A cyberattack most likely resulted in the lights of Caracas going off as the US executed strikes in the Venezuelan capital on Saturday (3 January).
US president Donald Trump basically said as much in a press conference following the action, saying US Cyber Command was instrumental in ensuring power in the city was out.
“It was dark, the lights of Caracas were largely turned off due to a certain expertise that we have, it was dark, and it was deadly,” he said.
General Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed that US Cyber Command was involved in setting the scene for the military operation.
The Internet also went down on the night, according to NetBlocks.
“Confirmed: Metrics show a loss of internet connectivity in parts of Caracas, Venezuela, corresponding to power cuts during the US military operation which landed strikes on the capital and captured and removed President Maduro from the country,” the tracker posted.
It wasn’t the first time power in Venezuela was interrupted by what is believed to be a cyberattack, while the state-owned oil and natural gas company Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) was also recently hit by a major cyberattack.
In December 2015, PDVSA operations and administration systems were interrupted by what the company called a cyberattack by US actors.