Death toll from Saturday’s US military operation in Venezuela up to 80: Report

WASHINGTON

The death toll from Saturday’s US military operation in Venezuela has risen to 80, the New York Times reported on Sunday.

Citing a senior Venezuelan official, the Times said the number could rise further.

Earlier, Venezuela's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said a large part of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's security team had been killed during the US operation, without giving exact numbers.

President Donald Trump said US military action on Venezuela resulted in the capture of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, also pledging to assert American control over the country for the time being, with US troops if necessary.

The pair landed in New York late Saturday and are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. They face US federal charges tied to drug trafficking and alleged cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations.

Maduro has denied the accusations, and officials in Venezuela’s capital Caracas have called for the couple’s release.