Hegseth Says Nearly 200 U.S. Troops Entered Caracas to Capture Maduro, Mocks Russian Air Defenses

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that nearly 200 American troops entered central Caracas during a pre-dawn operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, openly questioning the effectiveness of Russian-made air defense systems used by Venezuela.

Speaking during a visit to the Newport News Shipyard in Virginia, Hegseth praised the raid that led to Maduro's arrest and transfer to U.S. federal custody. "Nearly 200 of our greatest Americans went downtown in Caracas," Hegseth said. "Seems those Russian air defenses didn't quite work so well, did they?"

Hegseth added that the operation was carried out without any U.S. casualties and described it as a demonstration of American military capability. He credited the troops involved with "guts, grit, gallantry, and glory," and said the mission was intended to send a signal to U.S. adversaries, including Russia.

Maduro, who governed Venezuela since 2013, faces U.S. charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, conspiracy to import cocaine, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. He has denied the accusations, calling them politically motivated and arguing that the case is a pretext for U.S. efforts to gain influence over Venezuela's oil resources.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty during their initial court appearance in New York.

Hegseth framed the Caracas operation as part of a broader effort to restore what he called deterrence, both against drug trafficking networks and against governments Washington considers hostile. In the same remarks, he linked the raid to U.S. military actions targeting suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

"These are foreign terrorist organizations," Hegseth said, referring to drug trafficking groups. "We will sink every drug boat headed in our direction," he added, describing the campaign as necessary to protect U.S. security. Hegseth also dismissed criticism that the raid violated international law or Venezuelan sovereignty. "A country that isn't sovereign is not a country," he said, arguing that effective control and security are prerequisites for statehood.

Hegseth, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other top officials, briefed congressional leaders on the use of military force in Venezuela on Monday. While Republican leaders largely defended the action as a law enforcement operation, Democrats raised questions about its legality and scope, with some lawmakers pushing for a war powers vote to limit further military involvement.