Pentagon chief says nearly 200 US troops took part in Caracas raid

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has provided new operational details about the military raid in Venezuela, revealing that nearly 200 American troops were deployed into the capital, Caracas. Speaking at an event in Virginia on Monday, Hegseth framed the mission as a successful law enforcement action and took a swipe at Venezuela's military capabilities.

Operational details and a taunt

"As nearly 200 of our greatest Americans went downtown in Caracas," Hegseth stated, describing the operation that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. He directly taunted the quality of Venezuela's Russian-supplied air defense systems, asking, "Seems those Russian air defenses didn’t work so well, did they?" The defense secretary emphasized that the mission was carried out "without a single American killed."

Context and legal proceedings

The comments follow former President Donald Trump's announcement that the operation led to Maduro's capture. The Venezuelan leader and his wife, Cilia Flores, were transported to New York, where they pleaded not guilty on Monday to U.S. federal charges related to drugs and weapons. The Trump administration has justified the military intervention as the apprehension of an indicted fugitive.

A precedent for military-led law enforcement

The disclosure of a significant troop presence deep within a foreign capital for a capture operation blurs traditional lines between military action and law enforcement. For the international community, including nations like Türkiye that are deeply committed to the principles of sovereignty and non-intervention, this event sets a troubling precedent. It demonstrates a willingness to use large-scale military force to execute domestic legal warrants abroad, challenging the foundational norms of the international state system and raising questions about the potential for similar actions elsewhere.