US Military Operation in Venezuela Reportedly Kills 100, Maduro and Wife Injured

A United States military operation in Venezuela over the weekend resulted in 100 deaths, Venezuelan officials said on Wednesday, marking a significant escalation in tensions between Washington and Caracas. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello stated that the deaths occurred during the US attack that removed President Nicolás Maduro from power on Saturday, adding that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, sustained injuries during the assault.

According to Cabello, the US offensive combined airstrikes on northern Venezuelan targets with a special operations raid in Caracas intended to capture Maduro and Flores and transport them to the United States. The Venezuelan government reported significant casualties among its forces, noting that many members of Maduro’s security contingent were killed “in cold blood,” and that Cuban military personnel stationed in Venezuela also suffered fatalities. Maduro and Flores have since been arraigned in a New York federal court on drug- and weapons-related charges and have pleaded not guilty.

The attack and subsequent transfer of Venezuela’s president have drawn widespread domestic and international reactions. Venezuelan authorities condemned the operation as a violation of international norms, with acting leaders declaring a national period of mourning for the dead and denouncing the United States’ actions. Meanwhile, the United States has defended its intervention as necessary for enforcing legal charges against the Maduro regime, though exact casualty figures and legal justifications remain contested by multiple sources.