U.S. military operations in Venezuela, Caribbean cost at least $4.7 billion

U.S. military missions in Venezuela, the Caribbean, and the Pacific incurred costs of at least $4.7 billion between August 2025 and March 2026, according to a study by Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. Researchers Hanna Homestead and Jennifer Kavanagh analyzed the financial resources required for Operation Southern Spear and Operation Absolute Resolve.

The study detailed expenditures for naval deployments ($3.84 billion), air deployments ($616 million), special operations forces ($15.9 million), and auxiliary phases of Operation Absolute Resolve ($206.6 million). Additionally, munitions for attacks on vessels ranged from $12.6 million to $50.4 million.

Beyond the financial figures, the report highlighted the human toll of these operations. The incursion and capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during Operation Absolute Resolve resulted in approximately 75 known deaths. Furthermore, missile and artillery attacks on unarmored vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific seas led to the deaths of 163 people between September 2025 and March 2026. The report also noted the death of at least one U.S. military service member in February 2026 due to a collision between two U.S. Navy ships in the Caribbean.

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The costs will continue to increase as some naval and air resources remain in the region and attacks continue. This estimate is only partial due to a lack of information and does not include long-term budgetary costs, such as veteran benefits.