• President says “couple of guys were hit” but expected to recover in good shape
• One helicopter struck during operation but no aircraft lost, Trump reports
• Maduro and wife dragged from bedroom by Delta Force in middle of night

CARACAS (TDR) — Multiple American soldiers were injured during the operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from what President Donald Trump described as a heavily fortified location, though no U.S. personnel were killed in the raid.

“I think we had nobody killed, I have to say, because a couple of guys were hit. But they came back and they’re supposed to be in pretty good shape,” Trump told Fox News Saturday morning following the dramatic nighttime operation in Caracas.

Trump says US troops were shot capturing Maduro while he ran like a coward. pic.twitter.com/7KhQV6un4H

— justinseans (@justinseans) January 3, 2026

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10

The president praised the operation’s outcome despite the injuries, saying “to have a few injuries, but no death on our side, is really amazing.” Trump compared the successful extraction favorably to the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan during the Biden administration, adding “we’re not a laughingstock anymore.”

Helicopter Damaged But Recovered

Trump revealed that one helicopter sustained significant damage during the raid but was successfully recovered. “We lost no aircraft. Everything came back. One of them was hit pretty hard, a helicopter, but we got it back,” the president said.

The helicopters seen flying over Caracas were part of the U.S. Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the “Night Stalkers,” an elite aviation unit that supports special operations forces.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE THE DUPREE REPORT

The damaged helicopter represents the closest brush with disaster in an operation Trump characterized as “brilliant” with “a lot of good planning and lot of great, great troops and great people.”

Delta Force Bedroom Raid

Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were dragged from their bedroom by U.S. forces during the raid that led to their capture, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN. The couple was captured in the middle of the night as they were sleeping.

The raid, carried out by the U.S. Army’s elite Delta Force, did not lead to any U.S. fatalities despite the injuries, a U.S. official confirmed. A team of FBI agents accompanied the special operation forces who carried out the capture, according to people briefed on the matter.

Plans are now underway to take Maduro to New York where he will face charges in Manhattan federal court. The Drug Enforcement Administration has worked for years on an indictment of Maduro and some top military leaders in Venezuela, according to U.S. law enforcement officials.

Fortified Location Targeted

The injuries occurred while attempting to capture Maduro at what Trump described as a heavily fortified location. The presidential complex and surrounding military installations in Caracas are protected by multiple layers of security, including elite Venezuelan military units and reportedly Cuban security personnel.

At least seven explosions rang out across Caracas around 2 a.m. local time as low-flying aircraft swept through the capital. Targets included Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela’s largest military complex, and La Carlota airbase.

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said American combat helicopters fired rockets and missiles in urban areas. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said government and military officials had been killed by U.S. strikes, though an official casualty count has not been released.

Months of Planning

The Trump administration began preparing the operation to strike Venezuela and capture Maduro in mid-December, people familiar with the plans told CNN. A plan to execute the operation earlier was disrupted by other factors, including weather and Trump’s decision to strike Nigeria on Christmas.

The operation lasted less than 30 minutes, suggesting precise intelligence and coordination allowed special operators to move quickly despite encountering resistance that wounded multiple personnel and damaged aircraft.

Trump said he spoke to Maduro a week ago and told him “to surrender and give up,” but he wasn’t willing to do it. “You know, he was trying to negotiate at the end,” Trump told Fox News. “But I said, ‘No, we can’t do it.’ What he did with drugs is bad.”

Maduro Aboard USS Iwo Jima

Trump said Maduro is now aboard the USS Iwo Jima, an amphibious assault ship, heading to New York where he will face drugs and weapons charges. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Maduro and Flores had been indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges related to narcoterrorism.

The 2020 indictment charges Maduro with conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and narco-terrorism conspiracy involving the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told Axios he spoke to Trump before the operation. “He has been very clear that he believes there is a drug caliphate in our back yard that need to be taken out. The operation has been formulating for the last couple of weeks,” Graham said.

When asked if more military strikes are possible, Graham said: “All options will be on the table.”

The successful extraction despite combat injuries marks a significant escalation in Trump’s pressure campaign against Venezuela, which began with naval deployments in August and boat strikes in September that killed over 115 people.

Will the wounded troops’ recovery and operational success embolden the Trump administration to pursue similar operations against other targets in the region?

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10