At Least 40 Killed in US Strike on Venezuela
Earlier, US President Donald Trump said that the operation resulted in only a few injuries and no fatalities on the US side
Caracas: At least 40 people, including military personnel and civilians, were killed in a US strike on Venezuela early Saturday, The New York Times reported, citing a senior Venezuelan official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Washington carried out a “large-scale strike against Venezuela,” during which President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured and flown out of the country.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump told Fox News that the operation resulted in only a few injuries and no fatalities on the US side. He described the mission as highly complex and praised the professionalism of the US armed forces.
“It was amazing to see the professionalism, the quality of leadership,” Trump said. “To have a few injuries, but no deaths on our side, is really amazing.”
Trump said the operation involved multiple aircraft, helicopters and fighter jets. “They just broke in, and into places which were not really able to be broken into,” he added, calling the manoeuvre extremely complex.
He also said the US wants liberty for the people of Venezuela.
Later, speaking at a press conference in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said the United States would run Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition.”
The US action, he said, was aimed at bringing “outlaw dictator Nicolas Maduro to justice.” Trump added that the US would remain in the country to ensure a proper transition and prevent any leadership that does not have the Venezuelan people’s interests in mind.
Maduro and Flores were captured in Caracas and flown out of the country in a joint operation involving intelligence agencies and US law enforcement.
Trump said the couple have been indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges related to alleged drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies and will face trial in the United States.