Multiple explosions, low-flying aircraft reported in Venezuela’s capital

Residents of Venezuela’s capital reported hearing at least seven explosions along with the sound of aircraft flying at low altitude around 2 a.m. local time on Saturday.

The cause of the blasts was not immediately known. Venezuelan authorities, as well as the Pentagon and the White House, did not respond right away to requests for comment.

Following the loud sounds, people in several neighborhoods poured out into the streets. From different parts of the city, residents said they could see activity in the distance, though details remained unclear.

The incidents come amid heightened tensions between Venezuela and the United States. In recent days, the U.S. military has been carrying out strikes on vessels it claims are involved in drug trafficking. On Friday, Venezuelan officials said the country was willing to explore a possible agreement with Washington aimed at tackling narcotics smuggling.

President Nicolás Maduro, meanwhile, has accused the United States of attempting to overthrow his government. In a prerecorded interview broadcast Thursday, Maduro said Washington’s pressure campaign, which began with a large U.S. military deployment to the Caribbean Sea in August, was intended to force political change and secure access to Venezuela’s extensive oil resources.

Maduro faces U.S. charges related to narco-terrorism. Last week, a drone strike targeted a docking area believed to be used by Venezuelan drug trafficking groups. The CIA was behind the operation, marking what appeared to be the first direct U.S. strike on Venezuelan territory since attacks on suspected smuggling boats began in September.

For months, U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that strikes on Venezuelan land were a possibility. The United States has also seized oil tankers operating under sanctions near Venezuela’s coast and imposed a blockade on others, moves widely seen as efforts to further tighten economic pressure on the country.

Since early September, U.S. forces have been striking boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean. According to figures released by the Trump administration, at least 35 vessels have been hit, with a reported death toll of no fewer than 115 people as of Friday.

Those operations followed a significant buildup of U.S. military power near South America, including the deployment in November of the country’s most advanced aircraft carrier. The move brought thousands of additional troops to the region, marking the largest American military presence there in decades.

Trump has defended the attacks as necessary to curb the flow of drugs into the United States, insisting that Washington is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels.

Iranian state television also reported on the explosions in Caracas on Saturday, airing footage of the city. Iran has maintained close ties with Venezuela for years, largely due to their shared opposition to U.S. policies.