Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, long accused by U.S. authorities of involvement in narcotics and narco‑terrorism activity, caused a stir Tuesday by claiming it is “impossible” to know how many people died during the United States’ military operation that captured Nicolás Maduro because, he asserted, they were “blown to pieces.” Cabello also falsely accused the United States of being the first to bomb Venezuela in the capture operation—a claim contradicted by historical events.
At a press conference, Cabello said that the force of the explosions during the January 3 operation was so intense that bodies could not be identified. He claimed forensic teams were trying to match DNA from human remains to account for the dead. The interior minister also alleged that the U.S. used bombs against Venezuela during the operation, ignoring documented instances of past internal bombings.
Cabello’s remarks came amid ongoing efforts by Maduro’s former security network to control the narrative after the dramatic U.S. mission that resulted in Maduro’s removal and extradition to the United States. At the time of his press conference, Venezuelan officials had not publicly released verified casualty figures from the U.S. action.
Contrary to Cabello’s suggestion that Venezuela had “never been bombed before,” the country experienced significant bombing during a failed 1992 coup attempt. Insurgent military officers loyal to then‑lieutenant Hugo Chávez seized aircraft and bombed Caracas in broad daylight, injuring and killing many civilians. Archival footage and historical records confirm that episode, which occurred nine months after an earlier attempted coup and was marked by simultaneous prison riots and widespread chaos.
While Cabello continues to paint a narrative of overwhelming destruction from the U.S. operation, historical context contradicts his assertion of “first strikes,” underscoring a legacy of past military violence within Venezuela itself.
In addition to his dramatic remarks, Cabello claimed that Venezuelan authorities had seized thousands of kilograms of drugs in early 2026—7,148 kilograms, he said—framing the operations as a major blow to drug trafficking. He shared footage of the alleged seizure and insisted that no cocaine, marijuana, or other contraband would be allowed to pass through Venezuelan territory.
Cabello’s statements follow his longstanding role as a powerful figure within the Venezuelan regime’s security apparatus. He is widely regarded by U.S. authorities and international observers as a key architect of the regime’s networks and is named in recent federal indictments related to narco‑terrorism and criminal conspiracy.
His latest claims—both about the supposed intensity of the U.S. operation and Venezuela’s self‑portrayed success against drug trafficking—serve as part of a broader effort to counter international criticism and maintain internal regime legitimacy in the wake of Maduro’s capture and the seismic change in leadership dynamics.
