Overview
- Speaking to House Republicans at the rebranded Trump‑Kennedy Center, Trump said Maduro “tries to imitate my dance” and claimed he has “killed millions” and runs a torture chamber in Caracas.
- Trump called the mission “so complex,” citing 152 airplanes, many boots on the ground, no U.S. deaths, and heavy losses on the opposing side including “mostly Cubans.”
- Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized in Caracas and have pleaded not guilty in Manhattan federal court to narco‑terrorism and related charges.
- The New York Times reported that Maduro’s public dancing and other displays of nonchalance influenced the decision to act, based on anonymous sources.
- Casualty figures remain disputed, with some reports citing at least 80 Venezuelans killed during the operation, while Trump asserted zero U.S. casualties.