"Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello condemned the US strikes carried out in the early hours of Saturday, saying the country’s civic–military union had been deployed to protect national territory. Speaking in a televised address, Cabello urged the public to remain calm and place trust in the political and military leadership. “I call on our people to remain calm. Trust the leadership. Trust the leadership of the high political and military command in the situation we are going through,” he said. “Let no one fall into despair. Let no one make things easier for the invading enemy, for the terrorist enemy that attacked us cowardly.” He added that Venezuela had faced similar challenges before. “This is not the first battle that some have waged against this people, believing they will defeat us,” Cabello said. The interior minister delivered his message after inspecting parts of the city alongside armed soldiers, becoming the third senior official to speak publicly following Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino and Vice President Delcy Rodriguez. Earlier, Rodriguez and Padrino demanded proof of life after the reported capture of President Nicolas Maduro by US law enforcement. In a post on his X account, United States President Donald Trump claimed Washington had carried out a large-scale operation in Venezuela, alleging that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been captured and flown out of the country. Trump did not specify Maduro’s current whereabouts and said he would hold a press conference at 11:00 local time. Venezuelan authorities have not confirmed the claims."