WW3 fears ignited after Trump 'captures' Venezuelan leader Maduro during missile strike

Donald Trump claims that the US has captured Nicolás Maduro, the President of Venezuela, after the US launched missile strikes on the South American country.

Three days into the new year, Venezuelans were awoken by the sound of missile strikes on their country, with the country's capital city of Caracas in particular targeted for attack.

In response to the attacks, an official statement from the Venezuelan government said: "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."

US officials confirmed that Trump had ordered the strikes on Venezuela, and the US president later claimed that American forces had captured and abducted Maduro and his wife.

It follows a lengthy period of time where the US struck vessels off the coast of Venezuela with airstrikes carried out on boats US officials claimed had been smuggling drugs.

The US has carried out strikes on Venezuela (AFP via Getty Images)

Now the claim from Trump is that the US has abducted Maduro and removed him from Venezuela following the missile strikes, with Trump saying he would hold a press conference later today (3 January) to explain further.

Writing on Truth Social, Trump 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.

"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"

A nationwide state of emergency was declared in Venezuela as the government urged people to 'mobilize to defeat this imperialist aggression'.

The government of Venezuela accused the US of trying to take over its oil resources: "The only objective of this attack is to seize control of Venezuela’s strategic resources, in particular its oil and minerals."

Trump says the US have captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and removed him from his country (Pedro Rances Mattey/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Caracas residents told PA 'the whole ground shook' and described the situation as 'horrible' as they said they 'heard explosions and planes in the distance' and it 'felt like the air was hitting us'.

US citizens in Venezuela have been ordered to 'shelter in place' while commercial flights in Venezuelan airspace were banned due to 'ongoing military activity' before the missile strikes were carried out.

Venezuelan defence minister Vladimir Padrino said they were still compiling information about the number of people killed and injured in the missile strikes.