Caracas: Loud explosions, paired with sounds resembling low aircraft flyovers, were heard in Venezuela’s capital early Saturday, according to a journalist on ground. The blasts were reported around 2:00 am local time (0600 GMT), with the precise locations still unclear as similar sounds continued intermittently for over 15 minutes.
The explosions followed comments earlier this week by US President Donald Trump, who raised the possibility of initiating ground strikes against Venezuela. His administration has already deployed a naval task force to the Caribbean and has signalled a growing military posture in the region, citing anti-narcotics operations as the core justification.
Earlier on Monday, Trump said the United States had destroyed a Venezuelan docking area allegedly used by drug trafficking boats. He did not specify whether the strike was conducted by military forces or an intelligence agency, stating only that it occurred “along the shore” and involved the destruction of a coastal docking point. Maduro has not confirmed or denied the incident, but said later this week that he remains open to cooperation with Washington despite increasing pressure.
The Trump administration has accused President Nicolás Maduro of overseeing a regional drug network and has linked Venezuela’s coastal infrastructure to trafficking activity. Maduro has denied all allegations, asserting that Washington’s actions are part of a long-running attempt to destabilise his government and seize strategic leverage over Venezuela’s oil reserves, which are among the largest in the world.
In recent weeks, the US has ramped up pressure through informal closure of Venezuela’s airspace, expanded sanctions, and seizures of tankers carrying Venezuelan oil. US officials said their maritime campaign has included at least 30 strikes on suspected smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since September. The US military has reported that these operations resulted in 107 deaths across roughly 30 maritime engagements, but has provided no public evidence linking the targeted boats directly to drug trafficking, raising legal and diplomatic questions internationally.
Trump has said that operations against regional cartels will escalate “soon,” signalling a possible continuation of maritime and land-focused engagements in 2026. The Venezuelan government has not issued any updated statement on the origin of Saturday’s explosions, and investigations remain ongoing.
