Kerry Kahn

Reports started flooding social media with videos of multiple explosions throughout the city.

And I spoke right away with a reporter, Vanessa Silva, and she actually lives right in front of the military airport La Carlota in Caracas.

She says Caracas is in a valley.

And so she said you could hear explosions echoing throughout there.

And she says there were several fires on the runway, but they were put out quickly.

But she could hear airplanes continuing to circle around the Caracas skies for hours.

In a statement, Venezuela's government said it, quote, rejects, condemns, and denounces before the international community the extremely grave military aggression carried out by the current U.S.

government.

Multiple explosions were heard around 2 a.m.

local time throughout Caracas.

One journalist told NPR that two explosions hit the runway of the military airport La Carlota inside the capital.

The Pentagon referred all inquiries to the White House.

The Trump administration has been increasing pressure on the Venezuelan government of Nicolás Maduro, who the U.S.

says is the leader of a, quote, narco-terrorist organization.

Maduro has declared a state of external disturbance and called for an immediate move to arms struggle.

Carrie Khan, NPR News, Rio de Janeiro.

Right.

We have limited official information on the situation right now in the Caribbean.

The Pentagon and the Coast Guard is referring all inquiries to the White House, which is not commenting.

But late yesterday, one U.S.