§  Spies, Drones & Blowtorches: Maduro Capture Revealed

§  Maduro captured: Inside Operation Absolute Resolve

§  150+ aircraft, Delta Force, CIA surveillance, blowtorch breach

§  Trump watches live. Full breakdown

United States: In the darkest hours of January 3, 2026 an extraordinary military operation unfolded that would reshape Latin American geopolitics. The United States didn’t just conduct an airstrike on Venezuela—it executed a precision raid that captured sitting President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in under three hours.

The operation, code-named “Operation Absolute Resolve” was no improvised strike. For months, American spies had been monitoring Maduro’s every movement. They knew what he ate, where he slept, what he wore and even details about his pets. By the time the first explosions lit up Caracas at 2:01 AM local time, elite Delta Force troops were already breaching his heavily fortified compound with blowtorches and military precision.

Within 140 minutes, Maduro was in a helicopter. By 4:20 AM, he and his wife were aboard the USS Iwo Jima, en route to New York to face federal drug trafficking charges. No US soldiers died. No American equipment was lost. For military planners, it was a textbook operation—one they described as “extraordinary” and “virtually unprecedented in scale and precision.”

SECTION 1: THE MISSION TIMELINE - “OPERATION ABSOLUTE RESOLVE” UNFOLDS

The Planning: Months of Surveillance and Practice

Beginning in August 2025, the CIA began its penetration of Venezuela. A small team of intelligence operatives, traveling without diplomatic immunity, established themselves in Caracas. Their mission: to become ghosts in Maduro’s life.

“For several months, American intelligence agents had been tracking Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s every action,” sources confirmed to international media. With human intelligence from a source inside the Venezuelan government—a mole whose identity remains classified—the CIA constructed an intimate portrait of Maduro’s vulnerability.

They documented his sleeping arrangements. They tracked his dietary preferences. They noted which clothes he preferred. They even monitored his pets. Combined with overhead surveillance from drones, the intelligence picture became crystalline: Maduro was predictable and predictability is fatal in covert operations.

The Rehearsal: A Full-Scale Replica in Kentucky

Months before the raid, elite special operations planners made an audacious decision: they would build an exact full-scale replica of Maduro’s compound. In Kentucky, at a Joint Special Operations Command facility, construction crews erected a perfect model of the Venezuelan stronghold—complete with reinforced steel doors, security measures and internal layouts.

Delta Force operatives trained obsessively. They practiced breaching steel doors with blowtorches. They rehearsed their routes dozens of times. They timed their movements. They calculated response scenarios. By December, they were ready.

The Wait: Weather and Perfect Conditions

Trump approved the operation days earlier but military commanders urged patience. The conditions had to be perfect. They needed darkness. They needed minimal cloud cover to allow helicopters to navigate Venezuelan airspace. They needed Maduro to be at the targeted location.

“Over the weeks through Christmas and New Year, the men and women of the United States military sat ready, patiently waiting for the right triggers to be met and the president to order us into action,” General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, explained at a press conference Saturday morning.

One attempt was aborted four days earlier. Another was delayed by weather. A third was postponed due to military operations elsewhere. But on Friday night, January 2, conditions aligned perfectly.

The Green Light: 22:46 EDT Friday

President Trump, dining at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, received the final briefing. Weather was optimal. Maduro was confirmed at his compound. CIA surveillance was real-time. Trump gave the order at 22:46 EDT—just before midnight Caracas time.

“We were going to do this four days ago, three days ago, two days ago and then all of a sudden it opened up. And we said: Go,” Trump told Fox & Friends Saturday morning.

The lights of Caracas would soon go dark.

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SECTION 2: THE ASSAULT - PRECISION LIKE “NOTHING SINCE WORLD WAR II”

150+ Aircraft: An Aerial Armada

What followed was spectacular in its coordination. More than 150 aircraft—bombers, fighter jets, reconnaissance planes, electronic warfare platforms and helicopters—began their coordinated approach from 20 bases across the Western Hemisphere.

The objectives were surgical: disable Venezuelan air defenses, eliminate radar systems, secure airspace for the assault helicopters carrying Delta Force operatives. Trump described it to his advisers: “We had a fighter jet for every possible situation.”

At approximately 2:00 AM Caracas time, the first airstrikes impacted. Loud explosions thundered across the capital. Plumes of smoke rose over Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela’s largest military complex. La Carlota Airport lit up. Port La Guaira erupted. The air defense systems that had been Venezuela’s shield against external attack were systematically dismantled.

“The lights of Caracas were largely turned off due to a certain expertise that we have,” Trump said, hinting that US cyber or electromagnetic capabilities had blacked out the capital. “It was dark and it was deadly.”

The Breach: Blowtorches and Bum Rushes

As explosions still echoed across Caracas, the Delta Force assault team descended into Maduro’s compound. The operatives were heavily armed. They carried blowtorches—not for dramatic effect but for a practical purpose: cutting through the steel-reinforced doors Maduro’s military architects had installed to stop precisely this kind of breach.

They arrived at 2:01 AM local time.

Maduro’s security detail put up resistance. They took fire. One American helicopter was hit but remained airborne. But the Venezuelan defenders were overwhelmed by the speed and violence of the assault.

“They were in a ready position waiting for us. They knew we were coming,” Trump said, suggesting Venezuelan intelligence had detected something. But knowing and stopping are different things.

Maduro himself attempted to escape to a reinforced safe room—a bunker within his compound designed for exactly this scenario. According to Trump, the Venezuelan president “was trying to get to a safe place, which wasn’t safe, because we would have had the door blown up in about 47 seconds.”

But Delta operatives were faster.

“He made it to the door. He was unable to close it,” Trump explained. “He got bum rushed so fast that he didn’t get into that [room].”

Within moments, Maduro and his wife were in custody.

SECTION 3: THE EVACUATION - EXFILTRATION AND EXTRACTION

From Compound to Helicopter in Minutes

Approximately five minutes after securing the compound, Delta Force had both Maduro and Cilia Flores in restraints. The next phase was extraction—getting them out of Caracas before Venezuela’s military could mount an organized counterattack.

Helicopters were called in. The assault team moved to the landing zone with “speed, precision and discipline,” according to General Caine’s official account.

Fighter aircraft and remotely piloted drones provided overhead coverage. As the extraction force moved toward the waiting helicopters, there were multiple self-defense engagements with Venezuelan forces attempting to interfere. The Delta operatives returned fire, maintaining their security bubble.

The Ride Out: USS Iwo Jima Awaits

By 3:29 AM EST (4:29 AM Caracas time), the extraction force was over water. The helicopters from the USS Iwo Jima—a US Navy warship positioned approximately 100 miles off the Venezuelan coast—had completed their extraction.

Maduro and his wife were now in the custody of the Department of Justice.

At 4:20 AM local time, Trump announced to the world what had occurred. The Venezuelan president was no longer in Venezuela. He would never govern again.

SECTION 4: SURVEILLANCE AND INTELLIGENCE - THE FOUNDATION OF SUCCESS

The CIA’s Covert Presence

What made Operation Absolute Resolve possible was human intelligence—the spies on the ground. Beginning in August, CIA personnel had established a covert presence in Venezuela despite the closure of the US embassy, meaning they operated without diplomatic immunity.

These operatives worked with assets inside the Venezuelan government. One source, whose identity remains protected, provided critical intelligence about Maduro’s patterns, his movements and his location.

“The CIA had a small team clandestinely on the ground starting in August that was able to provide extraordinary insight into Maduro’s pattern of life that made grabbing him seamless,” one source told @ABC News.

Drones and Technical Intelligence

Overhead, surveillance was conducted by drone platforms. These unmanned systems tracked Maduro’s movements in real-time, cross-referenced his patterns with intelligence from ground sources and provided the final confirmation that he was at his compound when the order to launch was given.

The combination—human intelligence, signals intelligence and overhead imagery—created a targeting picture so precise that Delta Force operatives could assault the compound with confidence.

The Insider Source

According to General Caine, the intelligence operation tracked Maduro’s sleeping arrangements, dietary habits, clothing preferences and even “his pets.” This level of detail could only come from someone with direct access—someone inside Maduro’s security apparatus or inner circle.

“I can’t talk about human sources,” General Caine told reporters when asked directly “but suffice to say that Maduro’s predicament was that he was being tracked from his bedroom to his compound and that made the operation virtually seamless.”

SECTION 5: THE GLOBAL REACTION - FROM CONDEMNATION TO SUPPORT

Brazil and Latin America: A “Dangerous Precedent”

The international community reacted swiftly and reactions split along predictable lines. Brazil’s President Lula da Silva, often critical of US interventions, stated that the violent capture of Venezuela’s leader set “yet another extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community.”

Venezuela’s new interim president, Delcy Rodriguez—Maduro’s handpicked vice president, who has now assumed power—called the operation “barbaric” and “an illegal and illegitimate kidnapping.” She demanded Maduro’s release.

US Domestic Debate: Constitutional Questions

Democratic leaders in Congress expressed outrage at the lack of notification. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer stated: “Let me be clear: Nicolas Maduro is an illegitimate dictator. But launching military action without congressional authorization and without a credible plan for what comes next is reckless.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the decision not to inform Congress in advance, arguing that “Congress has a tendency to leak,” which would have endangered the operation. Trump added bluntly: “Congress has a tendency to leak. This would not be good.”

Senator Tim Kaine introduced legislation to require congressional authorization for any continuation of US military operations in Venezuela.

Global Analysis: Strategic Implications

International observers pointed to both the boldness and the potential risks of the operation. Some analysts suggested that Trump was demonstrating US military resolve in Latin America. Others warned of unintended consequences—power vacuums, humanitarian crises or destabilization in the region.

SECTION 6: THE LEGAL CASE - DRUG TRAFFICKING AND NARCO-TERRORISM

The Indictment

Maduro faces charges in the Southern District of New York for drug trafficking, narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import massive quantities of cocaine into the United States.

“Nicolas Maduro is at the forefront of the corruption,” federal prosecutors alleged in a superseding indictment released Saturday. “Maduro has allowed cocaine-fueled corruption to flourish for his own benefit, the benefit of members of his ruling regime and for the benefit of his family members.”

The charges allege that Maduro orchestrated a conspiracy to transport thousands of tons of cocaine into American cities, enriching himself and his inner circle while devastating communities north of the border.

The $50 Million Bounty

The US had offered a substantial bounty for information leading to Maduro’s arrest. Initially $15 million, then $25 million, the reward climbed to $50 million in August 2025. No informant claimed the bounty—the operation was conducted under direct presidential order.

Upcoming Trial

Maduro and his wife will face trial in New York, where prosecutors will present evidence of the alleged conspiracy. If convicted, Maduro faces decades in federal prison.

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SECTION 7: TRUMP’S VISION FOR VENEZUELA - TEMPORARY OCCUPATION AND OIL POLICY

“We Will Run Venezuela”

In a significant statement, Trump indicated that the US would take a direct administrative role in Venezuela during the transition period.

“So we are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said at his Mar-a-Lago press conference. “We want peace, liberty and justice for the great people of Venezuela.”

The statement raised eyebrows given Trump’s “America First” campaign pledge to avoid foreign entanglements.

The Oil Dimension

Trump also indicated that US oil companies would invest in Venezuelan oil infrastructure. “U.S. oil companies would go into Venezuela and spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure and start making money for the country,” he said.

This dimension of the operation—securing Venezuela’s vast oil reserves for American companies—adds an economic component to the geopolitical calculation.

No Further Military Action Expected

Trump suggested that no second wave of military operations would be necessary. “The first attack was so successful, we probably don’t have to do a second,” he said. “But we’re prepared to do a second wave—a much bigger wave, actually.”

SECTION 8: THE OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE - A MILITARY MASTERCLASS

No Casualties, No Lost Equipment

From a strictly military perspective, Operation Absolute Resolve was flawless. No US service members were killed. No American equipment was lost. The Venezu elan military was “completely overwhelmed and very quickly incapacitated,” according to Trump.

Precision Like WWII

Trump praised the operation’s scale and precision: “In terms of scale and accuracy, it was virtually unprecedented. We had the speed, the violence... it was an amazing thing, an amazing job that these people did.”

The General Caine noted that Delta Force operatives “moved with speed, precision and discipline” and successfully “apprehended the indicted persons” with zero casualties.

A Template for Future Operations

Military analysts noted that Operation Absolute Resolve demonstrated cutting-edge coordination between intelligence agencies, air force, special operations and cyber capabilities. The full-scale training replica in Kentucky, the months of planning, the real-time intelligence updates, the precision air support—it represented a model of modern military intervention.

Impact Analysis: WHAT COMES NEXT.?

The capture of Maduro has immediate and long-term implications:

·       Immediate: Power vacuum in Venezuela, international condemnation, congressional debate, humanitarian concerns about transition period.

·       Short-term: US interim administration of Venezuela, oil policy shifts, potential refugee movements, regional instability.

·       Long-term: Questions about precedent for regime change, international law implications, Venezuela’s future governance, relationship between US and Latin America.

Conclusion

Operation Absolute Resolve represents a dramatic departure from the “America First” foreign policy Trump promised. While the operation itself was executed with military precision and achieved its objective without American casualties, the decision to intervene in Venezuela without congressional notification without a clear exit strategy and with plans for interim US governance raises profound questions about the limits of executive power and America’s role in the world.

Maduro is now in custody. His wife faces charges alongside him. Venezuela is without its president. And the Trump administration is contemplating what governance looks like when the world’s military superpower decides to directly administer another nation.

For military tacticians, Operation Absolute Resolve is a masterclass in precision. For political observers, it’s a watershed moment in American foreign policy.

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