We now have the first official casualty count following the recent American military operation in Venezuela, and it’s a chilling figure: 32 Cuban officers were killed over the weekend, as per AP News. The Cuban government announced this grim total in a statement read on Cuban state television, confirming the rumors of death that had been circulating across the island nation throughout the weekend.
The operation itself was a major move by the US military, which focused on seizing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The goal was to bring them back to the United States to face prosecution on an indictment accusing them of participating in a massive narco-terrorism conspiracy. The move has garnered strong criticism from world leaders.
But why were Cubans caught in the crossfire? Cuba and Venezuela are historically tight allies, and the Caribbean nation has reportedly sent military and police forces to assist the Venezuelan government in various operations for years. These 32 deceased officers were military and police personnel fulfilling a mission that the Cuban military was carrying out at Venezuela’s request.
Cuba has found itself in hot water
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is the son of Cuban immigrants, pointed directly to this deep involvement over the weekend. He stressed that Cubans are essentially running the internal security apparatus for the Maduro regime and are actively “propping up Maduro.” Rubio didn’t mince words, making it sound like the Cuban presence is an open secret among regional officials.
He noted that the security details are almost entirely Cuban, saying, “All the guards that help protect Maduro, this is well known, their whole spy agency, all that were full of Cubans.” That certainly puts the complexity of the US operation into perspective, showing that the fight wasn’t just against Venezuelan forces.
President Trump confirmed the high death toll on the opposing side. As he flew back to Washington from Florida aboard Air Force One, the president told reporters that the operation resulted in zero US casualties. President Trump stated, “You know, a lot of Cubans were killed yesterday. There was a lot of death on the other side. No death on our side.”
The reaction from Havana was swift and somber. Following the confirmation of the casualties, the Cuban government immediately announced two full days of official mourning for the fallen officers. Former president and revolutionary leader Raúl Castro and current President Miguel Díaz-Canel both quickly sent their condolences to the families of the deceased. Cuban authorities haven’t yet disclosed the specific names of the dead or the positions they held.
The official government statement painted a picture of intense bravery and fighting, suggesting the officers did not go down easily. The government stated that their compatriots were incredibly committed and fought with dignity, saying, “Faithful to their responsibilities for security and defense, our compatriots fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroism and fell after fierce resistance in direct combat against the attackers or as a result of the bombings of the facilities.”
Interestingly, while Venezuela’s government acknowledged that a number of people died in the American blasts, they haven’t confirmed the specific count. They haven’t backed up their ally’s number of 32 killed. For now, the 32 deaths are only officially confirmed by the Cuban state as the result of the American strikes.
Published: Jan 5, 2026 11:30 am