TRUMP SAYS THE US HAS SEIZED MADURO IN MASSIVE ATTACK ON CARACAS

United States president Donald Trump has stated in a post on his Truth Social platform that American forces have captured the Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
The alarming statement followed dramatic overnight developments in Venezuela of huge bombings of the capital Caracas carried out by the US military.
Mr Trump also confirmed the attacks in his social media post.
Widely circulating news reports show huge explosions in Caracas and what are believed to be American military aircraft flying over the city.
According to reports, the main targets were military installations. It's not yet clear how the Venezuelan leader and his wife were captured. Just yesterday Mr Maduro was reported as saying he was prepared to make a deal with his American counterpart over the drug trafficking claims.
These latest developments mark a significant escalation in the tensions between the United States and Venezuela over the past few months.
American forces have blown several boats out of the waters around Venezuela killing many of the occupants in what the Trump administration says is a clampdown on drug trafficking. It has accused the Venezuelan government and its president Nicolas Maduro of facilitating the flow of illegal drugs into the US.
A broader geopolitical agenda has also emerged with Mr Trump vowing to retake American assets and investments, especially in the oil sector, it accused Venezuela of previously seizing.
Moves to "decouple" Venezuelan from Chinese and Russian influence have also been mentioned in expert analysis of the crisis.
President Trump is due to hold a press conference today on the dramatic overnight developments in Venezuela.