Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are seen handcuffed after landing on a Manhattan heliport, escorted by heavily armed federal agents as they walk to an armored vehicle en route to a Manhattan federal courthouse on January 5, 2026 in New York.
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More than 100 people were killed in the U.S. military operation in Venezuela that captured Nicolas Maduro and his wife, the country’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said Wednesday.
It was the first time a Venezuelan government official publicly gave a death toll from the operation, as additional details emerged about the mission, which U.S. President Donald Trump called “perfectly executed.”
“So far – and I mean so far – there are 100 dead. A hundred. And a similar number injured,” Cabello said. Two senior Venezuelan officials previously told MS Now that more than 70 people were killed in the raid.
Cabello also said Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were injured during the operation. MS Now earlier reported that Maduro was injured after falling while trying to flee. Two U.S. sources told the outlet that Flores was shot in the head during the raid.
Soldiers stand an honor guard at the funeral of soldiers killed during the U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in the capital on January 3, at a cemetery in Caracas, Venezuela, January 7, 2026.
Maxwell Briceño | Reuters
Cuba revealed on Monday that 32 of its citizens were killed during the operation, adding that these individuals were carrying out missions on behalf of the Cuban armed forces and the Ministry of the Interior. The statement was issued by the Cuban presidency. on Facebook.
Special operations forces from multiple military branches and more than 150 military aircraft were involved in Maduro’s capture.
Seven US service members were injured during the military operation, a Pentagon official told MS Now on Wednesday.
Two of the seven people are still recovering, while five have recovered from their injuries sustained during the operation dubbed “Absolute resolution“.
“The fact that this extremely complex and grueling mission was successfully executed with so few casualties is a testament to the expertise of our joint warfighters,” the official said.
The official said a field casualty assessment was still ongoing and was being led by the U.S. intelligence community.
American President Donald Trump said the military action was carried out in coordination with US law enforcement authorities, according to a post to Truth Social SATURDAY.
The US strikes follow weeks of military buildup in the region and Trump’s repeated threats against Maduro.
The deposed leader appeared in a New York court on Monday, where he said he was “kidnapped” with his wife by American forces from his home in Caracas and described himself as a “prisoner of war.” He has pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges.
— CNBC’s Lim Hui Jie and MS Now’s Julia Jester contributed to this report.
