Venezuela’s military announced that 24 security officers were killed in the U.S. military raid that led to the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Saturday. U.S. officials assess that, overall, 80 people were killed in the attack. Meanwhile, Venezuelan officials are cracking down on any expression of support for Maduro’s abduction. Journalists have been detained, and armed paramilitary groups have been deployed to quell dissent. This comes as the CIA reportedly concluded in a briefing to President Trump that senior Maduro loyalists, including the country’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez, were best positioned to ensure the country’s stability. On Tuesday, Rodríguez vowed to defend Venezuela.

Interim President Delcy Rodríguez: “This is what President Maduro has named 'the remarkable challenge 2026': a Venezuela that refuses to surrender, a Venezuela in active resistance. Venezuelans are a dignified people, a peaceful people forging their own way. It’s Venezuela that has demonstrated to the world our true character, that we’ve become stronger, that we’ve grown spiritually to confront the challenges, the attacks, the threats.”