President Trump authorized a significant military operation, granting special forces the go-ahead to execute a mission deemed the most daring since the 2011 raid on Osama bin Laden by SEAL Team Six.
This mission aimed to achieve a long-standing objective of U.S. intelligence agencies: the removal of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro from power and the reopening of the country’s vast oil reserves to American businesses.
The meticulously planned operation involved covert CIA infiltration and a substantial show of force, which led to no casualties among Delta Force operatives during the assault on Maduro’s compound. Trump asserted that no U.S. aircraft or drones were lost during the nighttime operation.
The military had been on heightened alert since Christmas Day when the President first approved action, but adverse weather conditions caused delays.
The operation commenced after a call from the Commander-in-Chief at Mar-A-Lago on January 2, designated as Operation Absolute Resolve.
In the darkness, 150 aircraft launched from military bases and the USS Gerald Ford carrier group. Advanced fighter jets like F22 Raptors and F-35s, along with Navy F-18 Hornets, moved to neutralize Venezuela’s air defenses swiftly.
Additionally, Tomahawk missiles were deployed from naval vessels off the coast to target Russian-made surface-to-air missile sites, ensuring air superiority for the Delta Force.
A source revealed that Cuban missile batteries were also destroyed in the strikes.
By 2:00 am, explosions and smoke were observed over Caracas as various strategic targets were hit, sowing confusion across the Venezuelan capital.
Locations such as Carlota airbase, Fuerte Tiuna military complex, and transport hubs in La Guaira were targeted to create an explosive diversion for the primary mission: capturing Venezuela’s leader and his spouse.
This chaos served the Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters from the US Air Force 160 Special Operations Regiment, which had been stationed in the Caribbean since November.
Before the assault, a cyber operation and a fleet of jammer drones darkened large areas of Venezuela, confirmed by Trump in a press briefing: “The, uh, lights of Caracas were largely turned off due to a certain expertise that we have. It was dark, and it was deadly.”
Sources reported the Delta Force team had rigorously trained for months on a replica of Maduro’s safe house, enhancing their speed at breaching the compound’s steel doors, intelligence gathered by the CIA.
The CIA had effectively mapped Maduro’s movements, noting his pattern of shifting between locations due to increasing anxiety over potential U.S. intervention.
Delta Force troops awaited confirmation from the CIA that Maduro was at the compound before initiating the raid.
At 2:01 am, after extensive preparation, they arrived. General Caine, the highest-ranking military official, noted their helicopters faced enemy fire, which was promptly suppressed.
Delta Force operatives descended into Maduro’s compound, using flashbangs to disorient the guards. Maduro attempted to retreat to a safe room but was apprehended by the operatives.
The entire operation took three minutes, culminating in the capture of Maduro and his wife.
By 4:29 am, Maduro was detained on the USS Iwo Jima and transported to the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York. He now faces charges related to narco-terrorism, cocaine importation, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.