Venezuela military says US killed Maduro's guards 'in cold blood' before snatching him

Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald on Jan 4, 2026

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Venezuela’s military accused U.S. forces of killing members of President Nicolás Maduro’s security detail “in cold blood” before seizing the embattled leader and his wife in a pre-dawn raid in Caracas on Saturday.

In a nationally televised address, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said the abduction of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, occurred on Saturday after “the cold-blooded murder of a large part of his security team — soldiers, both men and women, and innocent civilians.” He blamed what he described as “imperial aggression” and said the armed forces were placed on full operational alert.

Padrino’s comments came as the Venezuelan newspaper Tal Cual, citing unofficial reports from security forces, said at least 25 people were killed during the U.S. military attacks on Caracas in the early hours Saturday. As of 6 a.m. Sunday, only one of the confirmed victims had been identified as a civilian, according to those reports.

The New York Times reported that at least 40 people were killed in the pre-dawn raid, which involved heavy bombardment of key military and government installations before Maduro and his wife were captured.

According to Tal Cual, the majority of the dead — 15 in total — belonged to Presidential Security Battalion No. 6, the unit responsible for protecting the head of state. Those killed included young officers and enlisted personnel ranging from lieutenants and sergeants to honor guards and military academy cadets who had not yet graduated.

U.S. officials said the pre-dawn raid inside Caracas was carried out after weeks of planning. The operation, spearheaded with missile fire, explosions and a coordinated blackout, involved drones, helicopters and fighter aircraft operating across Venezuelan airspace, according to U.S. accounts. American troops raided a fortified bunker-style compound and removed Maduro from the site, officials said.

U.S. officials said Maduro was subsequently transferred to a U.S. Navy vessel in the Caribbean, marking the end of a roughly five-hour operation that began with President Donald Trump authorizing the mission from his Mar-a-lago home in Palm Beach County.

Maduro, who along with his wife faces U.S. charges of running a large drug trafficking network from the presidency, was flown out of Venezuela and arrived Saturday afternoon at Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York.

The Venezuelan government has not released official casualty figures or acknowledged U.S. claims regarding Maduro’s capture. There was no immediate independent confirmation of Maduro’s precise location following his reported arrival in the United States.

In his address, Padrino said the Bolivarian National Armed Forces “categorically reject the cowardly abduction” of Maduro and Flores, but confirmed that the military backs the appointment of Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as acting president, as ordered by the country’s Supreme Court.

He also announced the activation of full operational readiness nationwide, calling for a “perfect fusion” of civilian, military and police forces to confront what he repeatedly described as “imperial aggression.” The objective, he said, was to form a unified combat bloc to defend Venezuela’s “freedom, independence and sovereignty.”

“The Bolivarian government will guarantee the governability of the country,” Padrino said, adding that the armed forces would deploy “all available capabilities” to defend the nation, maintain internal order and preserve peace.

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