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Seven U.S. service members were injured in the Venezuela operation to capture Nicolás Maduro, a War Department official told Fox News Digital Tuesday.
Five service members already have returned to duty and two are still recovering from the operation.
“They are receiving excellent medical care and are well on their way to recovery,” the official said. “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.”
On Saturday, service members landed in Caracas, Venezuela, during a secretive mission to strike Venezuelan territory and capture Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, known as Operation Absolute Resolve. The mission was led by the Army’s elite special operations unit, Delta Force.
Captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is escorted as he heads towards the Daniel Patrick Manhattan United States Courthouse for an initial appearance to face U.S. federal charges including narco-terrorism, conspiracy, drug trafficking, money laundering and others in New York City, U.S., January 5, 2026. (Adam Gray/Reuters)
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Officials said Tuesday that 24 Venezuelan security officials were killed during the raid, along with 32 Cuban military and police officers, who were responsible for guarding Maduro.
Venezuelan officials have claimed the operation also killed civilians, but those claims have not been independently verified.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Trump ordered the “apprehension mission” Friday night, and it involved 150 planes, including B-1 Lancer bombers and helicopters from 20 bases.
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U.S. intelligence officers had reportedly tracked Maduro’s whereabouts for months ahead of the operation.
President Donald Trump shared a photo of captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima after strikes on Venezuela, Jan. 3, 2026. (Donald Trump via Truth Social)
Smoke rises from a dock after explosions were heard at La Guaira port, Venezuela, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, after the U.S. launched strikes at Caracas. (Matias Delacroix/The Associated Press)
One helicopter was hit during the operation, which began at 2:10 a.m. local time and lasted around two and a half hours, but remained flyable.
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At the same time, a U.S. cyber attack had rendered much of Caracas, Venezuela, powerless, leaving the city and its communication lines in the dark.
Maduro and his wife were flown to New York to face federal charges of drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.
