President Donald Trump has revealed the nature of injuries suffered by three helicopter pilots involved in the capture of Nicolas Maduro earlier this year.
Trump, during an address to troops at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, on Friday said the pilots wounded during Operation Absolute Revolve on Jan. 3, 2026, were hit by gunfire after landing in Caracas.
“But they were taken out rapidly by our snipers who were stationed on platforms ... actually unbelievable, helicopter platforms all the way the line,” Trump added.
The attack unfolded under the cover of darkness, with U.S. forces waiting for days until ideal weather conditions gave military pilots clear routes into the country’s capital of Caracas.
The extensive planning for Maduro’s capture involved military practice on a replica of his presidential compound. U.S. service members were also armed with what Trump described as “massive blowtorches” in the event the steel walls of a safe room needed to be cut open to extract Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
Despite the injuries, no U.S. forces were killed in the high-risk operation.
No other country has such “extraordinary warriors,” Trump said while touting the success of Operation Absolute Resolve.
“Last month, we proved this truth once again when some of our greatest soldiers to ever live, frankly, successfully captured the outlaw dictator of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and brought him back to face American justice."
The operation lasted “a matter of minutes,” and the entire world that night witnessed America’s military might, Trump added.
Prior to his capture, the U.S. military had been building up a major presence off Venezuela’s coast and targeting alleged drug trafficking boats and killing the occupants.
Many Democratic lawmakers expressed concerns over Trump’s military operation in Venezuela, saying it was conducted without congressional authorization and driven only by oil interests.
Maduro and his wife face federal narco-terrorism charges in the United States while his government remains in power in Caracas.