Wounded US troopers request bullets, shrapnel from Venezuela raid

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Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, revealed dramatic new particulars Wednesday concerning the covert Jan. 3 mission concentrating on Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, describing U.S. troops who continued preventing after being shot and later asking to maintain the bullets and shrapnel pulled from their our bodies.

In a brand new "Verdict with Ted Cruz" podcast episode, Cruz detailed a visit with fellow Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Conflict Secretary Pete Hegseth to a San Antonio hospital to go to three of the seven troopers wounded throughout Operation Absolute Resolve.

Cruz mentioned American troops have been "vastly outnumbered," describing Cuban army members, tasked with guarding Maduro, opening fireplace on U.S. troopers.

"It's an unimaginable testomony to the precision and effectiveness of our army that not a single soldier on the American aspect was killed," Cruz mentioned. "There was a really massive variety of Cuban forces defending Maduro who have been killed in that firefight."

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Conflict Secretary Pete Hegseth; Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, go to Brooke Military Medical Middle in San Antonio, Texas. (Sen. John Cornyn through X)

The primary soldier the politicians visited helped plan the "complete raid" and was main one of many helicopters when he was shot within the leg, in keeping with Cruz.

"Even within the midst of being shot within the leg, [he] continued," Cruz mentioned. "He didn't step again from the battle, and he was vital, when it comes to his location, defending his fellow troopers."

Throughout a dialogue with the soldier, Cruz mentioned Hegseth prolonged a proposal for something the soldier wanted.

"[The soldier] mentioned, ‘Effectively, truly, there's something you could possibly do,' and Pete says ‘what?’" Cruz mentioned. "[The soldier] says, 'I would actually just like the bullet,' the bullet that went into his leg."

INSIDE THE LIGHTNING US STRIKE THAT OVERWHELMED VENEZUELA’S DEFENSES AND SEIZED MADURO

Deposed Venezuelan chief Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores, after touchdown at a Manhattan helipad en path to a federal courthouse Jan. 5, in New York Metropolis. (XNY/Star Max/GC Pictures through Getty Pictures)

Cruz defined the hospital's medical director beforehand instructed the soldier the hospital couldn't hand it over to him and not using a waiver.

"Pete, to his credit score, mentioned, ‘The waiver is granted, you may have the bullet,’" Cruz mentioned. "That soldier was beaming. He was thrilled to have the bullet."

The second soldier the group met with had additionally been shot and minimize by a bit of shrapnel, inflicting a gash working all the size of his arm.

"He had the very same request," Cruz mentioned. "He mentioned, 'I would actually just like the shrapnel.' That they had the piece of steel that had minimize his arm open, and once more, the hospital mentioned, 'We've it, however we're not allowed to offer it to him with out the waiver.'"

Hegseth additionally signed off on the second soldier's request, in keeping with Cruz.

US RAID IN VENEZUELA SIGNALS DETERRENCE TO ADVERSARIES ON THREE FRONTS, EXPERTS SAY

Venezuelan residents rejoice throughout a rally on the Colombia-Venezuela border after the affirmation of Nicolás Maduro's seize Jan. 3 in Caracas. (Jair F. Coll/Getty Pictures)

"Each of these, I assume that they are going to body it or in any other case hold it as only a memento to the damage, the Purple Coronary heart that they earned preventing for his or her nation, but in addition being part of profoundly impacting historical past," Cruz mentioned.

Whereas the names and ages of the wounded troopers, who are actually all in good situation, haven't but been publicly launched, Cruz mentioned the primary soldier was a bit older than the opposite two, who he described as "younger guys."

"For those who noticed them strolling down the road, you would not do a double take," he mentioned. "The primary man form of appeared just a little like Captain America, [and] the opposite two appeared like they have been match … however the ability that you understand they've, the heroism you understand they've — if you happen to simply noticed them on the road, you would not instantly know that.

Cruz spoke out concerning the covert Venezuela mission on a current episode of his podcast. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Pictures)

"With all three of the troopers, I took a possibility to inform them, ‘Look, you have been a part of historical past. You have been a part of historical past in a method, with out exaggeration, that modified all the Western hemisphere. What you probably did was profoundly vital … and I took the prospect on behalf of Texans and People simply to say, ’Thanks. Thanks to your bravery.'"

Cruz added the primary soldier, who was shot within the leg, had some pleasant banter with the Pentagon chief.

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"Hegseth requested him, ‘How are you feeling?’ And he mentioned, 'I am able to go once more,'" Cruz mentioned. "I mentioned, ‘Nice, are you able to do Saturday?’ And he mentioned, ‘Effectively, can we maintain off until Monday?’ So, that form of offers you a way of the spirit [the soldiers had]."

Cruz's workplace didn't instantly reply to Fox Information Digital's request for remark.

Alexandra Koch is a Fox Information Digital journalist who covers breaking information, with a deal with high-impact occasions that form nationwide dialog.

She has coated main nationwide crises, together with the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror assault, and Texas Hill Nation floods.