Venezuela reports 100 dead following US military operation

Venezuela’s interior minister Diosdado Cabello said late Wednesday that 100 people were killed in the U.S. military operation that ousted President Nicolás Maduro on January 3 — the first official casualty figure from Caracas since the raid, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Cabello, speaking on state television, accused U.S. forces of killing a large part of Maduro’s security contingent “in cold blood,” although he did not provide a detailed breakdown of the 100 deaths. 

Earlier, the Venezuelan army had posted a list naming 23 Venezuelan soldiers killed in the operation. Cuba, a long‑standing ally of the Maduro government, has also confirmed the deaths of 32 of its military and intelligence personnel stationed in Venezuela, further underscoring the operation’s human toll. 

The assault, described by U.S. officials as a precise mission to capture Maduro, involved air strikes and a ground component culminating in the detention of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. Cabello said Flores suffered a head injury, while Maduro sustained a leg injury during the raid. 

In response to the casualties, Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez declared a week of national mourning for military personnel killed in the operation. Funeral ceremonies for the armed forces were held in Caracas, with military honours and flag‑draped coffins on display.

The controversial U.S. action has triggered widespread regional and international reactions. Protests have erupted in neighbouring countries, with leaders denouncing what they call a violation of Venezuelan sovereignty. In the United States, officials defended the operation as a targeted effort to remove a leader accused of extensive criminal activity, a charge Maduro and Flores deny. 

On 3 January 2026, the United States carried out a major military operation in Venezuela aimed at capturing President Nicolás Maduro and removing him from power. U.S. forces reportedly launched strikes on multiple targets in and around Caracas as part of the mission.

By Vugar Khalilov