By Emmanuel Bobby
Venezuelan Defense Minister Gen. Vladimir Padrino López said a significant portion of President Nicolás Maduro’s security team was killed during the U.S. military operation that led to Maduro’s capture.
Speaking at a news conference on Jan. 4, López did not give a specific casualty count but confirmed that the Venezuelan Supreme Court had named Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as interim president. He also said the armed forces had been placed on alert across the country.
In a televised address, López said that “much of” Maduro’s security detail, along with soldiers and civilians, died during the operation, according to a translation from Spanish. He demanded the return of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who was also detained on Jan. 3, and described the U.S. action as an act of aggression against Venezuela.
Earlier, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said President Donald Trump has spoken with Rodríguez, characterizing the discussions as “very matter-of-fact and very clear.”
“You can lead, or you can get out of the way,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an interview, adding that the administration would not allow continued efforts to undermine U.S. interests or support dictators involved in crime and drug trafficking.
Noem said the United States is seeking a Venezuelan leader who will be a reliable partner in stopping drug trafficking and preventing terrorists from entering the country.
“We’re looking for a leader that will stand beside us and embrace freedoms and liberties for the Venezuelan people,” she said, while also ensuring the country does not continue to facilitate criminal activity abroad.
On Jan. 4, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the operation was intended to protect U.S. national security and was carried out in America’s interests. He emphasized that the United States is not at war with Venezuela.
“There’s not a war against Venezuela,” Rubio said. “We are at war against drug trafficking organizations.”
Rubio described Maduro as the head of the Cartel de los Soles, a drug-trafficking network designated as a foreign terrorist organization late last year. He said the United States would continue to reserve the right to strike drug-smuggling vessels operated by transnational criminal groups.
“The leader of that cartel is now in U.S. custody and facing U.S. justice,” Rubio said.
The Venezuelan government has repeatedly claimed that U.S. actions in the region are aimed at seizing control of the country’s natural resources, particularly its oil. Maduro, who was indicted in the United States in 2020 on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, has denied any criminal wrongdoing.
Rubio said Maduro had been offered an opportunity to reach an agreement with the United States to step aside and leave the country, even as recently as last week, but declined. With Maduro removed, Rubio said senior figures within Venezuela’s military and security forces must now decide the nation’s future.
He added that Venezuela must eliminate any Iran-linked or Hezbollah presence, end drug trafficking, and stop using its oil wealth to benefit U.S. adversaries.
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