Maduro will face the "full wrath" of American justice, says US as Trump hails his capture

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.

The United States also announced drug and terrorism charges against Maduro following a “large-scale strike” in which he and his wife were “captured” and “flown out” of the country.

Earlier today, President Trump said the operation, carried out in coordination with US law enforcement, targets Maduro for his alleged involvement in narcotics trafficking and support for terrorist activities, adding a legal dimension to months of escalating US pressure on his government.

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Meanwhile, Venezuela accused the United States of hitting residential areas in a wave of strikes early Saturday, and announced a major deployment of military resources.

The “invading” US forces “have desecrated our soil, going so far as to strike, using missiles and rockets fired from their combat helicopters, residential areas populated by civilians,” Venezuela’s Défence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said in a video statement shared on social media.

Lopez added that the South American country would launch a “massive deployment of all land, air, naval, riverine and missile capabilities… for comprehensive defence."

Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said on Saturday his country “will overcome” a wave US military strikes which Washington said also included the capture of President Nicolas Maduro.

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Cabello, considered one of the most powerful men in Caracas, told a local television broadcast that “at the end of these attacks, we will overcome,” adding that “this is not our first battle against our people… we have managed to survive under all circumstances."

Venezuela seeks UN Security Council meeting on US bombings

Venezuela demanded an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the US attacks on the country, amid uncertainty over the whereabouts of President Nicolas Maduro.

“Faced with the criminal aggression committed by the US government against our homeland, we have requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council, which is responsible for upholding international law,” Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil wrote on the Telegram messaging platform.

With inputs from agencies