The death toll from the U.S. military operation to capture Nicolás Maduro has risen to at least 80 people, according to senior Venezuelan officials, as the capital grapples with the aftermath of the most significant foreign intervention in its modern history.
The casualties, which include soldiers, civilians, and foreign intelligence officers, were the result of a massive air and ground assault launched by the United States in the early hours of Saturday, January 3, 2026. The operation, involving more than 150 aircraft, targeted air defences and communication hubs to facilitate a Delta Force extraction of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their residence.
Venezuelan Defence Minister General Vladimir Padrino López confirmed the high casualty count during a televised address, accusing U.S. forces of "cold-bloodedly murdering" members of the presidential security detail and innocent citizens. Padrino described the raid as a "barbaric" violation of sovereignty, noting that officials are still assessing the full scale of the loss of life across urban areas targeted by helicopter strikes.
International involvement in the defence of the Maduro administration was also laid bare by the casualty reports. The Cuban government issued a formal statement Sunday night confirming that 32 of its citizens were killed during the raid. These individuals were described as military and intelligence personnel serving on a mission at the request of the Venezuelan government.
U.S. President Donald Trump, speaking from the White House, hailed the mission as a success, confirming the capture of Maduro and Flores without any American fatalities. Trump stated that "no U.S. soldiers were killed," though the Joint Chiefs of Staff later acknowledged that between two and six American service members sustained injuries when their helicopters came under fire during the extraction at approximately 2:01 a.m. local time.
The humanitarian cost extends beyond the military compounds. Reports from Caracas indicate that civilian employees and residents in nearby neighbourhoods were caught in the crossfire or killed during precision strikes on infrastructure. One such report noted the death of an 80-year-old woman in an apartment complex near the targeted zones.
The operation comes after months of escalating tensions and a U.S. naval campaign in the Caribbean that human rights groups say has already claimed over 110 lives since September 2025. Groups like the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) have labelled these previous strikes as "extrajudicial killings", warning that the latest intervention sets a "dangerous precedent" for regional security.
As Maduro and Flores await their first appearance in a New York federal court on narcoterrorism charges, the interim government led by Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has declared a state of national emergency. Meanwhile, the U.S. has signalled it intends to maintain a presence to oversee what President Trump called a "judicious transition".
