Ted Cruz Visits Soldiers Injured in Maduro Raid, They Ask to Take Home Very Special Mementos – RedState
Republican Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) joined Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and fellow Lone Star State Republican Sen. John Cornyn to visit three of the soldiers injured during Operation Absolute Resolve, the stunning raid conducted in the early hours of January 3.rd to arrest Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro at his compound and bring him back to the United States to face justice. Although U.S. troops sent dozens of Venezuelan troops and Cuban security forces, no Americans were killed.
On his podcast “The Verdict With Ted Cruz,” released Friday, the senator reported that the military was in good spirits and on track. One thing they wanted to keep, though, he said, was the reminder of how close they were to a much less happy ending:
During a discussion with the trooper, Cruz said Hegseth offered everything the trooper needed.
“[The soldier] said, ‘Well, actually, there’s something you could do,’ and Pete said ‘what?'” Cruz said.[The soldier] said, ‘I’d really like the bullet,’ the bullet that went into his leg.”
Hegseth quickly complied with the request. Then a second soldier, whose entire arm was cut by flying debris, wanted his own souvenir:
“He had the exact same request,” Cruz said. “He said, ‘I’d really like the shrapnel.’ They had the piece of metal that had cut his arm, and again, the hospital said, “We have it, but we’re not allowed to give it to him without permission.”
Hegseth also approved the second soldier’s request, according to Cruz.
“Either way, I suspect they’re going to frame it or keep it as just a memento of the injury, of the Purple Heart that they earned fighting for their country, but also being part of a deeply impactful story,” Cruz said.
In today’s Verdict episode, we discuss our visit to soldiers injured in the raid on Maduro, my meeting with María Corina Machado, and my meetings with Sec. Hegseth and Elon Musk.
Don’t miss today’s episode of Verdict: https://t.co/e4tyrXZV3Z pic.twitter.com/sY1Viw28SS
-Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) January 16, 2026
We have already talked about the first soldier: despite three blows, he accomplished his mission:
HERO: What to do if you are shot three times during Operation Maduro? If you are this Chinook pilot, you complete the mission
Cruz told the soldiers, who were not identified, that they were heroes:
“With the three soldiers, I took the opportunity to say, ‘Look, you were part of history. You were part of history in a way, no exaggeration, that changed the entire Western Hemisphere. What you did was profoundly important…and I took the opportunity, on behalf of Texans and Americans, to just say, ‘Thank you. Thank you for your courage.'”
On a funnier note, however, the Chinook pilot engaged in humorous banter with Hegseth:
“Hegseth asked him, “How do you feel?” And he said, ‘I’m ready to go again,'” Cruz said. “I said, ‘Great, can you do Saturday?’ And he said, “Well, can we wait until Monday?” So it kind of gives you an idea of the spirit [the soldiers had]”.
Proud to join @SecWar to thank our heroic wounded warriors of Operation Absolute Resolve. These courageous service members and their families have sacrificed so much for our nation.
Thank you to the team at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio for their tireless work. May God… pic.twitter.com/R1QleTPtHi
– Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) January 12, 2026
May God continue to bless our troops.
Cruz also spoke about his visit with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who, as we reported, presented his Nobel Prize to Trump on Thursday. Watch the full episode here:
Editor’s Note: Thanks to the leadership of President Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the warrior ethos is returning to the U.S. military.
Help us report on the successes of Trump and Hegseth in making our military great again. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
