Caracas: Venezuela’s capital city rocked by explosions amid Donald Trump’s war on narco-terrorists
Venezuela’s capital city Caracas has been rocked by explosions after months of military threats by the US.
Local reports suggest blasts have been heard at an airbase and a communications centre – both heavily-guarded military or Government-run facilities.
Aeroplanes, loud noises and at least one column of smoke were heard and seen in the early hours of Saturday morning, Reuters reports.
The southern area of the city, near a major military base, was left without electricity.
In social media footage, numerous helicopters can be seen flying over Caracas, though it remains unclear whether these are American.
The White House is “aware of reports” of explosions and aircraft over Caracas, sources told CBS News.
Meanwhile, the US Federal Aviation Administration issued a new “Notam”, or notice to airmen, barring American aircraft from Venezuelan airspace.
The FAA says there are “safety-of-flight risks associated with ongoing military activity”.
Flight tracking service FlightRadar24 currently says there are no aircraft over the country.
Flight tracking service FlightRadar24 currently says there are no aircraft over Venezuela
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FLIGHTRADAR24
Social media footage showed explosions in the hills around the Venezuelan capital
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REUTERS
For months, Donald Trump has promised land operations in Venezuela in a bid to disrupt the flow of illegal drugs to the States – as well as push dictator Nicolas Maduro to leave.
Last week, he said the US had hit an area in Venezuela where boats are loaded with drugs, marking the first known time Washington has carried out land operations on Mr Maduro’s soil.
It was widely reported that the CIA was behind those strikes.
On Christmas Eve, Vladimir Putin evacuated the families of diplomatic staff from Venezuela amid mounting fears of US military intervention.
That came as Mr Trump ramped up sanctions and massively increased his country’s military presence in the region.
The US has also completed over 20 strikes on drug boats in both the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean – and has seized sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers.
GB News has approached the US Department of War for comment.More to follow…
