At least 40 people, including military personnel and civilians, were killed in the US attack on Venezuela early Saturday, a senior Venezuelan official told The New York Times while describing preliminary reports.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump told Fox News on Saturday that no American troops had been killed. He suggested, however, that some service members had been injured.
Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said later in the day at a news conference at Mar-a-Lago with Trump that US helicopters moving to extract President Nicolás Maduro and his wife had come under fire.
He said that one helicopter had been hit but “remained flyable,” and that all US aircraft “came home.”
US bombs Venezuela
The statement came after the US launched a wide-scale “air, land and sea” military attack on Venezuela early Saturday involving at least 150 aircraft. Maduro and his wife were captured in Caracas and flown out of the country.
Trump revealed during an exclusive interview with "Fox & Friends Weekend" that Maduro was captured in a "fortress"-like house, where he got "bum rushed so fast" by American special forces.
"He was in a house that was more like a fortress than a house. It had steel doors. It had what they call a safety space, where it's, you know, solid steel all around. He didn't get that space closed. He was trying to get into it, but he got bum rushed so fast that he didn't get into that," Trump was quoted as saying.
President Donald Trump said earlier that the US is “going to run” Venezuela following Maduro’s capture, until such time as a safe, proper and judicious transition can take place.”
Trump said that Maduro and his wife "will soon face the full might of American justice and stand trial on American soil" for their alleged role in drug trafficking.
He said they are currently being taken to New York, with authorities to decide later whether the trial will be held in New York or Florida.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump for his leadership and the military operation that led to the capture of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
In a post on X, Netanyahu wrote, "Congratulations, President @realDonaldTrump, for your bold and historic leadership on behalf of freedom and justice. I salute your decisive resolve and the brilliant action of your brave soldiers."
