U.S. special forces wounded during capture of Maduro after presidential guards opened fire: Trump
Despite the injuries, Mr Trump deemed the mission an overall “brilliant” success.
ADEFEMOLA AKINTADE • January 3, 2026
Donald Trump official potrait
Donald Trump
President Donald Trump has admitted that some members of the U.S. special forces sustained injuries in the operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on Saturday.
Mr Trump said Mr Maduro’s guards fiercely resisted arrest, engaging U.S. forces in a gun duel that wounded troops and struck an American aircraft “pretty hard.”
“I think we had nobody killed, I have to say, because a couple of guys were hit,” Mr Trump told Fox News Saturday morning. “But they came back and they’re supposed to be in pretty good shape.”
Despite the injuries, Mr Trump deemed the mission an overall “brilliant” success, stressing that there were no fatalities on the U.S. side.
“To have a few injuries, but no death on our side, is really amazing,” Mr Trump told the Conservative television.
The American leader praised the forces for breaking through reinforced steel to arrest Mr Maduro in a matter of “seconds,” saying resistance by the Venezuelan leader’s security detail ultimately proved futile.
Both Mr Maduro and his wife were subsequently transported to New York, where they will stand trial for drug-related charges, among others.
The U.S. leader said he monitored the operation on a broadcast transmitted on a secure channel alongside other top military generals with necessary clearance.
“Really, they just broke in, and they broke into places that were not really able to be, broke into steel doors that was were put there for just this reason, and they got taken out in a matter of seconds. I’ve never seen anything like it,” Mr Trump said.
“I mean, I watched it, literally, like I was watching a television show. And if you would have seen the speed, the violence…” Mr Trump trailed off. “We lost no aircraft. Everything came back. One of them was hit pretty hard, a helicopter, but we got it back,”
