Hour by hour Timeline of the attack on Venezuela: what is known so far after the announcement of Nicolás Maduro’s capture

The capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is, for the moment, the main achievement announced by the United States military intervention in Venezuela, which has put the international community, and especially Latin America, on edge in recent hours.

This has been the sequence of events in the last few turbulent hours:

6:37 GMT: Several detonations and explosions, accompanied by aircraft flying overhead, were heard in Caracas, though no further details were available at that time. Images of explosions in various parts of the Venezuelan capital circulated on social media, while users reported detonations at the country’s main military base, Fort Tiuna, west of the city, and at the La Carlota airbase.

07.28 GMT: Colombian President Gustavo Petro says Caracas is being bombed, after detonations and explosions were heard in several parts of the Venezuelan capital in the early hours of the morning.

07.35 GMT: The Maduro Government denounces a “very serious military aggression” by the US against Venezuela, specifically in the civilian and military locations of the states of Miranda, Aragua, La Guaira, and the country’s capital, Caracas, and ordered “the deployment of the command for the integral defense of the nation.”

7:40 GMT: Nicolás Maduro declares a state of external commotion in Venezuela. He does so after denouncing a “military aggression perpetrated by the current United States government” early Saturday morning in Caracas and the nearby states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira. “The immediate deployment of the Command for the Comprehensive Defense of the Nation and the Directorate Bodies for Comprehensive Defense in all states and municipalities of the country is ordered,” the government said in a statement read on state television VTV.

7:52 GMT: CBS reports that US President Donald Trump has ordered attacks inside Venezuela, including against military targets. According to these sources, the White House considered carrying out the airstrikes against Venezuelan targets, including military personnel, on Christmas Day, but ultimately decided to prioritize airstrikes in Nigeria against alleged Islamic State (ISIS) camps.

08:08 GMT: The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reportedly banned US commercial aircraft from operating at any altitude over Venezuelan airspace, citing security risks stemming from ongoing military activity in the South American country. The notice, known as a NOTAM, went into effect at 2:00 AM local time in Venezuela on Saturday and will remain in effect for 23 hours.

08.31 GMT: The first damages of the US operation are reported: fire and some damage to the fence of the Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base, also known as La Carlota, the main military airport of Caracas, as confirmed by EFE.

09.28 GMT: US President Donald Trump confirms that the United States has “successfully carried out a large-scale attack against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who, along with his wife, has been captured and airlifted out of the country.”

“The operation was carried out in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement,” Trump said in a message on the social network Truth Social, in which he indicated that he would give more information today at a press conference at 11 a.m. (4 p.m. GMT) from Mar-a-Lago (Florida).

10.29 GMT: Colombian President Gustavo Petro announces increased security on the border with Venezuela to address a potential mass influx of refugees from that country following the US attack on Caracas and other cities.

10:48 GMT: The Venezuelan Government requests an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the “acts of aggression” by the United States against Venezuela.

10:45 GMT: Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello called for calm in the country and urged against “making things easier for the invading enemy,” denouncing the attack carried out this morning by the United States in the South American country as “criminal and terrorist.”

10:30 a.m.: The New York Times reports that there were no American casualties in the operation ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump to attack Venezuela and capture Nicolás Maduro.

Maduro’s whereabouts

After US President Donald Trump confirmed at 09.28 GMT that the United States had captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, along with his wife, and airlifted him out of the country, these were the main comments.

10:15 GMT: Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez reports that the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores are unknown after US President Donald Trump confirmed an attack against the country and announced their capture.

11:03 GMT: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says that Nicolás Maduro has been arrested by the United States and will face criminal charges in that country, and that now that the Venezuelan leader has been captured, no further military action is expected in the country, according to Republican Senator Mike Lee, after a conversation.

11:35 GMT: The Venezuelan Attorney General denounces the “kidnapping” of Maduro by the U.S. and calls for his release, also holding the U.S. responsible for anything that may happen to him.