Vice President JD Vance said he wasn’t sure the United States could successfully seize Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro without American casualties.
“I think all of us were kind of skeptical,” Vance told “The Scott Jennings Show,” describing a briefing he received weeks earlier. “Can you actually do this—go into a foreign country, take zero dead Americans and actually, you know, take this indicted narcoterrorist?”
Vance said the mission was carried out “flawlessly,” and argued Maduro’s removal could eventually reduce gas and energy costs for Americans.
“Most importantly, it’s going to mean that we have more control over the energy resources that exist in the world, to achieve better economic results for our people and to use those energy resources as leverage to achieve greater peace and prosperity,” he said.
Why it matters
President Trump has said his administration will “run” Venezuela and has pressured the country’s leadership to open its extensive oil reserves to American energy companies.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior officials briefed congressional leaders late Monday on the Venezuela operation. The briefing came amid concerns that the Republican administration is moving toward a more expansionist foreign policy without fully consulting lawmakers or clearly explaining how it would govern Venezuela long term.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said afterward that he does not expect U.S. troops to be deployed to Venezuela, insisting the mission was “not a regime change” effort. Democratic leaders, however, said the session provided limited clarity about the administration’s broader strategy.
What to know
The Pentagon said seven U.S. service members were injured during the raid. Five have returned to duty, while two remain hospitalized. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, said the injuries included gunshot wounds and shrapnel.
U.S. officials said at least 24 Venezuelan security officers were killed during the late Friday-to-Saturday operation—dubbed “Operation Absolute Resolve”—that captured Maduro and brought him to the United States to face drug charges.
Officials also said Maduro’s wife, Celia Flores, was captured and transported to the U.S. Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty Monday to federal drug trafficking charges during their first court appearance since being taken from their Caracas home in the operation.
Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab said “dozens” of officials and civilians died and vowed to investigate what he called a “war crime,” though he did not clarify whether his estimate referred only to Venezuelans.
Cuba’s government said Sunday that 32 Cuban military and police officers stationed in Venezuela were also killed. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said Monday U.S. officials believe Cuba is undercounting its losses.
The Pentagon said nearly 200 U.S. personnel took part in the operation. Some were injured, but none were killed. Officials have not provided additional details about the injuries.
Maduro was indicted in the United States in 2020 on charges alleging he played a role in a decades-long narco-terrorism and international cocaine trafficking conspiracy.
White House officials said the Biden administration, in its final days last year, increased the reward for information leading to Maduro’s capture after Maduro claimed a third term despite evidence he lost Venezuela’s most recent election. The Trump administration had previously doubled the reward to $50 million in August.
What people are saying
Acting President Delcy Rodriguez rejected President Trump’s warning that she could face an outcome worse than Maduro if she does not reshape Venezuela to align with U.S. interests.
“Personally, to those who threaten me,” Rodriguez said in an address before officials from the government’s agricultural and industrial sectors. “My destiny is not determined by them, but by God.”
In an Instagram post, the Venezuelan military wrote: “Their spilled blood does not cry out for vengeance, but for justice and strength. It reaffirms our unwavering oath not to rest until we rescue our legitimate President, completely dismantle the terrorist groups operating from abroad, and ensure that events such as these never again sully our sovereign soil.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and close Trump ally, said Tuesday that a leadership change is underway in Venezuela, but insisted it will happen “through an election.”
“We’re going to build the country up – infrastructure wise – crescendoing with an election that will be free,” he said.
Graham also said the U.S. is now “in charge” of Venezuela and that “nothing’s going to happen in Venezuela that runs counter to our goal.” He added that Venezuela’s new leaders, he said, “will do business with” the U.S. going forward.
What happens next
In the days since Maduro’s removal, Trump and top administration officials have intensified global concerns that the raid could mark a more aggressive U.S. posture in the Western Hemisphere.
Trump has renewed calls for an American takeover of Greenland, a Danish territory, citing U.S. security interests. He has also threatened military action against Colombia over its role in the global cocaine trade, while his top diplomat warned that Cuba’s communist government is “in a lot of trouble.”
