Overview
- Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are in U.S. custody in New York facing federal narco‑terrorism and drug‑trafficking charges cited by Washington as the operation’s legal basis.
- U.S. officials describe a tightly coordinated special‑operations mission, dubbed Operation Absolute Resolve, involving more than 150 aircraft, while Venezuela alleges 40 deaths and the figures remain unverified.
- Cuba reports 32 military and intelligence personnel killed in Venezuela during the raid, underscoring longstanding Cuban involvement in Maduro’s security apparatus.
- Colombia convenes an emergency security meeting and deploys forces to its eastern border following the U.S. action, as President Trump publicly warns Mexico, Cuba and Colombia could face similar measures.
- The White House characterizes the mission as a law‑enforcement arrest; Foreign Minister Marco Rubio distances the administration from Trump’s claim the U.S. would temporarily ‘run’ Venezuela, and the New York Times and Washington Post withheld pre‑raid details for troop safety.