The Venezuelan Vice President has demanded Donald Trump send proof of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's life after he claimed to have captured him on Saturday (3 January).
The US President took to social media to announce that both Maduro and his wife had been 'captured and flown out of the Country' after a 'large scale strike' carried out on the South American nation.
Trump ordered strikes on the country just three days into 2026, with the capital city of Caracas particularly targeted in the attack.
Writing on Truth Social, the 79-year-old said: "The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country.
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"This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP"
The strikes comes after the US struck vessels off the Venezuelan coast, claiming that they had been smuggling drugs, in a threat to both Maduro and his country.
Following the attacks, the Venezuelan government released a statement.
It read: "Venezuela rejects, repudiates, and denounces before the international community the extremely serious military aggression perpetrated by the current Government of the United States of America against Venezuelan territory."
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As a nationwide state of emergency was called in Venezuela, the government further accused the US of trying to take their oil and mineral resources.
Now, Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has asked the US to show an 'immediate proof of life' for Maduro and his wife, as they do not know their whereabouts.
Vladimir Padrino López, the country's Defence Minister, has also claimed that they will respond to the 'worst aggression' ever shown against his country, according to a report from the BBC.
Calling for a united front, he claimed that they would be following 'Maduro's orders' as armed forces will be deployed, as he claimed in a video address: "They've attacked us but they will not subdue us."
Maduro, who has been the President of the Venezuela since succeeding Hugo Chávez in 2013, has been on Trump's hit-list as he believes that the arrival of thousands of Venezuelan migrants on US soil is Maduro's fault.
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Nearly eight million Venezuelans have fled the country's economic economic crisis since Maduro came to power, according to the BBC, as Trump claimed that Maduro had been 'emptying his prisons and insane asylums' and 'forcing' inmates to move to America.
He made these claims with no evidence, also starting his own war on drugs - specifically fentanyl and cocaine.
The President said that two Venezuelan criminal groups in particular were responsible, Tren de Aragua and Cartel de los Soles, and both were officially made Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTOs), alleging that the latter was led by Maduro himself.
Having placed a lucrative reward of $50 million for information leading to Maduro's capture, he also designated the Maduro government as an FTO, with the Venezuelan leader denying that he's a cartel leader.
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Following the rise in tension, Trump acted by threatening Maduro with the initial strike on Venezuelan vessels on 29th December, before capturing him in the latest round of strikes.
US warships were deployed within striking distance of Venezuela, with dozens dying in strikes on boats claimed to be carrying illegal substances.
Maduro was declared winner of the presidential election in 2024 despite voting tallies collected by the opposition indicating that its candidate, Edmundo González, won by a large margin.
He had replaced María Corina Machado as the main leader after she was banned from running for office.
She would be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October over Trump, with the board noting 'her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy'.
Topics: Donald Trump, World News, US News
Joshua Nair