US Military Operation in Venezuela Leaves at Least 24 Dead, Maduro's Fate Uncertain
A US military operation aimed at capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has left at least 24 Venezuelan security officials dead, according to Attorney General Tarek William Saab. The death toll includes "dozens" of officials and civilians, with prosecutors vowing to investigate the killings as a "war crime." The victims were reportedly killed during the raid on a compound where Maduro was being held by Cuban guards.
Cuba has also reported 32 of its own military and police officers died in the operation, prompting two days of mourning. A video tribute posted on Instagram features the faces of the slain officials over images of the blasts and American aircraft flying over Caracas.
US President Donald Trump pushed back against Democratic criticism of the operation, arguing that his predecessor Joe Biden had also called for Maduro's arrest on drug trafficking charges. Trump noted that his administration had doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest to $50 million.
The operation has sparked concerns about US expansionism in the region, with some lawmakers expressing doubts about the Trump administration's plans for Venezuela. House Speaker Mike Johnson stated that he does not expect the US to deploy troops to Venezuela, but Democratic leaders said the session lacked clarity on the administration's vision for the country.
A recent poll found that Americans are divided on the capture of Maduro, with 40% approving and 45% opposing the US military intervention. Nearly half of Americans believe the Venezuelan people should decide their own future leadership.
Maduro has pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking charges in a US courtroom, while his No.2, Delcy Rodriguez, has been sworn in as Venezuela's acting president. The Trump administration has announced plans to "run" Venezuela policy and pressure the country's leaders to open its vast oil reserves to American energy companies.
The operation has also raised tensions with Colombia, which has expressed concerns over US threats against the country. Colombian Foreign Affairs Minister Rosa Villavicencio said she would meet with the US Embassy's charge d'affaires in Bogota to present a formal complaint.
A US military operation aimed at capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has left at least 24 Venezuelan security officials dead, according to Attorney General Tarek William Saab. The death toll includes "dozens" of officials and civilians, with prosecutors vowing to investigate the killings as a "war crime." The victims were reportedly killed during the raid on a compound where Maduro was being held by Cuban guards.
Cuba has also reported 32 of its own military and police officers died in the operation, prompting two days of mourning. A video tribute posted on Instagram features the faces of the slain officials over images of the blasts and American aircraft flying over Caracas.
US President Donald Trump pushed back against Democratic criticism of the operation, arguing that his predecessor Joe Biden had also called for Maduro's arrest on drug trafficking charges. Trump noted that his administration had doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest to $50 million.
The operation has sparked concerns about US expansionism in the region, with some lawmakers expressing doubts about the Trump administration's plans for Venezuela. House Speaker Mike Johnson stated that he does not expect the US to deploy troops to Venezuela, but Democratic leaders said the session lacked clarity on the administration's vision for the country.
A recent poll found that Americans are divided on the capture of Maduro, with 40% approving and 45% opposing the US military intervention. Nearly half of Americans believe the Venezuelan people should decide their own future leadership.
Maduro has pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking charges in a US courtroom, while his No.2, Delcy Rodriguez, has been sworn in as Venezuela's acting president. The Trump administration has announced plans to "run" Venezuela policy and pressure the country's leaders to open its vast oil reserves to American energy companies.
The operation has also raised tensions with Colombia, which has expressed concerns over US threats against the country. Colombian Foreign Affairs Minister Rosa Villavicencio said she would meet with the US Embassy's charge d'affaires in Bogota to present a formal complaint.
this is so messed up... 24+ dead including venezuelan and cuban ppl, innocent civilians just caught in the crossfire. what a crazy escalation. trump says joe biden called for Maduro's arrest but doesnt that even happen with actual investigations? 
meanwhile colombia's getting all bent outta shape over US threats... like whats next? more military intervention? 
Maduro's fate uncertain now, no idea how much longer he can hold on. this whole operation feels so reckless & impulsive 
. And now the US is just going to 'run' Venezuela policy? That sounds like code for imperialism 
. I'm not sure if Trump is trying to distract from his own policies or what, but this whole thing reeks of power play.
. But at the same time, it seems like the US is just looking out for its own interests instead of actually helping Venezuela become a better place 
just saw this news and I'm totally shook. The thought of 24 people losing their lives because of a military operation is just devastating 
Cuba is grieving, Venezuela is in chaos, and Colombia is getting all up in arms over US threats... it's like the whole region is on fire 
. I'm not sure if I'm pro-Maduro or anti-US intervention, but one thing's for sure: this situation needs to be handled with so much more care and diplomacy 
. Can't we just talk things out instead of resorting to military action? 
it's like the poles are finally waking up from hibernation or something 
anyway, back to venezuela... yeah, this whole thing just feels so weird, all these countries trying to insert themselves into each other's business... it's like a real-life game of risk board game 
, still, this raises concerns about US expansionism in the region 
. Americans are divided on this, 40% approve and 45% oppose 
It's not like this was some kind of heroic rescue mission... more like a messy military operation gone wrong. 
.
He was always going to be a wild card and the US knew it, so what's the alternative, just sit back and let Venezuela continue on its trajectory? The thing is, this operation has highlighted some deeper issues, like what's really driving the Trump administration's agenda in Venezuela - is it truly about democracy and human rights or is there another motive at play? 
The fact remains, the US is involved in a military operation in Venezuela and there's no clear plan for what comes next. 
i mean if us wants venezuela to run its own show why send in troops? 
. What does that even mean? Are they going to take over the country or something? It's all very confusing 
.