Venezuela latest: At least 24 of country’s security officers and ‘many Cubans’ reportedly killed in Trump’s Maduro operation
Death toll from US mission to capture Nicolas Maduro rises
- A US military operation aimed at capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro led to the deaths of at least 32 Cuban fighters, 23 Venezuelan soldiers and two civilians, according to the BBC, citing local media.
- Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured on Jan. 3 in Caracas and indicted on "narco-terrorism" charges in New York, with Maduro pleading not guilty and claiming he was "kidnapped."
- After their capture, President Donald Trump praised the Delta Force operation as "brilliant" but acknowledged that "many, many" Cubans were also killed, describing Maduro as "a violent guy."
- Trump issued a warning that the U.S. might launch a second attack on Venezuela if the newly sworn-in President Delcy Rodríguez does not cooperate with American officials.
- Trump said the U.S. would remain involved in Venezuela for "a period of time" to "fix the country first," ruling out immediate snap elections, and clarified that the US is not at war with Venezuela.