---
title: "\"Failed to protect\": Pete Hegseth reveals details of the air defense and security failure in Venezuela"
description: "🇺🇸 Pete Hegseth reveals details of the air defense failure in Venezuela: Russian equipment and Cuban specialists failed to stop the US operation. Read the details about the withdrawal of foreign advisors and legal consequences."
date: 2026-08-13T08:15:02.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/pete-hegseth-venezuela-air-defense-failure
tags: [peter-hegseth, pentagon, venezuela, nikolas-maduro, air-defense, us-military-operation]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# "Failed to protect": Pete Hegseth reveals details of the air defense and security failure in Venezuela

![Pete Hegseth in military gear discusses the failure of air defense and security in Venezuela](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/13/peter-hegseth-venezuela-air-defense-failure/peter-hegseth-venezuela-air-defense-failure-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Pete Hegseth declared the Russian air defense in Caracas ineffective.
- Cuban and Russian specialists failed to prevent the US operation.
- The process of withdrawing foreign military advisors from Venezuela has begun.
- The operation has sparked disputes at the UN regarding the violation of sovereignty.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made a major statement shedding light on the details of a recent special operation in Caracas. According to him, the layered air defense system deployed in the Venezuelan capital proved powerless against US forces. Specifically, Hegseth emphasized that Russian-made systems, previously considered a reliable shield for the Maduro regime, failed to detect and neutralize the assets used in the operation.

### Failure of Russian air defense and Cuban security

In his address, the US Secretary of Defense paid special attention to the role of foreign experts. According to Washington, the specialized experts from Cuba and technical specialists from Russia recruited for security failed to prevent the removal of the target from the control zone. Hegseth stated that security structures formed with the participation of foreign mercenaries demonstrated complete inefficiency in the conditions of real confrontation.

### Evacuation of foreign advisors

The situation in the region is changing rapidly. The head of the Pentagon confirmed that an active process of withdrawing Cuban and Russian specialized personnel from Venezuelan territory has begun. According to the US Department of Defense, there is a sharp reduction in the presence of foreign military advisors and technical specialists in the region. This indicates a loss of confidence in their ability to ensure the security of the regime and a possible reconsideration by Venezuela of its foreign policy strategy under pressure.

### Context of the operation and legal consequences

Events in Caracas have become the culmination of a long period of confrontation between the US administration and the government of Nicolas Maduro. The active phase of the operation in January 2026 lasted several hours, although its planning had been underway for months. Washington justifies its actions with court rulings and executive orders on national security. Nevertheless, such military interventions on the territory of sovereign states are causing sharp discussions in the UN Security Council regarding the observance of sovereignty principles and norms of international law.

### Contradictory data

While the Pentagon claims full effectiveness of the operation and the failure of defense systems, independent experts urge caution in assessment. On the one hand, the US side insists that the air defense systems "failed to detect" the passage of assets. On the other hand, official comments from Caracas and Moscow have not yet confirmed the complete evacuation of personnel, pointing out that some specialists may remain in the region to analyze the situation. The discrepancy in versions regarding the exact status of foreign advisors requires further fact-checking and verification by international commissions.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What did Pete Hegseth say about air defense in Venezuela?
**A:** The head of the Pentagon stated that Russian air defense systems and Cuban specialists failed to prevent the US operation in Caracas.

### Q: What is the status of foreign advisors in Venezuela?
**A:** According to the Pentagon, the process of withdrawing Russian and Cuban personnel from the country's territory has begun.