The Cuban government announced that 32 Cuban nationals were killed during the recent U.S. military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, most of whom were believed to be part of his security detail. Cuba has declared two days of national mourning.

What is often overlooked is that even if Maduro had reached some form of agreement with the Trump administration—and there are still many unanswered questions—his departure from Venezuela would likely have required an operation similar to the one carried out Saturday by U.S. Delta Force and the 160th SOAR. These Cuban personnel were not only responsible for Maduro’s security, but were also effectively his overseers. Had there been signs that he intended to flee or strike a deal, Maduro and his wife could have faced lethal action from those same guards, potentially acting under directives from Havana, Beijing, or Moscow.