Trump hails capture of Maduro as US vows legal 'wrath'

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado addresses supporters during a protest. [Federico Parra, AFP]

U.S President Donald Trump on Saturday hailed the capture by the US military of Nicolas Maduro, as his attorney general vowed the Venezuelan leader would face the "full wrath" of American justice.

Maduro and his wife both face drug and terrorism charges in the United States, which has waged a months-long pressure campaign against the leftist president.

In a stunning denouement, the US army's elite Delta Force snatched the Maduros as bombs fell on Caracas, US media reported, with Trump set to give further details in a press conference at 11:00 am (1600 GMT).

"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," Trump said on Truth Social.

"This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement," added Trump, who is at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, near the end of a two-week Christmas and New Year's vacation.

In a brief phone interview with The New York Times, Trump said "it was a brilliant operation, actually.”

"A lot of good planning and lot of great, great troops and great people," the paper quoted Trump as saying -- adding that he did not answer a question about whether he had sought congressional approval.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores had been indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges including "Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy," conspiracy to import cocaine, and charges related to machine guns.

"They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts," Bondi said on X.

The indictment against Maduro was lodged in 2020 while the indictment against his wife was not previously known. Trump's administration in August doubled a reward for information leading to his capture to $50 million, accusing him of leading the alleged "Cartel of the Suns" drug trafficking organization.