“For decades, Cuban intelligence agents were Cold War stars, dismantling plots to assassinate Fidel Castro, recruiting senior U.S. government officials and protecting heads of state from Angola to Panama.
The capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro -- one of the Cuban intelligence service's most valuable charges -- punctured its aura of invincibility. U.S. elite forces descended on Maduro's compound at around 2 a.m. local time Saturday, grabbing him and his wife before they could escape to a safe room, said Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The Cuban government said 32 officers from its Revolutionary Armed Forces and the Interior Ministry, which runs intelligence services, were killed in the line of duty as part of Maduro's security detail.
"It's a defeat for Cuba and denotes its weakening, highlighting vulnerabilities in its security procedures," said Maria Werlau, author of "Cuba's Intervention in Venezuela," a book published in 2019.
Relied upon by the KGB for its extensive informant networks in Latin America and Africa, Cuban expertise to protect allies, detect unrest and suppress dissent became a lucrative export. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba's security and intelligence services secured a lifeline from oil-rich Venezuela as the Communist island inched closer to economic collapse.
"Cuban intelligence services always punched above their weight," said Cedric Leighton, a military intelligence veteran and retired U.S. Air Force colonel. "In some respects, they are basically old-school trade craft."
But Cuba's security detail failed to defend Maduro, despite a U.S. armada threatening the Venezuelan leader for months from the Caribbean.
"What's almost worse is that they couldn't inflict any damage on the Americans," said Jorge Castaneda, Mexico's former foreign minister and author of several books about Cuba's regime. "This means the Cubans weren't where they needed to be, with the strength they needed to have."
Such intelligence flaws are also likely to take a toll on Cuba's Communist regime at home, particularly if it loses Venezuela's economic support and subsidized oil shipments amid an unprecedented economic implosion.
"The people can go hungry, but the repressive apparatus must have privileges," said Enrique Garcia, a former Cuban intelligence officer who defected to the U.S. "If the regime loses all economic capacity, no system can withstand it."
President Trump told reporters on board Air Force One on Sunday that Cuba was ready to fall. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Communist island is in trouble and that one of the biggest problems Venezuelans have is that they have to declare independence from Cuba.
Former intelligence agents and dissidents who monitor Cuba's security apparatus estimate that some 140 officers were assigned to provide personal security services to Maduro. Dozens of them are believed to be injured or suffered severe burns because of a rain of missiles and shrapnel that fell on them, these people said.
Cuba and Venezuela have disclosed few details about the U.S. military incursion. Vladimir Padrino, the four-star general who has led Venezuela's military since 2014, said Sunday the U.S. killed a large part of Maduro's security team.
Cuba's intelligence and security team in Venezuela was led by senior military-intelligence veterans, including Asdrubal de la Vega, the Cuban officer closest to Maduro who became his shadow, said Carlos Cabrera Perez, a Cuban journalist. De la Vega's whereabouts haven't been disclosed.” [1]
Big unknown in this text is: What role did U.S. attempted bribing of Venezuelans play in the story?
External Efforts: The U.S. has used various tactics to try and remove Maduro.
Sanctions and Indictments: The U.S. imposed heavy sanctions on Maduro and his associates and issued a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest on drug trafficking charges.
Attempted Operations: There have been failed attempts to oust Maduro, such as "Operation Gideon," a small-scale infiltration attempt by a private security firm and Venezuelan dissidents.
A U.S. agent also unsuccessfully tried to bribe Maduro's pilot Bitner Villegas to divert his plane.
1. World News: U.S. Raid Deals Blow to Cuba's Intelligence Service. Perez, Santiago. Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 06 Jan 2026: A5.
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