A dramatic US military operation in Caracas to capture Venezuela's ousted leader, Nicolás Maduro, has resulted in significant casualties and escalating geopolitical tensions. Venezuelan officials confirmed on Tuesday that at least 24 Venezuelan security officers were killed during the dead-of-night raid over the weekend. The operation successfully apprehended Maduro, who now faces federal drug trafficking charges in the United States.
Operation Details and Mounting Casualty Toll
Venezuela’s Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, described the incident as a "war crime," stating that "dozens" of officials and civilians lost their lives. This announcement followed Cuba's revelation that 32 Cuban military and police officers deployed in Venezuela also died during the assault. The Venezuelan military paid tribute to its fallen personnel in a somber video posted on social media, vowing to secure the return of their "legitimate President."
Maduro, indicted by the US in 2020 on narco-terrorism charges, pleaded not guilty in a US courtroom on Monday. His deputy, Delcy Rodríguez, has since been sworn in as Venezuela's acting president. US President Donald Trump defended the operation, highlighting that his predecessor, Joe Biden, had also sought Maduro's arrest, and expressed frustration over the lack of bipartisan praise for the mission's success.
Regional Instability and Refugee Concerns
The fallout from the raid is rippling across Venezuela's borders, particularly into Colombia. In the volatile Catatumbo region, more than 300 people have fled to the city of Cúcuta to escape renewed fighting between rebel groups, exacerbated by the political vacuum next door. Colombian authorities had preemptively deployed tanks and troops to Cúcuta, anticipating a potential influx of Venezuelan refugees.
However, Colombian immigration officials reported that the daily cross-border foot traffic of roughly 60,000 people has remained stable so far. The situation in Venezuela appears temporarily stabilized under Rodríguez's interim leadership, averting an immediate refugee crisis. Colombia's Foreign Minister, Rosa Villavicencio, is set to formally complain to US diplomats over President Trump's recent threats against her country, which he accused of facilitating cocaine trade.
Global Political Repercussions and Domestic US Politics
The operation has sparked concerns about a new era of US expansionism. European leaders, including those from France, Germany, and the UK, jointly reaffirmed Greenland's sovereignty after Trump renewed interest in acquiring the Danish territory. Meanwhile, on the US domestic front, President Trump explicitly linked his political survival to the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. He warned Republican lawmakers that losing control of the House would lead Democrats to "find a reason to impeach him."
Separately, in a significant domestic US ruling, the Wyoming Supreme Court struck down state laws banning abortion, including the nation's first explicit ban on abortion pills, deeming them unconstitutional. The ruling ensures abortion remains legal in the conservative state, a decision Governor Mark Gordon vowed to challenge by pushing for a constitutional amendment.
Internationally, protests in Iran over economic woes entered a tenth day, with human rights groups reporting at least 27 demonstrators killed by security forces. In European diplomacy, leaders like Germany's Friedrich Merz and France's Emmanuel Macron discussed potential post-ceasefire security guarantees for Ukraine, including the deployment of multinational monitoring forces from neighboring NATO territory.
