US President Donald Trump confirmed on Saturday that the US had “successfully” carried out what he called a “large-scale” strike against Venezuela.

In a social media post, Trump added that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were “captured and flown out of the Country”.

“This operation was done in conjunction with US Law Enforcement,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

He added that a press conference on the strike will be held later on Saturday at Mar-a-Lago, Florida.

Venezuela’s government, in a statement, called on supporters to take to the streets after explosions rocked Caracas.

“People to the streets!” the statement said. “The Bolivarian Government calls on all social and political forces in the country to activate mobilisation plans and repudiate this imperialist attack,” it said. The country’s official name is the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said in an interview aired on Thursday that he was open to holding talks with the Trump administration about drug trafficking and the country’s oil reserves.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said in an interview aired on Thursday that he was open to holding talks with the Trump administration about drug trafficking and the country’s oil reserves.

But he also doubled down on his argument that the US was seeking a government change and access to oil reserves in the country.

The Trump administration has ramped up pressure on the Maduro regime by establishing a massive presence in the US Southern Command and carrying out strikes on boats in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific Ocean.

President Donald Trump has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the US and asserted that the US is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels.