Operation Absolute Resolve: US Military Captures Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela

Operation Absolute Resolve

• 💡 The operation, dubbed "Absolute Resolve," was a surgical intervention to capture Nicolás Maduro and his wife in Caracas.
• 🎯 It was described by US military commanders as one of the most complex operations in the region due to coordination, secrecy, and technological deployment.
• 🔑 The primary objective was to extract Maduro while minimizing civilian casualties, maintaining surprise, and ensuring his transfer to face justice.

Strategic Planning and Execution

• 🗓️ The intervention was the result of months of strategic planning and rehearsal, involving soldiers, sailors, the Air Force, and intelligence agencies like the CIA, NSA, and NGA.
• 🧠 CIA intelligence was crucial, providing precise information on Maduro's location, security, and reaction time, allowing intervention before he reached a security room.
• ⚡ The operation commenced at 10:46 p.m. Washington time (11:46 p.m. Caracas time) on January 2nd, with the US President monitoring from start to finish.

Military Assets Deployed

• 🚀 Over 150 aircraft were deployed from approximately 20 land and sea bases, including F-22s, F-35s, F-18s, EA-18s, and B-2 bombers, as well as attack helicopters.
• 🛡️ The first phase involved disabling Venezuela's Russian air defense system and bombing main military bases to ensure safe entry for ground forces.
• 🚁 Delta Force and Night Stalkers utilized advanced helicopters like Chinooks and Black Hawks, escorted by F-22s and F-35s, to transport marines and armaments.

Capture and Transfer

• ⏰ Maduro and his wife were captured around 2:00 a.m. local time at Fort Tiuna, before they could take refuge in their steel-doored bunker.
• ⚠️ One US aircraft was hit during the operation but remained functional, with all deployed aircraft returning safely.
• 🚢 The couple was transferred by helicopter to the USS Iwo Jima in international waters, then flown to New York to face federal charges for narcotics trafficking and other crimes.