German govt crisis team meets on Venezuela situation

BERLIN -- The German government's crisis team convened at the Federal Foreign Office on Saturday to discuss the situation in Venezuela.

The foreign office said in a statement that they are monitoring the situation in Venezuela very closely and following the latest reports with the greatest concern, according to the website of Tagesschau, flagship news program of German public broadcaster ARD.

The ministry added that it remains in close contact with the German embassy in Caracas.

Describing the current situation as "still unclear in parts," the ministry noted that the German government is coordinating its response closely with international partners.

Earlier on Saturday, the United States launched a large-scale strike on Venezuela, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were "captured and flown out of Venezuela," according to a post by US President Donald Trump on his Truth Social account.