Several recent news reports and social‑media posts have circulated claims that U.S. forces deployed a powerful sonic or directed‑energy weapon during the January 3 raid that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. According to an unnamed Venezuelan security guard’s account — shared by White House Press Secretary **Karoline Leavitt on X — the device emitted an intense sound‑like force that caused defenders to bleed from the nose, vomit blood, and fall incapacitated.
In the account widely shared online, the guard described the effects as a “very intense sound wave” that left Venezuelan troops unable to stand, after which a small contingent of U.S. troops overwhelmed them with advanced firepower.
These claims have been repeated by multiple outlets and on social platforms, and some observers have speculated the described effects resemble those attributed to directed‑energy weapons — systems that focus energy (such as microwaves or high‑intensity sound) to disrupt or incapacitate targets.
Crucially:
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There is no official confirmation from the White House, Pentagon, or U.S. military that a sonic or energy weapon was used in the operation.
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The account comes from a single unnamed eyewitness and has not been independently verified.
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Venezuela’s Interior Ministry reported around 100 security personnel were killed in the raid but did not attribute fatalities to any specific technology.
Claims about “sonic weapons” often refer to technologies that, in theory, could cause discomfort or disorientation, but verified use of such weapons in combat remains extremely rare and would typically be publicly acknowledged only in limited, technical contexts.
In summary, the dramatic account of a sonic weapon circulating online is an unverified witness claim, not confirmed by U.S. officials or independent sources.
