‘Hope India is watching’: Indian‑American venture capitalist says Venezuela’s Russian military equipment ‘crumbled’ under US attack

An Indian‑origin venture capitalist weighed in on the collapse of Venezuelan defences following a major United States military operation.

Asha Jadeja Motwani, who has also claimed she influenced President Trump in changing his stance on H1-B, posted on X that “Russian military equipment of Venezuela crumbled in seconds in front of American military. Hope India is watching.”




In her post, she exaggerated the contrast between the number of Indian Americans and Indian Russians.

She gave a seemingly false figure: 'Indian Americans: 5,000,000. Indian Russians: 5.'

How Venezuela relied on Russian equipment

Venezuela’s military relied heavily on Russian-supplied equipment to protect its airspace, including long-range S‑300VM and medium-range Buk‑M2E surface-to-air missile systems, Pechora‑2M anti-aircraft systems, and Su‑30 multirole fighter jets. In October 2024, Russia sent additional air defence hardware, including several Pantsir self-propelled anti-aircraft systems and more Buk‑M2 missiles, transported via Il‑76TD cargo flights. The backbone of Venezuela’s air force remains 21 Russian Su‑30MKV fighters, the local version of the Su‑30MK2.

How US pulled off the mission

US officials said the operation involved over 150 aircraft, including F‑22 Raptors, F‑35 Lightning II jets, F/A‑18 Super Hornets, B‑1 bombers, electronic warfare planes, and drones. These aircraft targeted military positions and helped weaken Venezuela’s air defences. Helicopters also carried a special assault team, including Delta Force members, into Caracas to capture President Maduro.

Operation 'Absolute Resolve'

US carried out a military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Trump said US forces flew the couple out of the country and that Washington would oversee Venezuela.

US has not yet described how it plans to run Venezuela. Meanwhile, Maduro’s government appears not to be cooperating and continues to control much of the country. Explosions were reported in parts of Caracas, and electricity was knocked out in some areas during the overnight operation.

Trump spoke at a press conference with his top aides by the side, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. He said those officials would help oversee Venezuela and said US was “not afraid of boots on the ground.”

The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to meet to discuss the US action. The global body is expected to consider the implications of the operation.