Trump administration officials told US lawmakers that former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, sustained head injuries while attempting to flee US forces during their arrest.
In a new report by Reuters, according to officials familiar with the briefing, Maduro and Flores ran inside their compound and tried to hide behind a heavy steel door. The door frame was low, and both reportedly hit their heads while attempting to escape. US Delta Force operators later apprehended them and administered first aid after extracting them from the compound.
Maduro and Flores appeared in court with visible injuries. Flores’ attorney told the judge that she sustained significant injuries during the operation and may have suffered a fracture or severe bruising to her ribs. The attorney requested an X-ray and a full medical evaluation to ensure her health going forward.
During the court hearing, Flores was seen swaying and lowering her head at intervals, while Maduro appeared to struggle when sitting down and standing up. Courtroom sketches showed Flores with bandages on her head. Officials who briefed lawmakers later described her head injury as minor.
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Some US Delta Force operators were also injured during the operation following a large firefight with a Cuban quick reaction force stationed near Maduro’s compound. The injuries were caused by bullets and shrapnel but were described as non-life-threatening, with all injured personnel expected to recover fully.
Nearly 200 US personnel were involved in the operation on the ground in Caracas. Officials said they did not have a clear estimate of how many Venezuelan or Cuban forces were killed, though Cuba’s government stated that 32 of its military and police officers died. US officials suggested the number could be higher, describing the confrontation as an intense and sustained gunfire battle.
Officials stressed that Maduro’s capture was not intended as a regime change operation. Venezuela’s government remains largely intact and is now being led by his deputy, Delcy Rodriguez. US officials described her as more pragmatic and as someone they believe they can work with, noting that opposition figures would likely be unable to control the country’s security forces.
The administration’s approach toward Rodriguez was informed by a classified intelligence assessment examining the immediate and short-term implications of Maduro no longer being in power. Officials said the assessment was not based on expectations of a broader regime collapse.
US officials have been in contact with Delcy Rodriguez and her brother, the president of Venezuela’s national assembly, for several months. They described the communications as part of efforts to influence behavior rather than to orchestrate Maduro’s removal.
Rodriguez also serves as Venezuela’s oil minister. US officials expect her to cooperate on rebuilding the country’s oil infrastructure and potentially allow American companies to operate there in the future. However, officials said there is no formal agreement in place, only an expectation that continued US pressure, including a strong naval presence in the Caribbean, will influence future decisions.
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