US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said on January 5 that nearly 200 US soldiers were directly present in the capital Caracas in a secret operation last weekend to arrest Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, an activity that has sparked many mixed reactions on the international stage, including Russia.
Speaking at a shipyard in Newport News, Virginia, Mr. Hegseth said that the operation took place right in the center of Caracas with the participation of "nearly 200 of the most elite Americans". According to him, US forces approached the target and took Mr. Maduro out of Venezuela without any US soldiers killed.
Three nights ago, right in the center of Caracas, nearly 200 of our Americans went there and arrested a wanted individual, at the request of US justice. It seems that Russia's air defense systems have not worked as effectively as people thought," Mr. Hegseth said, referring to Russian weapons supplied to Venezuela.
This is the first time the Pentagon has announced specific figures on the US forces participating in the operation. Previously, officials only confirmed that the raid involved elite Delta Force special forces of the US Army and a unit of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
In another statement on the same day, Mr. Hegseth described the moment Mr. Maduro was arrested as completely unexpected. According to him, the Venezuelan President "encountered Americans wearing night vision goggles" and only knew about it about 3 minutes before they appeared. Mr. Hegseth recounted that Mr. Maduro's wife even said: "I think I heard the sound of airplanes outside.
After returning to Andrews Joint Base in Maryland, Mr. Hegseth did not answer reporters' questions about the possibility of the US continuing to deploy ground troops in Venezuela. However, President Donald Trump previously declared that Washington "does not mind deploying ground troops if necessary".
The US campaign in Venezuela is increasing geopolitical tensions, especially in the context of Caracas having close military relations with Moscow.
The Russian Foreign Ministry on January 3 declared condemnation of the US's "armed actions against Venezuela", calling any reason given to justify such actions unacceptable.
We reaffirm our solidarity with the Venezuelan people and our support for the Venezuelan leadership's course of action to protect national interests and the sovereignty of the country" - a statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry said, emphasizing that the Latin American region must "maintain being a peaceful region".
At a session of the United Nations Security Council on January 5, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia condemned the kidnapping of Mr. Nicolas Maduro as "international looting", warning that it is pushing the world to "an era of impunity". He accused the US of pursuing "hegemonic ambitions" and seeking to loot Venezuela's natural resources.
