Breaking: US Special Forces Capture Venezuela’s Maduro: How the Operation Unfolded

 US Special Forces Capture Venezuela’s Maduro: How the Operation Unfolded

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were apprehended in the early hours of January 3, 2026, following a daring and well-planned military operation by the United States. Massive air power, specialized special forces, real-time intelligence, and months of meticulous planning were all combined in this endeavour, which was called Operation Absolute Resolve.

Months of covert preparation and planning

The procedure took time to complete. The preparation phase, according to U.S. military leadership, required months of intelligence collecting, joint rehearsals, covert surveillance, and interagency cooperation between Special Operations Command, the Department of Defence, and U.S. intelligence agencies. Gaining a thorough grasp of Maduro's activities, security posture, and important infrastructure protections was the goal.

According to senior U.S. generals, the preparation was based on years of expertise combining air, ground, space, and cyber assets, something that has rarely been done on a single mission before.

Operation "Absolute Resolve": Massive Air Deployment Commences

U.S. President Donald Trump gave the order to begin the operation just after 10:46 p.m. EST on Friday. More than 150 military aircraft, including drones, support helicopters, bombers (B-1s), fighter jets (F-22, F-35), and surveillance planes, were in flight from bases all over the Western Hemisphere in a matter of hours.

This air component carried out:

Targeting Venezuela's air defence systems with airstrikes

Disorienting defence communications using electronic warfare

ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) operations to provide ground forces with real-time information

In order to create safe passageways for helicopters and special operations, U.S. forces also weakened Venezuelan defences.

Special Forces Insertion

Helicopters carrying special soldiers, named by U.S. officials as the U.S. Army's Delta Force and backed by aviation units like the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment ("Night Stalkers"), fell on Maduro's fortified stronghold in Caracas at 1:01 a.m. Caracas time.

The insertion

occurred during the unfavourable weather and cover of darkness that American soldiers had been anticipating.

Low-altitude flight paths were used to avoid detection and preserve the element of surprise.

One helicopter was reportedly hit by hostile fire, but it continued to function and successfully finished its mission.

Extraction and Capture

Once on the ground, the army moved swiftly and carried out the operation with overwhelming tactical coordination and accuracy. After air defences were neutralized, Maduro and his wife were found, captured, and taken into custody, apparently with little opposition.

Following capture:

Maduro and Cilia Flores were flown to the USS Iwo Jima, an offshore U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship. PBS


They were then transported by air to the United States, where they are anticipated to be charged with criminal offences, including drug trafficking and narcoterrorism, as part of an ongoing U.S. indictment.

Time and Results

The operation took less than five hours to complete, despite including several defence layers and requiring coordinated air and ground action:

Arrival time to Maduro's compound: around 1:01 a.m. local time

Withdrawal completion time: around 3:29 a.m. local time, PBS

According to U.S. sources, there were only minor injuries and no U.S. fatalities throughout the mission, which is an impressive result considering the level of opposition that ground forces faced.

Reactions and Controversy

The operation quickly sparked widespread debate.

President Trump declared the mission a success and promised that the United States would help guide Venezuela through a "safe, proper, and judicious transition."
Reuters

Venezuelan officials decried the incident as a violation of sovereignty and proclaimed a national emergency.

Neighbouring states and international organizations have expressed alarm or open criticism, describing the raid as an unprecedented act of extraterritorial military activity.

Why the Operation Matters

Operation Absolute Resolve marks a unique capture of a sitting foreign leader by US forces and demonstrates the changing character of international military action in the twenty-first century. It also raises questions regarding:

International law and national sovereignty

The role of military power in counternarcotics and counterterrorism

US Foreign Policy Strategy in Latin America and Beyond

The full consequences of Maduro's capture are still emerging, but there is no doubt that this operation will be analysed for years as a watershed moment in contemporary military history.