Venezuela under attack? Loud explosions jolt Caracas, fighter jets spotted over city

President Nicolas Maduro has neither acknowledged nor denied the reported attack

• Explosions and aircraft sounds reported in Caracas amid US-Venezuela tensions
• US forces reportedly hit a Venezuelan dock used by alleged drug traffickers.
• Trump administration steps up pressure with sanctions and naval operations

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Loud explosions accompanied by sounds resembling low-flying aircraft were heard in Venezuela's capital city Caracas, m ultiple media reports say. As per an AFP report, the source of the blasts was not immediately clear, and explosions were reportedly still audible about 15 minutes later.

The incidents come amid heightened tensions after US President Donald Trump signalled the possibility of ground strikes against Venezuela. The United States has recently deployed a naval task force to the Caribbean as part of an expanded security operation in the region.

Earlier this week, Trump said US forces had struck and destroyed a docking site allegedly used by Venezuelan drug traffickers. He declined to specify whether the operation was carried out by the military or intelligence agencies, or to disclose the exact location, stating only that it occurred "along the shore."

If confirmed, the operation would mark the first known land-based strike on Venezuelan territory. President Nicolas Maduro has neither acknowledged nor denied the reported attack, though he said on Thursday that he remained open to cooperation with Washington following weeks of intensified US military pressure.

The Trump administration has accused Maduro of leading a drug trafficking network and says its actions are part of a broader crackdown on narcotics smuggling. The Venezuelan leader has rejected the allegations, insisting that the United States is seeking to destabilise his government due to the country's vast oil reserves.

Washington has stepped up pressure on Caracas through a combination of measures, including tighter sanctions, the seizure of oil tankers carrying Venezuelan crude, and what officials describe as an informal closure of Venezuelan airspace.

For several weeks, Trump has warned of imminent strikes against drug cartels operating in the region, suggesting such actions would begin soon. Monday's reported operation appears to be the first instance of that strategy being put into action on land.

Since September, US forces have also conducted numerous operations against vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, which Washington says were linked to drug trafficking. However, the administration has not publicly presented evidence supporting those claims, raising questions about the legality of the strikes.

According to data released by the US military, at least 107 people have been killed in a minimum of 30 maritime operations as part of the campaign.

(With inputs from  AFP)