Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are seen in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad, escorted by heavily armed Federal agents as they make their way into an armored car en route to a Federal courthouse in Manhattan on Jan. 5, 2026 in New York City.
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More than 100 people were killed during the U.S. military operation in Venezuela that captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife, the country’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said Wednesday.
It was the first time a Venezuelan government official publicly provided a death toll from the operation, as additional details emerged about the mission, which U.S. President Donald Trump described as “perfectly executed.”
“So far — and I say so far — there are 100 dead. One hundred. And a similar number injured,” Cabello said. Two senior Venezuelan officials had previously told MS Now that more than 70 people were killed in the raid.
Cabello also said both Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were injured during the operation. MS Now earlier reported that Maduro was hurt after falling while attempting to flee. Two U.S. sources told the outlet that Flores was struck in the head during the raid.
Cuba revealed on Monday that 32 of its citizens were killed during the operation, adding that those individuals were carrying out missions for Cuba’s armed forces and interior ministry. The statement was posted by Cuba’s presidential office on Facebook.
Seven U.S. service members were injured during Saturday’s U.S. military operation in Venezuela that captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife, a Pentagon official told MS Now on Wednesday.
Two of the seven are still recovering, while five have recovered from their injuries sustained in the operation dubbed “Absolute Resolve.”
“The fact that this extremely complex and grueling mission was successfully executed with so few injuries is a testament to the expertise of our joint warriors,” the official said.
The official said an assessment of casualties on the ground was still ongoing and is being led by the U.S. intelligence community.
Special operations forces from multiple service branches and more than 150 military aircraft were involved in the capture of Maduro.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the military action was conducted in coordination with American law enforcement authorities, according to a post on Truth Social on Saturday.
The U.S. strikes followed weeks of military buildup in the region and repeated threats by Trump against Maduro.
The deposed leader appeared in a New York court on Monday, where he said he had been “kidnapped” with his wife by U.S. forces from his home in Caracas and described himself as a “prisoner of war.” He pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges.
— CNBC’s Lim Hui Jie and MS Now’s Julia Jester contributed to this report.
