Multiple explosions, aircraft sounds reported in Venezuela's Caracas

(AFP) - Loud explosions and aircraft-like sounds were reported early on Saturday in Venezuela’s capital Caracas, leaving areas near a major military base without power.

Airplanes, loud noises and at least one ⁠column of smoke were being heard and seen in Venezuelan capital Caracas in the early hours of Saturday morning, according to Reuters witnesses, and the southern area of the city, near a major military base, was without electricity.

The explosions come as US President Donald Trump, who has deployed a navy task force to the Caribbean, raised the possibility of ground strikes against Venezuela.

Sounds of explosions were still being heard around 2:15 am, although their exact location was unclear.

Trump on Monday said the United States hit and destroyed a docking area for alleged Venezuelan drug boats.

The Republican leader would not say if it was a military or CIA operation or where the strike occurred, noting only that it was "along the shore."

The attack would be the first known land strike on Venezuelan soil.

President Nicolas Maduro has neither confirmed nor denied Monday's strike, but said Thursday he was open to cooperation with Washington after weeks of US military pressure.

The Trump administration has accused Maduro of heading a drug cartel and says it is cracking down on trafficking, but the leftist leader denies any involvement in the narcotics trade, saying Washington is seeking to overthrow him because Venezuela has the largest known reserves of oil on Earth.

Washington has ramped up pressure on Caracas by informally closing Venezuela's airspace, imposing more sanctions and ordering the seizure of tankers loaded with Venezuelan oil.

For weeks Trump has threatened ground strikes on drug cartels in the region, saying they would start "soon," with Monday being the first apparent example.

US forces have also carried out numerous strikes on boats in both the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since September, targeting what Washington says are drug smugglers.

The administration has provided no evidence that the targeted boats were involved in drug trafficking, however, prompting debate about the legality of these operations.

The deadly maritime campaign has killed at least 107 people in at least 30 strikes, according to information released by the US military.