Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were injured during the U.S. military operation that led to his capture in Caracas in the early hours of January 3, according to multiple official sources and international media.
The operation, named Operation Absolute Resolve, was one of the boldest direct interventions by the United States in the region in decades, combining airstrikes, a blackout caused in Caracas, targeted bombings, and a ground incursion by special forces.
According to what was reported to NBC, officials and individuals familiar with the operation indicated that Maduro and Flores attempted to flee and hide within the complex when the Delta Force units broke in.
In their attempt to take shelter in a security room with steel doors, both bumped into walls and low frames, resulting in bruises, bleeding, and head injuries.
Witnesses from the first trial in New York noted that Maduro limped and had difficulty walking, while Flores appeared disoriented at times.
U.S. forces used stun grenades—devices that generate intense flashes and loud sounds—to disorient the occupants before entering the fortified residence.
These lights and explosions were part of the assault to neutralize any resistance and allow the operators to move more safely within the fortified bunker.
After being captured, both were evacuated by helicopter and transported to Stewart Air Base, north of New York, where they received initial medical evaluations.
Later, they appeared before a federal court in Manhattan, facing charges of drug trafficking and narco-terrorism, to which they pleaded not guilty.
At the hearing, Flores appeared with bandages on his head and visible bruises, and his lawyer requested further medical examinations for possible rib fractures. Maduro, for his part, insisted that he had been "kidnapped" and described himself as a "prisoner of war."
The operation also had a significant toll in Venezuela: Venezuelan and Cuban security forces suffered dozens of casualties during the clashes, and the Caracas government declared a national mourning. The United States reported several personnel wounded, although there were no fatalities among its ranks.
The capture of Maduro and Flores reconfigures the political landscape in Venezuela and opens a period of uncertainty in the country under the interim administration of Delcy Rodríguez.
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