At least seven explosions were heard, along with low-flying aircraft, in Venezuela’s capital city Caracas around 2 a.m. local time on Saturday. People in various neighborhoods rushed to the streets. Some could be seen in the distance from various areas of Caracas.
Trump administration officials said they were aware of reports of explosions and aircraft, sources told CBS News, but there was no immediate response to requests for the White House to comment and no immediate reaction from Venezuela’s government.
President Gustavo Petro of neighboring Colombia said in a social media post that someone was “bombing Caracas in this moment,” without saying who.
“Alert to the whole world, they have attacked Venezuela bombing with missiles,” he said, calling for a meeting of the United Nations.
The reported explosions come after months of the U.S. military targeting alleged drug-smuggling boats in the region, and as the Trump administration exerts pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Thousands of U.S. forces and several naval vessels have been deployed to the region, and President Trump has hinted for weeks at a wider possible military operation.
The Trump administration has accused Maduro’s regime of collaborating with drug traffickers, which the Venezuelan government denies. The U.S. has also put pressure on Venezuela’s oil sector, seizing two sanctioned oil tankers last month. Mr. Trump announced a “total and complete blockade” on all sanctioned tankers that enter or exit Venezuela in mid-December.
On Friday, Venezuela said it was open to negotiating an agreement with the United States to combat drug trafficking. Maduro also said in a pretaped interview aired Thursday that the U.S. wants to force a government change in Venezuela and gain access to its vast oil reserves.
Mr. Trump has not explicitly said what his goal for Venezuela is, but said late last month it would be “smart” for Maduro to leave power. He also warned that if Maduro “plays tough, it’ll be the last time he’ll ever be able to play tough.”
This breaking news story will be updated.