President Donald Trump, speaking on Saturday January 4, 2026, disclosed that a significant number of Cuban personnel were killed during the intense U.S. military operation in Venezuela, which successfully captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores in a pre-dawn raid. This admission sheds light on the longstanding and intricate alliance between Venezuela and Cuba, two nations united by communist principles, mutual defense against U.S. sanctions, and decades of economic interdependence.

In a candid interview with The New York Post conducted shortly after his press conference on the operation, Trump emphasized that many Cubans had perished while actively protecting Maduro, describing their involvement as a strategic miscalculation. He pointed out Cuba's heavy historical dependence on Venezuela for subsidized oil and financial aid, noting that their decision to provide security and advisory support backfired dramatically in this high-stakes confrontation.

Trump reassured the public that no U.S. service members were harmed in the meticulously planned assault, although official casualty figures from either the Venezuelan or American side remain undisclosed amid ongoing assessments. Pre-operation intelligence and media reports had highlighted Maduro's growing reliance on Cuban bodyguards and military advisers as U.S. forces built up in the Caribbean region.

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During the joint press conference, Secretary of State Marco Rubio delivered a pointed caution to the Cuban government in Havana, implying that leaders there should take the events seriously and reflect on their position. Despite the tough rhetoric, Trump explicitly ruled out any immediate military escalation against Cuba, asserting that the island nation's severe economic woes will lead to its own internal collapse without further U.S. intervention.

These revelations have intensified regional and international tensions in the wake of the bold U.S. action, drawing sharp criticism from leftist allies while the administration frames it as a vital step toward justice for alleged narco-trafficking and restoring stability in the hemisphere.

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