Palm Beach, Florida - President Donald Trump claimed US forces had captured Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro after launching a "large scale strike" that rocked Caracas overnight Saturday.

"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

"This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement."

Trump added that he would give a news conference at 11:00 AM ET at his Mar-a-Lago estatein Florida, where he is nearing the end of a two-week Christmas and New Year's vacation.

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In a brief phone interview with The New York Times, Trump hailed the "brilliant" operation.

"A lot of good planning and lot of great, great troops and great people," the paper quoted Trump as saying.

Trump's stunning announcement follows months of steadily mounting US military and economic aggression on Venezuela.

The Republican previously said "it would be smart for (Maduro)" to step down, and that his "days are numbered."

Trump's claim of Maduro's capture comes two days after Maduro attempted to engage with Trump, offering talks on drug trafficking and migration.

There was no confirmation or comment on Trump's claims from the Venezuelan government, which early on Saturday denounced the "extremely serious military aggression perpetrated by the current government of the United States of America."

Explosions and military flyovers were reported all over Caracas, with multiple military and civilian sites targeted in the reported US attacks.