracay airbase, Aragua intelligence hub, and San Guevarra oil facilities—Venezuela’s economic lifeline holding 300 billion barrels. Satellite imagery reveals collapsed structures; opposition claims 200+ regime casualties. Maduro loyalists torched US flags in Caracas; internet shows Delta operators securing sites amid chaos.
Venezuela’s emergency declaration suspends constitution; military factions splinter, with some generals pledging loyalty to interim leader Juan Guaidó. Oil production—down 90% since 2013—faces total shutdown, spiking global crude 15% to $120/barrel. PDVSA refineries idle, threatening India’s 400,000 bpd imports from your SBKI News focus regions.
Trump airstrikes Caracas
Trump’s Justification and Historical Parallel
Speaking from Mar-a-Lago, Trump declared Maduro’s “narco-terror empire” over, linking him to $10 billion cocaine flows and 2024 vote rigging that sparked nationwide protests. “Venezuela’s oil belongs to its people, not cartels,” he stated, echoing Reagan-era Noriega ouster. US sanctions since 2017 crippled Caracas; this raid bypasses diplomacy.
Legal basis: International Emergency Economic Powers Act and UN Charter self-defense clauses against FARC incursions. Critics charge imperialism; supporters hail liberation. Maduro’s 22% approval crashes amid hyperinflation hitting 5 million%.
Trump airstrikes Caracas
Global Condemnation and Geopolitical Firestorm
Russia, China, EU, Cuba, and Iran branded it “imperialist oil piracy,” accusing Washington of eyeing Orinoco Belt reserves rivaling Saudi Arabia. Putin warned of “consequences”; Xi suspended US chip imports. Iranian drones buzzed Strait of Hormuz; Cuban exiles celebrated in Miami.
UN Security Council emergency session looms; Brazil, Colombia seal borders fearing refugee waves. Italy, Spain evacuate citizens; Indian embassy urges Delhi-NCR, UP residents to avoid Venezuela. Latin American leaders invoke Monroe Doctrine revival.
Economic Ripples and Oil Market Chaos
Brent crude surges 18%; India’s ONGC Videsh loses $2 billion in joint ventures. rupee dips 2% to ₹88/$ amid import panic. Uttar Pradesh refineries stockpile; Punjab truckers face diesel hikes. Global airlines ground Venezuela flights; crypto tethers skyrocket as bolivar collapses.
Wall Street dips 3%; defense stocks like Lockheed soar 12%. Bitcoin hits $120K as safe haven. Analysts predict Maduro trial exposes China-backed laundering networks.The Time of India
Regional Implications for India and SBKI Focus
India’s 13% oil reliance on Venezuela threatens Delhi petrol at ₹120/liter. UP’s 500 fertilizer plants face urea shortages; Punjab farmers protest diesel costs. MEA evacuates 200 Indians; Modi’s team eyes Russian, US barrels. Geopolitics echoes 1973 embargo, hitting your northern India coverage.
Opposition Juan Guaidó calls snap elections; US pledges $50 billion reconstruction. Chevron eyes PDVSA stake; Halliburton mobilizes rigs.
Trump airstrikes Caracas
Legal Proceedings and Next Phase
Maduro faces Southern District NY indictment: RICO, narco-terrorism carrying life terms. Wife Cilia Flores charged with money laundering. Noriega precedent: 40-year sentence, house arrest death. Trump hints extradition deals with Colombia.
Probe widens to Russian Spetsnaz advisors, Hezbollah financiers. Satellite firms rush imagery; OSINT floods X with #MaduroCaptured trending 5 billion views.
This seismic shift redraws Latin maps, challenging post-Cold War norms. SBKI News monitors oil shocks hitting India.