The U.S. strikes Venezuela, captures President Maduro

The United States has struck Venezuela, and president Trump says captured its leader. Trump says president Nicolas Maduro has been flown out of the country. Our reporters will have the latest on this extraordinary development. I'm Daniel Estrin. I'm Ayesha Rasco, and this is Up First from NPR News. After a months long campaign to oust the Venezuelan president, Nicholas Maduro, president Trump says he's come through with his threats. The White House called the strikes on the capital Caracas large scale. The US military has been expanding its presence in The Caribbean over the last few months. But what does it mean to capture a world leader, and when has it happened before? We'll also hear what Venezuelans on the ground have to say. Stay with us. We have the news you need to start your weekend. The US has bombed Caracas and other areas of Venezuela, and president Trump says the country's leader has been captured. It comes after months of escalating US pressure, sending troops and warships to the Caribbean. NPR's South America correspondent, Carrie Khan, joins us now from Rio De Janeiro. Good morning, Carrie. Good morning. So president Trump said in a social media post that Maduro and his wife are in US custody. What else do we know? Inside Venezuela, we've heard that confirmed by the vice president, Delce Rodriguez. She's been on state TV via phone, all morning. Here's some of that indignation from her that you were talking about earlier. She's been just saying this nonstop since the operation took effect. She's demanding that The US present, proof of life that Maduro is still alive, and she's asked the same for his wife. She's also said that she is executing Maduro's defense plans for the nation that she says were practiced and ready to go. Maduro has long faced US federal charges for narcoterrorism. The US says he's involved in drug trafficking and conspiracy with the while the International Criminal Court in is investigating him also for crimes against humanity, including torture and extrajudicial killings. Carrie, can we just start from early this morning around 2AM local time? What happened there? Sure. Reports started flooding social media with videos of multiple explosions throughout the city, and I spoke right away with a reporter, Vanessa Silva. And she actually lives right in front of the military airport La Carlota in Caracas. And let me just play you her first immediate reactions. I just wake up with this strong noise, super strong noise. I I see the explosion. It was in the middle of the of the runway. She says relatives throughout the city were also reporting explosions, and Caracas is in a valley. And so she said you could hear explosions echoing throughout there, and she said she was just terrified. The house wasn't shaking, but I was. And then I hear, like, airplanes. She says there were several fires on the runway, but they were put out quickly. But she could hear …