Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday that around 200 American operatives were deployed in the heart of Caracas during the operation that led to the arrest and removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, marking one of the most dramatic US interventions in Latin America in recent decades.
Speaking at a public event in Newport News, Virginia, Hegseth confirmed the scale of the US presence but did not clarify whether the personnel involved were exclusively military forces or included other federal agencies. Previous reports indicate that elite units from the US armed forces took part alongside agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, suggesting a coordinated interagency operation carried out over the weekend.
The operation unfolded in the early hours of Saturday, when US forces launched targeted strikes against sites inside Venezuela before securing Maduro and Flores and transferring them out of the country. The speed and secrecy of the raid caught both Venezuelans and the international community by surprise, triggering widespread shock and immediate geopolitical fallout.
Maduro, 63, now faces criminal charges in New York, primarily linked to alleged drug trafficking offenses. He appeared before a US court on Monday, where he pleaded not guilty to all charges. The case represents a major escalation in Washington’s long-standing confrontation with the Venezuelan leader, whom US authorities have accused for years of presiding over a narco-state and undermining democratic institutions.
Hegseth, who has increasingly embraced the nickname “secretary of war” in public appearances, used the speech to mock Venezuela’s air defense capabilities. “It looks like the Russian air defense systems didn’t work as advertised,” he said, drawing laughter from the audience. Venezuela’s air defense network relies heavily on military technology supplied by Russia and China, both of which have been key allies of the Maduro government.
The comments underscored Washington’s confidence in the operation and highlighted the broader strategic message being sent to US adversaries and rivals. Analysts say the arrest of Maduro represents a turning point in US policy toward Venezuela, shifting from sanctions and diplomatic isolation to direct action.
The fallout from the operation continues to ripple across the region and beyond. Latin American governments have expressed concern over the precedent set by a unilateral arrest of a sitting head of state, while US allies remain divided over the legality and long-term consequences of the move. Meanwhile, Caracas has been left in political limbo, with uncertainty over who will ultimately fill the power vacuum created by Maduro’s sudden removal.
As legal proceedings move forward in the United States, the operation has already reshaped the geopolitical landscape of the Americas, raising urgent questions about sovereignty, international law, and the future of US interventionism in the region.
