Nicolas Maduro: Dozens killed in military operation to capture Venezuelan President, officials say

At least 24 Venezuelan security officers were killed in the dead-of-night US military operation to capture Nicolas Maduro and spirit him to the United States to face federal drug charges, officials say.

Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek William Saab on Tuesday said “dozens” of officials and civilians were killed and that prosecutors would investigate the deaths in what he described as a “war crime.” He didn’t specify if the estimate was specifically referring to Venezuelans.

The death toll for Venezuelan security officials comes after Cuba’s Government on Sunday announced that 32 Cuban military and police officers working in Venezuela had died in the operation, prompting two days of mourning on the Caribbean island.

A video tribute to the slain Venezuelan security officials posted to the military’s Instagram features faces of many of those killed over black-and-white videos of soldiers, American aircraft flying over Caracas and armoured vehicles destroyed by the blasts.

“Their spilled blood does not cry out for vengeance, but for justice and strength,” the military wrote in an Instagram post.

“It reaffirms our unwavering oath not to rest until we rescue our legitimate President, completely dismantle the terrorist groups operating from abroad, and ensure that events such as these never again sully our sovereign soil.”

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump on Tuesday pushed back against Democratic criticism of this weekend’s military operation, noting that his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden had also called for the arrest of the Venezuelan leader on drug trafficking charges.

“You know, at some point, they should say, ‘You know, you did a great job. Thank you. Congratulations.’ Wouldn’t it be good?” Mr Trump said.

“I would say that if they did a good job, their philosophies are so different. But if they did a good job, I’d be happy for the country. They’ve been after this guy for years and years and years.”

Mr Trump’s latest comments came after Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other top officials briefed leaders in Congress late Monday on the Venezuela operation amid mounting concerns that the Republican administration is embarking on a new era of US expansionism without consultation with Congress or a clear vision for running the South American country.

After the briefing, House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters he does not expect the United States to deploy troops to Venezuela, saying the US actions there are “not a regime change” operation. Democratic leaders said the session lacked clarity about the Trump administration’s plans for Venezuela.

Americans are split about the capture of Maduro with many still forming opinions, according to a poll conducted by The Washington Post and SSRS.

Nearly half, 45 per cent, were opposed to the US taking control of Venezuela and choosing a new government for the country. About nine in 10 Americans said the Venezuelan people should be the ones to decide the future leadership of their country.

Maduro pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking charges in a US courtroom on Monday. US forces captured Maduro and his wife early Saturday in a raid on a compound where they were surrounded by Cuban guards. Maduro’s No. 2, Delcy Rodriguez, has been sworn in as Venezuela’s acting president.

In the days since Maduro’s ouster, Mr Trump and top administration officials have raised anxiety around the globe that the operation could mark the beginning of a more expansionist US foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere.

Mr Trump has said that his administration will now “run” Venezuela policy and would press the country’s leaders to open its vast oil reserves to American energy companies.

On Sunday, Mr Trump said he wasn’t ruling out an attack on Colombia and described its president, who’s been an outspoken critic of the US pressure campaign on Venezuela, as a “sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States.”