Detonations and Low-Altitude Jets Heard in Venezuela's Capital Caracas City

Reports circulated of numerous detonations and the roar of low-flying planes in Caracas in the small hours of Saturday. This event has sparked claims from the Venezuelan leadership and calls for international scrutiny.

Caracas Accuses Washington of Aggression

Venezuela's authoritarian administration has accused the US of what it calls "foreign aggression," alleging that ex- President Trump supposedly authorized military strikes against the Latin American country. In an formal declaration, the government asserted that strikes had impacted Caracas and three other provinces: Miranda, La Guaira state, and Aragua state.

"Our primary goal of these strikes is to gain control of our nation's key assets, notably its crude oil and minerals," Venezuela asserted.

Venezuelan officials called on the world to condemn the strikes, which it labeled a "clear infringement of international norms" that endangered countless of lives in peril.

Accounts of Blasts and Military Sites Targeted

Residents spoke of feeling roughly multiple explosions around 2 a.m. in the morning. People in various districts allegedly ran into the open.

"Everything shook. This is frightening. We heard explosions and planes in the distance," commented one local.

Smoke was observed pouring from major military installations in Caracas: the La Carlota airfield and the Fuerte Tiuna army base, where leader Nicolás Maduro is believed to reside.

Global Response

The leader of bordering Colombia, Gustavo Petro, wrote on X that "Currently they are bombing Venezuela... bombing it with missiles." He called for an swift emergency session of the United Nations Security Council.

Colombia, which recently joined the UNSC, said it would activate defense plans at its border with Venezuela.

Context

These alleged attacks follow a months-long campaign of pressure by the US against the Maduro regime. Beginning in August, authorities reported a significant US military deployment off the country's Caribbean coast and a number of air strikes on boats linked to narco-trafficking.

The administration has declared "a state of external threat" and ordered all defense plans to be initiated. It has also urged its citizens to protest and "denounce this foreign aggression."

The White House and the Pentagon did not publicly addressed inquiries for comment regarding the reports.