The Washington Post is reporting that War Secretary Pete Hegseth has revealed just how many troops were involved in the ground operation to arrest Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
Hegseth even took a dig at the Russian air defenses being used in Venezuela.
Here’s what they write:
About 200 U.S. forces were involved in the ground operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday during a stop to visit shipbuilders in Newport News, Virginia.
Elements of the Army’s elite 75th Ranger Regiment worked with Delta Force on the ground in the operation to surround and breach the presidential compound where Maduro and his wife were captured, a person familiar with the operation said.
“We saw three nights ago, in downtown Caracas in Venezuela, as nearly 200 of our greatest Americans went downtown in Caracas … seems those Russian air defenses didn’t quite work so well,” Hegseth said.
It’s common for the elite units to work together on major operations, with Rangers likely to provide security for Delta members as they carry out the mission. Many members of Delta previously served in Ranger units. The 200 troops operating on the ground were part of a much larger force of 150 aircraft, multiple warships and thousands of personnel that supported the mission.