When Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, appeared in court in New York on 5/1, their lawyer told the judge that Flores had sustained "severe injuries" during her capture by US special forces in the early morning of 3/1.
"She may also have suffered severe fractures or bruising to her ribs," the lawyer stated, requesting X-rays and a comprehensive medical examination for Flores to ensure her health.
During the court session, Flores sometimes stumbled and bowed her head, while Maduro occasionally struggled to stand and sit. A courtroom sketch showed Flores with a bandage on her forehead.
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A sketch showed Flores with a bandage on her head when she appeared in court on 5/1. *AP*
Lawyers for Maduro and Flores stated that both individuals had "health issues" but did not elaborate. Maduro also walked with a limp before entering the court.
During a report to Congress on 5/1, US government officials stated that both Maduro and Flores were injured when Delta Force raided their home inside a military base in Caracas, CNN reported on 6/1, citing sources.
As US special forces assaulted the base, Maduro and Flores attempted to enter an underground bunker with a heavy steel door, but they hit their heads on the low door frame, US officials said. Delta Force then apprehended the couple and took them out of the compound before administering first aid.
Maduro and his wife were escorted from a helicopter to the court in New York on 5/1. *Video: Guardian*
US officials reported to Congress that Flores' head injury was not serious. Some Delta Force operators were also injured after a shootout with the Cuban rapid-response guard unit, which was deployed near Maduro and Flores' residence. US soldiers sustained bullet and shrapnel wounds, but these were not life-threatening, and they are expected to make a full recovery.
President Donald Trump's administration has not commented on the information.
In the early morning of 3/1, the US launched an operation named "Absolute Resolve," deploying approximately 150 fighter jets to simultaneously strike multiple targets in Venezuela, facilitating the special forces' helicopter movement into the capital Caracas to apprehend President Maduro and his wife.
General Dan Caine, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated that US special forces approached Maduro's location at over 2h, faced resistance from his security detail before subduing the couple, and then withdrew from Venezuela at around 4h30.
The Cuban government announced that 32 of its citizens, including military personnel and intelligence officers, died during the US operation. The Venezuelan military reported on 6/1 that 23 soldiers, including 5 generals, also died.
Caracas has not disclosed specific civilian casualties, but Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab stated that "dozens of people," including military personnel and civilians, died during the US raid.
