Civilian Casualties Reported After US Strikes as Maduro’s Whereabouts Unknown

Nicolás Maduro was detained by military forces for judicial proceedings on criminal charges brought against him in the United States, according to US Senator Mike Lee, who cited Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by Cpl Lee Goddard is licensed under OGL 2

Royal Air Force Chinook helicopter firing flares over Afghanistan MOD 45158742

Videos of Caracas under bombing

Detention, Casualties, and US Statements

At the same time, airstrikes on Venezuela resulted in fatalities and injuries, with the exact number still being determined, The New York Times reported, citing Venezuelan officials. Colombian President Gustavo Petro also confirmed civilian casualties as a result of the attacks.

According to Senator Lee, Secretary of State Rubio does not expect further US military action in Venezuela following Maduro's detention. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau stated that Maduro would "finally face justice for his crimes.”

Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said the government does not know the whereabouts of Maduro or his wife. Meanwhile, The New York Times, citing a US official, reported that American forces suffered no personnel losses during the operation in Venezuela.

Russia Condemns US Actions

Russia's Foreign Ministry strongly criticized Washington's actions, calling them an act of armed aggression against Venezuela. The ministry expressed deep concern and urged all parties to prevent further escalation and to seek solutions through dialogue.

"This morning, the United States carried out an act of armed aggression against Venezuela. This causes deep concern and condemnation. <…> Above all, it is essential to prevent further escalation and to focus on finding a way out of the situation through dialogue.

"We proceed from the understanding that all parties who may have grievances against one another must seek solutions through dialogue-based approaches. We are ready to support them in this.

"Latin America must remain a zone of peace, as it declared itself in 2014. Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny without any destructive, let alone military, interference from outside," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Questions Over Venezuela's Air Defense Silence

Observers have raised questions about the near-total inactivity of Venezuela's air defense systems despite official claims that the country possesses thousands of man-portable air defense systems. The Telegram channel Voennyy Osvedomitel expressed surprise at the apparent silence of Venezuelan air defenses.

The outlet recalled previous statements by Maduro claiming that thousands of Russian-made Igla-S systems had been deployed at key positions, with more than 5,000 such systems reportedly in Venezuela's arsenal. Commenting on footage showing US heavy-lift helicopters CH-53 Sea Stallion and CH-47 Chinook flying freely over Caracas, the channel asked pointedly, "Where are they?”

The video shows five helicopters passing unchallenged over the attacked capital, prompting speculation that their presence may indicate a possible airborne landing operation.

In October, Venezuela's armed forces reportedly began redeploying S-125-2M Pechora-2M air defense systems toward the coastline, with the expectation that they would protect against a potential US landing operation.