Cuba on sunday announced that 32 of its citizens were killed during a U.S. military operation in Venezuela, which led to the capture of deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife in Caracas. The Cuban government declared two days of national mourning on January 5 and 6, with funeral arrangements to be announced later. According to Cuba’s state-run news agency, Prensa Latina, the deceased were Cuban military personnel deployed in Venezuela on official missions at the request of the Venezuelan government. They were killed either in direct clashes with attacking forces or as a result of airstrikes, and reportedly offered resistance before dying.

Cuba has long been a close ally of Venezuela, providing military and police support to Maduro’s government. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump issued warnings about Cuba, suggesting that the country was on the verge of collapse after losing major income from Venezuelan oil. Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump also issued cautions to Colombia, Mexico, and Denmark.

Following the operation, Maduro and his wife were flown to New York to face U.S. drug-related charges. Images of Maduro blindfolded and handcuffed circulated widely, shocking many Venezuelans. Venezuela’s Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez condemned the operation as a “kidnapping” and demanded their immediate release. Reports indicate that at least 40 people may have died during the operation, which U.S. officials described as a “large-scale strike.” Trump noted that only minor injuries occurred on the U.S. side and praised the armed forces for the operation’s professionalism.