Washington (TDI): US official reports have estimated that around 75 people were killed during the dramatic military operation in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, to capture President Nicolás Maduro over the weekend.
According to senior American sources citing internal assessments, the figures, which include Venezuelan and Cuban security personnel as well as civilians caught in the fighting, reflect the intense violence that erupted during the pre-dawn raid.
US officials described the mission as “effective” but acknowledged it was “very violent,” underscoring the high human cost of the operation named Absolute Resolve.
The assault was carried out by elite US special operations forces supported by precision air strikes and complex planning. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized by commandos and taken out of Venezuela.
Maduro, now in US custody, faces federal charges including narco-terrorism and drug trafficking. Despite the ferocious battle on the ground, US forces reported no fatalities, though seven service members suffered injuries ranging from gunshot wounds to shrapnel wounds.
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Official death counts vary widely, contributing to uncertainty over the complete toll. Venezuelan military sources confirmed that at least 24 of their security officers were killed during the strike, while the Cuban government reported that 32 of its military and interior ministry personnel died in the engagement, prompting Havana to declare two days of national mourning.
Numerous civilian deaths have also been reported, though precise figures remain unclear. Venezuelan prosecutors have said they will investigate the deaths, with the country’s attorney general describing the operation as a potential “war crime.”
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez declared a week of national mourning for the fallen military, reinforcing Caracas’s stance that the US action was an unlawful attack on national sovereignty.
In Washington, the Trump administration has defended the operation as a necessary action against an indicted criminal and a step toward restoring democratic norms in Venezuela.
The US, however, now faces mounting questions from lawmakers and global leaders alike about its strategy in the region and the implications of holding and prosecuting a sitting foreign head of state on US soil.
