Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Janine Hurst. A large U.S. military force involving some 150 aircraft carried out the swift operation in Venezuela that seized President Nicholas Maduro and his wife.

NPR's Greg Myrie reports the U.S. troops entered and left Venezuela in just a few hours.

General Dan Kane, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said President Trump gave the order

for the operation shortly before 11 p.m. Friday. The U.S. then launched bombers, fighter jets,

surveillance planes, and drones. These aircraft helped protect the Special Operations Forces flying in helicopters to President

Maduro's compound in the capital Caracas. The helicopters came under fire and one was hit,

but was still able to fly. Within two and a half hours, the forces had captured Maduro and his wife

and were taking them to a U.S. warship in the Caribbean.

Maduro now faces drug trafficking charges in the U.S.

Greg Myrie, NPR News, Washington.

Video footage on CNN appears to show Maduro arriving at a military base in New York tonight.

China says it's warning its citizens not to travel to Venezuela and says

it's closely monitoring the situation in that country where China was the biggest buyer of

Venezuelan oil. And Peers Emily Fang has more. Although Venezuela contributed just a tiny fraction of the

oil China imports for the South American nation, China was its primary customer,

ferrying sanctioned oil from Venezuela to small refineries on China's East Coast,

on what analysts term a shadow fleet of ships left unregistered or with their trackers off

in order to evade sanctions. Over the last few weeks, Beijing has been outspoken

against U.S. strikes on boats in the Caribbean. And on Saturday, China's foreign ministries that the

U.S.'s seizure of Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife were, quote, hegemonic acts and

strongly condemned the attack as a violation of international law. Emily Fang and Pierr News.

Demonstrations in Maryland today as residents and lawmakers rallied against the U.S. military

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