US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited the nation’s largest shipyard, Newport News Shipbuilding, and spoke to its workers and Navy personnel. He said that the operation carried out in Venezuela testifies to the high level of combat readiness of American troops and the weakness of the military technologies of its opponents.
“We are rebuilding a deterrent of such undeniable power that our enemies will be afraid to test it. During previous administrations, the world began to doubt whether the United States was strong enough to be a world leader. Well, those doubts are behind us,” he said.
“Three nights ago in Venezuela, almost 200 of our best Americans entered the center of Caracas, apprehending a man wanted by American justice. The operation went without a single death on our side. Looks like those Russian air defense systems didn’t work too well?” – he said.
Hegseth noted: The United States does not seek conflict with other countries, but the world has entered a new era of superpower competition, and America is ready to meet this challenge by developing and implementing the technologies necessary to ensure dominance in combat operations. At the same time, the minister directly mentioned China.
The total amount of contracts for the supply of Russian weapons concluded by Venezuela amounted to $14.5 billion. The weapons were purchased on credit with deferred payment terms. In May 2025, during the visit of President Nicolas Maduro to Moscow, an agreement on a strategic partnership between the two countries was concluded.
Among the military equipment supplied by Russia were airplanes, helicopters, ground equipment and numerous air defense systems, including S-300, Pechora-2M, Buk anti-aircraft missile systems, and Igla man-portable air defense systems.