Venezuela's military held a funeral in Caracas on Wednesday for soldiers killed during a U.S. operation that captured then‑President Nicolás Maduro. The ceremony paid tribute to the service members who died and included military attendees and formal honors. Photographs curated by AP editors capture the ceremony's solemn mood and underscore the human cost and political implications of the raid.
Venezuela Holds Military Funeral In Caracas For Soldiers Killed During U.S. Operation
A military officer comforts Ramona Palma, the mother of Venezuelan soldier Cesar Garcia, who was killed in a U.S. raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, after Garcia's wake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela's military held a funeral Wednesday in Caracas for several soldiers who were killed during a U.S. operation that captured then‑President Nicolás Maduro. The somber ceremony honored the fallen service members and drew military personnel and officials who paid respects.
Photo Gallery
This article is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors, documenting the funeral and the moments of mourning and ceremony. The images show the scale of the military presence, ceremonial rites, and family members in attendance.
The event underscores both the human cost of the raid and the political repercussions that continue to reverberate across Venezuela. While details about the casualties were limited in the immediate coverage, the funeral served as a public display of remembrance and national sentiment.
Note: This gallery focuses on visual reportage; accompanying news articles provide additional context and developments related to the operation.
Military personnel stand by the coffins of soldiers killed in the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
A military cap rests on the coffin of Venezuelan soldier Cesar Garcia, who was killed in a U.S. raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, during his wake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
A relative places photographs on the casket of a soldier killed in the U.S. raid to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife during a funeral in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Ramona Palma, mother of Venezuelan soldier Cesar Garcia, mourns during his wake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, after Garcia was killed in a U.S. raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Relatives of soldiers killed in the U.S. raid to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife mourn during the soldiers' funeral in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Members of the military place the coffin of Venezuelan soldier Cesar Garcia, killed in a U.S. raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, into a hearse after his wake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Military personnel carry the coffins of soldiers killed in the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, during a funeral in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Cemetery workers lower the casket of a soldier killed in the U.S. raid to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife into the ground in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Relatives arrive by bus to the funeral of military killed in the U.S. military operattion to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Funeral workers prepare the body of Rosa Elena Gonzalez, 80, who died after her apartment was hit during a U.S. strike to capture President Nicolas Maduro, in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Relatives carry the coffin of Rosa Elena Gonzalez, 80, who died after her apartment was hit during a U.S. strike to capture President Nicolas Maduro, at the cemetery in La Guaira, Venezuela, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
A kite flies over the Petare neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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