'Not to be messed with': Venezuelan guard’s harrowing account from US operation Absolute Resolve

The testimony, shared by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on social media platform X and quoted from an interview with the guard, portrays a brutal scene in which US forces overwhelmed Venezuelan defenders with overwhelming precision and speed.

The operation, which took place in Caracas and involved strategic airstrikes and special operations forces, led to Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, being taken into US custody and flown to New York, where they now face criminal charges.

Intense firepower and unfamiliar weapons

According to the guard, Venezuelan security personnel were caught off guard when radar systems suddenly failed during the early hours.

He said large numbers of drones appeared overhead, and US forces struck with such overwhelming firepower that his unit was unable to mount any meaningful defence.

“It was a massacre,” the guard said in the interview. “They were shooting with such precision and speed, it seemed like each soldier was firing hundreds of rounds per minute.”

He added that the attackers used what he described as an unfamiliar weapon that emitted a powerful sound wave, causing severe physical distress among his fellow defenders, including nosebleeds and vomiting blood as they fell to the ground, unable to move.

While official reports describe the operation as highly coordinated military action involving elite units and extensive air support, the guard’s account focuses on the fear and helplessness felt by Venezuelan forces as the US assault unfolded.

Heavy casualties and international fallout

Venezuelan officials have reported significant casualties among security personnel during the raid, with dozens of guards and allied Cuban military advisors killed.

Cuba confirmed that 32 of its nationals serving in security roles also died in the operation.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello claimed more than 100 people were killed, although independent figures vary.

The US government has maintained that no American forces died during the mission, although several were reportedly injured amid intense combat conditions.

US military planners have described the mission as a tightly executed strike designed to minimise US casualties while securing key objectives.

A guard’s stark warning

In his message, the Venezuelan guard issued a stark warning to other nations about the capabilities of US military forces.

“I’m sending a warning to anyone who thinks they can fight the United States. They have no idea what they’re capable of,” he said, adding that the violence he witnessed was unlike anything he had seen before.

His testimony reflects the deep psychological impact of the operation on those who faced it firsthand.

“Not one of us had a chance,” he said, stressing that Venezuelan defenders lacked both the technology and firepower to counter the assault.

Broader reactions and future implications

The US operation has drawn widespread international attention and sparked debate over its legality, humanitarian toll, and geopolitical consequences.

While Washington frames the raid as a law enforcement action against a government accused of narcotics trafficking and corruption, critics, including the United Nations and several Latin American governments, have condemned the use of military force and raised concerns about violations of international law.