Hegseth signs off on wounded US troops keeping bullets, shrapnel removed from their bodies after Maduro raid

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, revealed dramatic new details Wednesday about the covert Jan. 3 mission targeting Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, describing U.S. troops who continued fighting after being shot and later asking to keep the bullets and shrapnel pulled from their bodies.

In a new "Verdict with Ted Cruz" podcast episode, Cruz detailed a trip with fellow Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and War Secretary Pete Hegseth to a San Antonio hospital to visit three of the seven soldiers wounded during Operation Absolute Resolve.

Cruz said American troops were "vastly outnumbered," describing Cuban military members, tasked with guarding Maduro, opening fire on U.S. soldiers.

"It is an incredible testament to the precision and effectiveness of our military that not a single soldier on the American side was killed," Cruz said. "There was a very large number of Cuban forces defending Maduro who were killed in that firefight."

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The first soldier the politicians visited helped plan the "entire raid" and was leading one of the helicopters when he was shot in the leg, according to Cruz.

"Even in the midst of being shot in the leg, [he] continued," Cruz said. "He did not step back from the fight, and he was critical, in terms of his location, protecting his fellow soldiers."

During a discussion with the soldier, Cruz said Hegseth extended an offer for anything the soldier needed.

"[The soldier] said, 'Well, actually, there is something you could do,' and Pete says 'what?'" Cruz said. "[The soldier] says, 'I'd really like the bullet,' the bullet that went into his leg."

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Cruz explained the hospital's medical director previously told the soldier the hospital could not hand it over to him without a waiver.

"Pete, to his credit, said, 'The waiver is granted, you can have the bullet,'" Cruz said. "That soldier was beaming. He was thrilled to have the bullet."

The second soldier the group met with had also been shot and cut by a piece of shrapnel, causing a gash running the entire length of his arm.

"He had the exact same request," Cruz said. "He said, 'I'd really like the shrapnel.' They had the piece of metal that had cut his arm open, and again, the hospital said, 'We have it, but we're not allowed to give it to him without the waiver.'"

Hegseth also signed off on the second soldier's request, according to Cruz.

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"Both of those, I assume that they're going to frame it or otherwise keep it as just a memento to the injury, the Purple Heart that they earned fighting for their country, but also being a part of profoundly impacting history," Cruz said.

While the names and ages of the wounded soldiers, who are now all in good condition, have not yet been publicly released, Cruz said the first soldier was a bit older than the other two, who he described as "young guys."

"If you saw them walking down the street, you wouldn't do a double take," he said. "The first guy kind of looked a little like Captain America, [and] the other two looked like they were fit … but the skill that you know they have, the heroism you know they have - if you just saw them on the street, you wouldn't immediately know that.

"With all three of the soldiers, I took an opportunity to tell them, 'Look, you were part of history. You were part of history in a way, without exaggeration, that changed the entire Western hemisphere. What you did was profoundly important … and I took the chance on behalf of Texans and Americans just to say, 'Thank you. Thank you for your bravery.'"

Cruz added the first soldier, who was shot in the leg, had some friendly banter with the Pentagon chief.

"Hegseth asked him, 'How are you feeling?' And he said, 'I'm ready to go again,'" Cruz said. "I said, 'Great, can you do Saturday?' And he said, 'Well, can we hold off till Monday?' So, that kind of gives you a sense of the spirit [the soldiers had]."

Cruz's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.