US carries out airstrikes on Venezuelan capital

Explosions have been heard in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, AFP reports.

U.S. fighter jets were seen in the skies over the Venezuelan capital, with columns of smoke visible. The area around a military base in the southern part of the city has been left without electricity.

Over the past several months, the United States has repeatedly used its armed forces to destroy Venezuelan vessels in the Caribbean Sea which, according to the U.S., were transporting narcotics. U.S. authorities say such operations are aimed at combating transnational crime and illegal drug trafficking.