Cuba Says 32 Cuban Officers Killed in US Military Operation in Venezuela

Cuba’s government said the officers were members of the Cuban armed forces and the Cuban Interior Ministry.

A firefighter walks past a destroyed anti-aircraft unit at La Carlota military air base, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States had struck Venezuela and captured its leader, Nicolás Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela, on Jan. 3, 2026. Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters

Cuba stated on Jan. 4 that 32 of its officers died during the U.S. military strikes in Venezuela that led to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, who faces criminal charges in the United States.

In a statement, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez declared Jan. 5 and Jan. 6 to be national days of mourning to honor officers who died during what he called “vile military aggression by the United States against Venezuela.”