Maduro reportedly delivered a statement on television and radio early Saturday as U.S. strikes on his country unfolded, characterizing them as an “attack against the sovereignty of Venezuela.” 

These remarks came before President [blank] announced that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were “captured and flown out of the country” following a “large-scale strike” executed by the U.S. military. Attorney General [blank] later stated that Maduro and Flores were indicted on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy. 

During comments broadcast on state television and radio, Maduro claimed that U.S. forces targeted civilian and military sites in Venezuela’s capital of Caracas, as well as the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira, according to [blank] 

“This constitutes an attack against the sovereignty of Venezuela,” Maduro was reported to say while standing alongside military and government officials. “It is an attempt to impose a colonial war and force political change through violence.”

Maduro further described the U.S. actions as a “grave military aggression” and [blank], adding that they threatened peace across Latin America and the Caribbean, The Miami Herald reported. 

Over recent months, the U.S. has been conducting a military campaign against alleged [blank] and the Eastern Pacific region. 

Maduro’s government framed Saturday’s U.S. strikes as part of a broader American effort to seize Venezuela’s oil and mineral reserves, per The Miami Herald. 

The newspaper noted that state TV aired images of Venezuelan soldiers deploying to strategic infrastructure and officials holding emergency meetings. 

As part of his response, Maduro also signed a decree declaring a nationwide state of “external disturbance,” which grants his government sweeping powers during emergencies—including mobilizing security forces and limiting certain civil liberties, The Miami Herald added.