Venezuelan Defense Minister Claims U.S. Used Unknown Weapons in Capture of Maduro

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López stated on Thursday that Venezuela has become a “testing ground for the use of unknown weapons” during the U.S. operation to apprehend President Nicolás Maduro.

Padrino López, a socialist general, claimed that U.S. authorities “bombarded” Venezuela with advanced artificial intelligence while Maduro faced drug trafficking charges. This declaration followed a military academy handover at Fuerte Tiuna, the largest military complex in Venezuela, where U.S. Delta Force members captured the former president and his wife, Syria Flores, on January 3, 2026.

During a discourse with Venezuelan military officials, he mentioned that weapons “never before seen on the battlefield” were deployed in the operation. This remark referred to comments made by President Donald Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, just a day prior.

Padrino López emphasized, “Here we are standing in this very military fortress, where a military attack was executed by the world’s most powerful nuclear nation. As President Trump stated, they confirmed the use of weapons that have never been utilized in combat before.” He further described this situation as transforming Venezuela into a “laboratory” for high-level bombing technology, resulting in the abduction of the democratically elected Maduro and his wife.

Since July 2014, Padrino López has served as Minister of Defense and also holds the position of Vice President for Defense and Sovereignty. U.S. authorities have accused him of using his influence to facilitate cocaine shipments from Venezuela to Central America and have placed a $15 million bounty for information leading to his capture.

In the recent address at the World Economic Forum, Trump recalled the events surrounding Maduro’s capture, suggesting a chaotic scene where U.S. forces were met with unexpected difficulties: “Two weeks ago, they encountered weapons that were entirely unfamiliar. They couldn’t fire a single shot at us.” He added that some missiles malfunctioned and crashed close to their origin.

In the wake of the operation, Venezuelan officials have reported a significant death toll, estimating “100 to 120 deaths” and numerous injuries, though specifics were omitted due to gruesome conditions of the deceased. Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab reiterated the estimated death toll and condemned the actions as “abnormal and unjust.”

Saab claimed the operation involved various aircraft and resulted in damage to residential neighborhoods, leading to casualties among civilians, including elderly individuals and children, though he provided no evidence for his assertions.

In a previous report, Padrino López noted that 32 Cuban security personnel assigned to protect Maduro had died, in addition to 47 Venezuelan military members during the January 3 operation. This disclosure raised further inquiries regarding the long-suspected Cuban military presence in Venezuela, indicating Maduro’s distrust of his own forces for personal safety.

Following the funeral of the Cuban officials, Padrino López directed a reevaluation of the military education system under what he referred to as the Ayacucho Transformation Plan, aimed at aligning it with the nation’s anti-imperialist stance. He also articulated, “Today’s war is cognitive and must be studied to prepare our armed forces for future challenges.”