A clandestine team of CIA operatives infiltrated Venezuela last August, tasked with gathering intelligence on President Nicolas Maduro, a leader the administration had designated a narco-terrorist, The New York Times reported.
Operating undetected within Caracas for months, the unit combined human intelligence with data from stealth drones to construct a detailed map of the president's daily life. This high-risk endeavor, undertaken without the safety net of diplomatic immunity due to the embassy closure, yielded critical results. General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed that the intelligence allowed the US to track Maduro's specific movements, dietary habits, and even his pets, according to The New York Times.
These details were essential for the subsequent military strike, a pre-dawn raid on Saturday by elite Delta Force personnel, described as the most dangerous US operation since the 2011 bin Laden raid.
The mission resulted in the precise extraction of Maduro without American fatalities, a clear victory heralded by President Trump despite lingering questions regarding the legal basis for the intervention.
Trump defended Operation Absolute Resolve as a necessary strike against drug trafficking. However, Venezuela's role in the global drug trade is relatively minor, and officials had previously assured Congress that regime change was not the goal. Furthermore, Trump has historically opposed foreign occupations, The New York Times noted. Nevertheless, the president announced on Saturday that American officials were now managing Venezuela and that the US would restore the nation's oil sector.
In contrast to historically messy interventions in Panama or Cuba, this operation was characterized as nearly flawless by multiple officials speaking anonymously to The New York Times. Preparation was extensive; Delta Force commandos practiced the extraction in a full-scale model of Maduro's home built in Kentucky, drilling breaches of steel doors at increasing velocities.
The military spent days poised to launch, waiting for weather conditions that would minimize civilian risk, The New York Times reported.
Amid heightened security, Maduro shifted between several locations, often leaving the US unsure of his overnight plans until late. Verification that he was at the targeted compound was a prerequisite for the attack. In the days prior, the US deployed a surge of assets including Reaper drones and fighter jets, a buildup that analysts indicated made action inevitable.
Pressure had been steadily applied; the CIA had struck a port facility a week earlier, and a controversial maritime campaign had destroyed dozens of vessels and claimed at least 115 lives over several months, according to The New York Times.
Maduro attempted to forestall the raid by offering oil access, Trump revealed. A US official told The New York Times that a Dec. 23 proposal involving exile to Turkey was angrily rejected by Maduro, signaling a lack of seriousness.
The breakdown of these talks set the stage for his capture and subsequent imprisonment in Brooklyn on federal charges. While the Venezuelan government likely suspected an attack, the military successfully maintained tactical surprise, echoing their summer strategy against Iranian nuclear targets, The New York Times reported.
Trump authorized the mission as early as Christmas but delegated the specific timing to Pentagon planners to ensure optimal conditions. An official noted that the holiday season was selected because many government and military personnel were on vacation. Adverse weather forced a delay, but clearing skies provided commanders with a "rolling window" of opportunities. Trump issued the final go-ahead at 10:46 p.m. Friday.
Without clear weather, the mission might have been postponed until mid-January, according to an official. The operation launched formally at 4:30 p.m. Friday with initial air approvals, though officials spent the next six hours monitoring weather and intelligence.
Trump dined at Mar-a-Lago before confirming the order by phone at 10:30 p.m. and joining his national security team in a secure location.
A cyberattack initiated the assault in Venezuela, cutting power to Caracas to shroud the incoming aircraft in darkness. Over 150 aircraft, including bombers and drones, took off from 20 different locations for the mission, The New York Times reported.
Intelligence agencies determined that Maduro remained unaware as the force advanced. Explosions tore through Caracas early Saturday as US jets targeted air defenses. A US official told The New York Times that despite dramatic footage, the strikes mostly hit radar and radio towers.
At least 40 people, including civilians, were killed in the attack, according to a senior Venezuelan official. General Caine stated that air assets cleared a safe path for the Special Operations helicopters. Although defenses were suppressed, US helicopters came under fire near the compound at 2:01 a.m. Caine noted they responded with "overwhelming force."
One helicopter was damaged, and approximately six soldiers were injured, officials told The New York Times. The 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment transported the Delta Force team to the fortified target. This unit, known as the Night Stalkers, specializes in high-risk nocturnal missions and had been training near Venezuela. Delta Force breached the building while Trump watched a live feed from 1,300 miles away.
General Caine narrated the events as the president asked questions. "I watched it literally like I was watching a television show" Trump remarked on Fox News. Commandos used explosives to enter the structure while the president monitored from Florida. An official told The New York Times that the team took three minutes to reach Maduro after the breach. Trump described how Maduro and his wife attempted to flee to a reinforced room but were intercepted. "He was trying to get to a safe place" Trump said, adding: "It was a very thick door, a very heavy door. But he was unable to get to that door. He made it to the door, he was unable to close it."
Delta Force reported Maduro in custody roughly five minutes after entry. An FBI negotiator was on hand but proved unnecessary. The operatives quickly loaded the couple onto helicopters. By 4:29 a.m., they were aboard the USS Iwo Jima off the coast. They were subsequently transferred to Guantanamo Bay and then to New York via an FBI aircraft.
Trump watched the feed until the forces were safely over the ocean. The president stated a second wave of attacks was ready but unneeded, and he admonished other officials in the Venezuelan government that he was prepared to target them too.
