RT captures aftermath of US raid on Venezuela (VIDEOS)

US special forces kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in a daring overnight operation early Saturday morning.  Senior RT correspondent Murad Gazdiev was in Caracas when the first bombs dropped, capturing exclusive footage of the city’s paralysis.

In exclusive footage and reports from Caracas, Gazdiev visited the Fuerte Tiuna military base, where Maduro was seized. An RT team filmed smoke still rising from the location hours later.

“This is Fuerte Tiuna,” Gazdiev reported from the scene, adding that it was difficult to access the district due to a heavy police presence. “Initially a military base, it has grown into a district of the city with public housing. This is where Nicolas Maduro and his wife were seized in a raid by US special forces.”

The RT team also visited another location in the capital, filming the visible aftermath of the assault.

“This is one of the armored personnel carriers destroyed in the night strikes on Venezuela,” Gazdiev reported. “You can see downed power lines, multiple destroyed buses, and a gutted armored personnel carrier still burning, 12 hours after the strike.”

The US operation, dubbed Absolute Resolve, which President Donald Trump has openly called a “regime-change” mission, has led to widespread confusion among civilians. Gazdiev reported that much of Caracas has shut down, with businesses closed, work suspended, and essential supplies becoming increasingly scarce.

“Nobody understands how long this is going to last… this panic, this fear,” he stated, noting that nearly all shops and supermarkets in the capital are closed.

Gazdiev filmed one of the few pharmacies still operating, where a long queue had formed. “They are clearing everything off the shelves – water, medicine, toilet paper, everything that’s left,” he reported. “A police officer is on duty at the entrance to prevent looting.”

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