Operation Absolute Resolve: How US Special Forces Captured Venezuela’s Maduro
In a dramatic turn of events, the United States successfully captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a meticulously planned military operation. Dubbed “Operation Absolute Resolve,” this mission marked a significant intervention in Latin America, reminiscent of Cold War tactics.
For months, US intelligence meticulously tracked Maduro’s daily routines and security arrangements, as a covert team, including an insider within Venezuela’s government, monitored the leader’s movements constantly. Meanwhile, elite US troops constructed a full-scale replica of Maduro’s Caracas safe house for intensive rehearsals. This extraordinary military intervention required absolute secrecy throughout the meticulous preparation phase.
The Decisive Night
US President Trump finally authorized “Operation Absolute Resolve” at 22:46 EST on Friday after waiting for optimal weather conditions. “We were going to do this four days ago, and then all of a sudden it opened up. And we said: go,” Trump explained to Fox News. General Dan Caine revealed that troops waited patiently through Christmas and New Year for presidential orders. More than 150 aircraft participated in the unprecedented two-hour mission across Venezuela.
Witnesses described terrifying scenes as explosions rocked Caracas at 02:00 local time. “I heard a huge sound, a loud bang. It moved all the windows immediately after I saw a huge cloud of smoke,” reporter Ana Vanessa Herrero told the BBC. US forces, including Delta Force operators carrying blowtorches for steel doors, descended on Maduro’s compound amid the chaos. Trump watched the live operation from Mar-a-Lago alongside CIA Director Ratcliffe and Secretary Rubio.
Capture and Controversy
Elite troops breached Maduro’s fortress-like safe house despite enemy fire. “They just broke in, and they broke into places that were not really able to be broken into,” Trump remarked proudly. The Venezuelan president attempted to flee to a safe room but US forces overwhelmed him instantly. “He got bum rushed so fast that he didn’t get into that room,” Trump added.
However, the operation sparked immediate political backlash, with Senate leader Chuck Schumer condemning the action: “Launching military action without congressional authorization and without a credible plan for what comes next is reckless.”
Rubio defended the secrecy, stating Congress briefing would have endangered the mission. By 04:20 local time, helicopters departed Venezuela carrying Maduro and his wife toward New York justice.
“Maduro and his wife will soon face the full might of American justice,” Trump declared triumphantly hours later.
