President Donald Trump confirmed this week that the United States used a previously undisclosed weapon during the raid that captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro earlier this month, backing up claims that had circulated online about the operation.
Trump made the comments during an interview with NewsNation host Katie Pavlich, appearing to validate a statement previously shared by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt describing the use of a powerful and unusual weapon during the mission.
The issue arose after Pavlich asked Trump directly about reports that a sonic or sound-based weapon was deployed in Venezuela to incapacitate Maduro’s bodyguards, many of whom were Cuban nationals. Pavlich noted that details of the alleged weapon had concerned some observers and asked whether Americans should be worried about such technology.
Trump responded cautiously but appeared to confirm the existence of the weapon.
“Yeah, something I don’t wanna—Nobody else has it,” Trump said, before expanding on the subject. He added that the United States possesses weapons that are not publicly known and suggested that keeping details secret is a strategic advantage.
“We have weapons that nobody knows about,” Trump said. “And I say it’s probably good not to talk about them, but we have some amazing weapons.” He went on to describe the raid itself, emphasizing that U.S. forces carried out the mission without suffering any casualties.
Trump said the operation targeted a heavily fortified location, describing it as a house situated inside a major army base with a large number of soldiers. Despite those defenses, he said the mission was successful and executed with precision.
“That was an amazing attack,” Trump said. “They came in and they did their job. We lost nobody.”
The president’s remarks appeared to confirm a social media post shared by Leavitt on January 10. In that post, Leavitt retweeted an account from an influencer, Mike Netter, and urged readers to take notice. The post claimed to relay testimony from a Venezuelan security guard loyal to Maduro who described a devastating encounter with U.S. forces.
According to the account shared by Netter, the guard described overwhelming firepower and speed, saying that U.S. soldiers appeared to fire with extreme precision. The guard claimed that traditional weapons were ineffective and that at one point a powerful sound-based device was used.
The account described the sensation as an intense sound wave that caused severe physical reactions, including nosebleeds, vomiting blood, and temporary paralysis. The guard said those affected were unable to move and that resistance collapsed entirely. He claimed that dozens of U.S. personnel defeated hundreds of defenders without suffering a single casualty.
Trump and Leavitt’s comments regarding the use of such a weapon have received limited attention in U.S. media. While British outlets including The Independent and the Daily Mail reported on Trump’s remarks, the claims have largely gone unmentioned on major American cable news networks.
A review of SnapStream’s archive of cable news transcripts shows no discussion of Trump’s comments about a sonic weapon on Fox News, MS NOW, or CNN. The Daily Mail ran a headline highlighting Trump’s statement that the United States used a secret weapon in the Venezuela raid and that “nobody else has it.”
Despite the dramatic nature of the revelation, Pavlich’s interview with Trump failed to attract a large audience. Her new program, Katie Pavlich Tonight, drew just 75,000 viewers, according to available ratings data.
Trump’s confirmation adds another layer of intrigue to the already closely watched operation that resulted in Maduro’s capture, while raising new questions about the scope of U.S. military capabilities and why major media outlets have largely avoided the topic.
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