By Anthony Marcus for Eurasia Business News, January 3, 2025. Article n°1966
U.S. special operations forces, specifically the Army’s elite Delta Force, carried out on January 3 a high‑risk raid in Caracas, Venezuela, and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, in an operation codenamed “Operation Absolute Resolve”.
How the capture happened
U.S. forces launched a large‑scale military operation on the night of January 2–3, involving more than 150 aircraft (fighters, bombers, surveillance, and special operations helicopters) that struck key military sites in Venezuela and blacked out parts of Caracas. Delta Force operators, supported by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (the “Night Stalkers”), flew into Caracas by helicopter and assaulted Maduro’s heavily fortified residence.
During the raid, Maduro tried to reach a secure steel bunker but was intercepted before he could get inside; he and his wife were taken into custody without being killed. U.S. Cyber Command also played a role by disrupting Venezuelan communications and power systems ahead of the assault.
Who carried out the operation
The physical capture was conducted by U.S. Army Delta Force (1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta), the military’s top-tier special mission unit trained for high‑value target raids. The operation was supported by the 160th SOAR, U.S. Air Force airpower, and U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the FBI.
The US President Donald Trump publicly confirmed that Delta Force led the mission, describing it as a “stunning, effective and powerful display of American military might”. The CIA had reportedly helped track and locate Maduro in the lead‑up to the raid, but the actual assault was a military special operations mission.
Aftermath and current status
After his capture, Maduro and his wife were taken aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean and later flown to the United States. They landed at Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York state and are expected to face federal charges in a U.S. court, including drug trafficking and narcoterrorism, under a superseding indictment similar to the 2020 case against Maduro.
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Venezuelan officials, including Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, have denounced the operation as an “illegal and illegitimate kidnapping” and a violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty. Trump stated that the U.S. would temporarily “run” Venezuela until a “safe, proper and judicious” transition could be arranged.
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© Copyright 2025 – Eurasia Business News. Article no. 1966
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