Seven U.S. service members were injured during a recent military operation in Venezuela aimed at capturing Nicolas Maduro, as confirmed by an Army official on Tuesday.
Five of the injured personnel have returned to duty, while the other two are still recuperating after surgery. “They are receiving excellent treatment and making good progress,” the official reported. This successful mission, despite being highly complicated, resulted in few casualties, showcasing our military’s expertise, the official added.
On Saturday, military forces landed in Caracas for Operation Absolute Resolve, a covert mission designed to target Maduro and his wife, Syria Flores. The operation was spearheaded by the elite Delta Force of the Army.
In the course of the attack, it’s reported that 24 Venezuelan security officials and 32 Cuban military and police officers, who were protecting Maduro, were killed. Venezuelan authorities also alleged that civilians were casualties, although this has yet to be independently verified.
General Dan Kaine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated that President Trump ordered a “suppression mission” which involved 150 aircraft, including B-1 Lancer bombers, launched from 20 different bases.
It’s worth noting that U.S. intelligence had been monitoring Maduro’s location for several months leading up to the operation.
During the mission, which lasted approximately two and a half hours starting at 2:10 a.m. local time, one helicopter experienced a collision but managed to stay airborne. Simultaneously, a cyberattack by the U.S. severely disrupted much of Caracas, leaving the city’s communications in chaos.
Following the operation, the Maduros were transported to New York to face federal drug trafficking and narcoterrorism charges.
