At least seven American military personnel were injured during the high-risk special operation carried out in Caracas, which culminated in the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, confirmed official sources cited by the Associated Press (AP).
According to the Pentagon, five of the soldiers have already returned to active duty, while two are still in the recovery process.
The authorities specified that all injuries were classified as non-life-threatening, although one of the officers suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the legs, which are considered serious in nature.
The injuries are believed to have been caused by gunfire and shrapnel, amid hand-to-hand combat and attacks on helicopters during the incursion.
A Department of Defense official stated that the injured "are receiving excellent medical care and are recovering well."
He emphasized that the low number of injured is a testament to the skill of the participating forces, and added that it was an "extremely complex and exhausting" mission carried out with a minimal number of casualties on the U.S. side.
The operation, known as "Absolute Resolve," was described as a large-scale secret mission led by the elite unit Delta Force, involving approximately 200 U.S. military personnel and 150 aircraft, including B-1 Lancer bombers and helicopters deployed from around 20 bases.
The incursion began at 2:10 AM on January 3 and lasted for about two and a half hours.
American authorities also reported that, during the operation, 24 Venezuelan security officials and 32 Cuban military and police officers who were part of Maduro's protective detail were killed.
A helicopter was downed but remained flyable, and simultaneously, a cyberattack was carried out that left a large part of Caracas without electricity and communications.
Venezuelan officials stated that there were also civilian casualties, but these reports have not been independently verified.
Cuban casualties
The Ministry of the Interior of Cuba (MININT) confirmed that 32 Cubans died during the arrest and extraction of Nicolás Maduro, and emphasized that they were carrying out security missions on behalf of the Revolutionary Armed Forces and MININT itself "at the request of the Venezuelan authorities."
The MININT described the operation as a "criminal attack" by the U.S. government and stated that Cubans fell in direct combat or as a result of bombings targeting facilities after resisting.
Just before, the ruler Miguel Díaz-Canel publicly acknowledged the death of the bodyguards and referred to U.S. forces as "terrorists in imperial uniforms," stating that the deceased Cubans were helping to protect Maduro and his wife.
Díaz-Canel expressed "pain and indignation" over the events, extended condolences to the families of the deceased, and commended their "heroic behavior."
The Cuban leader declared two days of national mourning in Cuba for the death of the 32 Cuban citizens that occurred during the operation which ended with the capture of Maduro in Caracas.
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