Death toll from US invasion of Venezuela rises to 80, report says

The death toll from Saturday’s US military operation in Venezuela has risen to 80, according to a report by the New York Times.

A senior Venezuelan official told the newspaper that the casualties include civilians and members of the security forces, adding that the figure could increase as authorities assess the damage. Explosions struck parts of Caracas early on Saturday, triggering power outages across sections of the capital.

Hours later, US President Donald Trump announced on social media that American forces had captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

At a press conference after the operation, Trump said the United States would assume control of Venezuela’s affairs until a political transition takes place. “We don’t want to be involved with having somebody else get in and end up with the same situation we’ve had for a long period of years,” he said, adding that any transition “has to be judicious”.

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Trump praised the operation, calling it “an incredible thing to see”, and said no US soldiers were killed and no American military equipment was lost.

Venezuela’s defence minister rejected any suggestion on Sunday that the United States would “run” the country, according to Venezuelan officials.

The White House said it expected Venezuela’s government, now headed by interim leader Delcy Rodríguez, to comply broadly with US demands following Maduro’s capture.

Trump also warned that Washington would intensify action against alleged drug trafficking networks linked to Venezuela, saying further land-based strikes could begin soon. In October, he said he had authorised the Central Intelligence Agency to operate inside Venezuela to curb illegal migration and drug flows.