Trump claims Venezuela's Maduro, his wife captured after 'large-scale' attacks

United States President Donald Trump has claimed that the US has carried out a "large-scale strike" against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, Al Jazeera reports.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said Maduro and his wife had been "captured and flown out of the country" following the operation, which he said was conducted "in conjunction with US law enforcement".

Earlier, Venezuela's government accused the US of attacking civilian and military installations in multiple states, as ‍it rejected "military aggression" ‍by Washington. The government of President Maduro had declared ‌a national ‌emergency following the series of attacks.

The attacks came after months of tension with the US, which has accused Venezuelan President Maduro of being involved in drug trafficking. Maduro has denied the accusations.

On Thursday, Maduro indicated he was open to negotiating a deal with the US to combat drug trafficking. The US has carried out more than 20 air strikes in the sea near Venezuela since September, as it slapped sanctions and upped military pressure on Caracas.