January 5, 2026 | 10:14 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The death toll from a United States military operation to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, 64, and his wife, Cilia Flores, carried out in the early hours of Saturday, has reportedly risen to around 80 people.
The victims were Venezuelan and Cuban citizens, doubling the initial estimate of about 40 deaths reported on the day of the operation.
The New York Times, as cited by Anadolu, reported that “the number of military and civilian casualties associated with the U.S. attack has increased to around 80 people.”
Quoting a senior Venezuelan official, the newspaper said the figure could rise further.
Some of those killed were Cuban nationals who were reportedly guarding Maduro at close range. Venezuelan authorities have also acknowledged that the scale of damage caused by the operation was greater than initially estimated.
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said most members of Maduro’s security team were killed during the attack, although he did not provide an exact figure.
In a speech delivered on the same day, Padrino stated that “most of Maduro’s security team was killed in the U.S. military attack.”
In a separate televised address reported by Anadolu, Padrino accused U.S. military personnel involved in the operation of “cold-bloodedly murdering a large part of (Maduro's) security team, soldiers, and innocent citizens.”
He also described Maduro as the country’s “authentic and legitimate” leader.
Padrino’s remarks came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said that American military action on Saturday resulted in the abduction of Maduro and his wife. Trump also pledged to enforce American control over Venezuela for the time being, using U.S. forces if necessary.
Trump accused Maduro of overseeing drug shipments to the United States and of holding power illegitimately through election fraud. Maduro, who is currently being held at a detention facility in New York on drug-related charges, has denied the accusations. Officials in Caracas have also called for his release.
Padrino reiterated demands for the immediate release of Maduro and Flores, urging the international community to pay closer attention to the situation in Venezuela.
“We demand that the world pay close attention to everything that is happening against Venezuela, against its sovereignty and Constitution,” he said.
Following Maduro’s capture by U.S. forces, the Venezuelan Supreme Court ordered Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the interim presidency “immediately.” Padrino said the military had expressed its support for Rodríguez.
“We fully support the Decree of State of External Emergency throughout the national territory, which was previously signed,” he added.
Padrino also said the armed forces would continue to use “all their available capabilities” to ensure security, maintain internal order, and preserve peace across the country.
Read: Maduro and Wife to Face US Court After Military Kidnapping
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