Witness says US used powerful mystery weapon during Maduro raid

Daily News Article   —   Posted on January 13, 2026

(by Caitlin doornbos, NY Post)  — The US used a powerful mystery weapon that brought Venezuelan soldiers to their knees, “bleeding through the nose” and vomiting blood, during the daring raid to capture dictator Nicolas Maduro, according to an eyewitness account posted Saturday on X by the White House press secretary.

In a jaw-dropping interview, the Venezuelan guard described how American forces wiped out hundreds of fighters without losing a single soldier, using technology unlike anything he has ever seen — or heard.

“We were on guard, but suddenly all our radar systems shut down without any explanation,” the guard said. “The next thing we saw were drones, a lot of drones, flying over our positions. We didn’t know how to react.”

Moments later, a handful of helicopters appeared — “barely eight,” by his count — deploying what he estimated were just 20 US troops into the area.

But those few men, he said, came armed with something far more powerful than guns.

“They were technologically very advanced,” the guard recalled. “They didn’t look like anything we’ve fought against before.”

What ensued, he said, was not a battle but a slaughter.

“We were hundreds, but we had no chance,” he said. “They were shooting with such precision and speed; it felt like each soldier was firing 300 rounds per minute.”

Then came the weapon that still haunts him.

“At one point, they launched something; I don’t know how to describe it,” he said. “It was like a very intense sound wave. Suddenly I felt like my head was exploding from the inside.” …

“We all started bleeding from the nose,” he said. “Some were vomiting blood. We fell to the ground, unable to move. We couldn’t even stand up after that sonic weapon — or whatever it was.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a question regarding whether Karoline Leavitt’s sharing of the post — captioned, “Stop what you are doing and read this…” — indicated the administration was verifying the veracity of the eyewitness account.

An estimated 100 Venezuelan security forces were killed in the Jan. 3 attack, according to Venezuela’s Interior Ministry. [Official U.S. figures report 32 Cuban forces and at least 23-24 Venezuelan security personnel killed, with total casualties assessed by the US at around 75, which includes the security personnel, Cuban forces, and civilians]. It is unclear if any of those deaths were caused by the mystery weapon.

The outmatched defenders were helpless as the small US unit wiped them out, the guard said.

“Those 20 men, without a single casualty, killed hundreds of us,” he claimed. “We had no way to compete with their technology, with their weapons. I swear, I’ve never seen anything like it.”

The U.S. military has had directed energy weapons — which neutralize targets using focused energy such as microwaves or laser beams — for years, but this could be the first time it’s been used in combat by the US, an ex-US intelligence source told The Post. China reportedly used a microwave weapon in 2020 against Indian soldiers during a border dispute in Ladakh.

The source noted that those weapons have capability to produce at least some of the symptoms, including “bleeding, inability to move or function, pain and burning.”

“I can’t say all of those symptoms. But yes, some,” the source said. “And we’ve had versions for decades.”

After the raid, said the Maduro loyalist, the message couldn’t be more clear: Don’t tangle with Uncle Sam.

“I’m sending a warning to anyone who thinks they can fight the United States,” he said. “They have no idea what they’re capable of. After what I saw, I never want to be on the other side of that again. They’re not to be messed with.”

The guard said the raid has already sent shockwaves across Latin America — especially after President Trump recently warned that Mexico is now “on the list.”

“Everyone is already talking about this,” he said. “No one wants to go through what we went through. What happened here is going to change a lot of things — not just in Venezuela, but throughout the region.”

Published at NY Post on Jan. 10, 2026. Reprinted here for educational purposes only. May not be reproduced on other websites without permission.

Background

The primary known sonic technology used by the US military is the Long-Range Acoustic Device (LRAD), also called an acoustic hailing device (AHD) or commonly referred to as a "sound cannon."

This is a specialized, directional loudspeaker system developed in the early 2000s by what is now Genasys (formerly LRAD Corporation), specifically in response to the 2000 USS Cole bombing. It allows for long-distance communication and deterrence using focused, high-intensity sound.

Key Capabilities

• It projects clear, intelligible voice messages or warning tones over thousands of meters (up to several kilometers in some models, with ranges like 3,000–5,000 meters for communication).
• In "deterrent" or "alert" mode, it emits extremely loud tones (up to ~160 decibels at 1 meter) in frequencies that are particularly uncomfortable to humans (often 2,000–4,000 Hz, where hearing is most sensitive).
• The sound is highly directional (typically a 30-degree cone), allowing precise targeting while minimizing impact on those outside the beam.
• It can cause pain, disorientation, nausea, temporary incapacitation, or even permanent hearing damage at close range, though it's officially classified as non-lethal.

US Military Use

The US military (particularly the Navy, Army, and Marine Corps) deploys LRAD systems on ships, vehicles, and bases for:

• Maritime security — Warning or deterring approaching small boats (e.g., to prevent pirate attacks or suicide boat threats).
• Force protection — At checkpoints, perimeters, or during operations like those in Iraq (first major deployment around 2004).
• Crowd control — Providing scalable warnings or commands.

It's widely used by the US Navy on vessels like the USS Blue Ridge and other ships, as well as by ground forces. ... (Images show mounted LRAD units on US Navy ships and vehicles, demonstrating their compact, directional design.)

While there has been research into other acoustic concepts (like infrasound or ultrasound for non-lethal effects), and occasional unverified claims or speculation about more exotic "secret" sonic weapons (e.g., in recent reports tied to operations like Venezuela), the only publicly confirmed and widely deployed sonic technology in the US military arsenal is the LRAD family of devices.

Other directed-energy systems (like microwave-based Active Denial System) exist but are not true sonic/acoustic weapons, as they use electromagnetic energy rather than sound waves. (from Grok, Jan. 12 "what type of sonic technology does the us military have that is known")