An American military operation in Venezuela resulted in the deaths of 32 Cuban officers over the weekend, as reported by the Cuban government on Sunday, marking the first official death toll released regarding the American strikes in the South American country.

According to a statement broadcast on Cuban state television on Sunday night, the Cuban military and police officers were engaged in a mission that the military of the Caribbean nation was conducting at the request of the Venezuelan government.

The specific activities of the Cubans in the South American nation remain unclear; however, Cuba has been a close ally of Venezuela's government and has provided military and police support for operations over the years.

Rumors regarding the fatalities had circulated on the island throughout the weekend.

"You know, a lot of Cubans were killed yesterday," U.S. President Donald Trump stated to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from Florida to Washington on Sunday night. "There was a lot of death on the other side. No death on our side."

On Saturday, a U.S. operation apprehended Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, who are to be prosecuted based on an indictment that alleges their involvement in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.