Inside the Operation: How the United States Executed the Capture of Nicolás Maduro
It unfolded with the intensity of a prime-time thriller, except this time, it was real. From a private, draped-off room at his Mar-a-Lago estate in South Florida, President Donald Trump watched events unfold on multiple screens as elite US Delta Force operatives stormed the Caracas residence of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in the dead of night. According to images later released by the White House, the live feeds included operational footage and real-time social media activity, offering the president a front-row seat to one of the most audacious foreign operations of his political career.
Maduro, who was asleep alongside his wife, Cilia Flores, was taken by surprise. As he attempted to escape into a steel-reinforced safe room within the compound, US forces swiftly overpowered him. Within minutes, the Venezuelan leader, who had ruled the country for over a decade, was in custody.
The dramatic raid marked the climax of a covert, months-long campaign aimed at removing Maduro from power, an objective US officials had publicly denied even as preparations intensified behind the scenes. Though Trump had previously voiced concerns about the risk of escalation and the possibility of entangling the United States in another prolonged conflict abroad, he ultimately authorized the mission days before Christmas, setting history in motion.
Operational delays caused by unfavorable weather conditions postponed execution until late December. On the night the mission finally launched, Trump, after a day of shopping for luxury stone materials and dining on the Mar-a-Lago patio, gave the final authorization at precisely 10:46 p.m. Eastern Time.
“Good luck, and Godspeed,” he told a gathering of top national security officials assembled at his private club.
Moments later, American military helicopters skimmed the Caribbean Sea under the cover of darkness, flying low to evade radar detection. Just hours after takeoff, Maduro was handcuffed, dressed in gray sweatpants, fitted with blackout goggles, and flown out of Venezuela. Images posted by Trump on Truth Social the following morning showed the former leader aboard the USS Iwo Jima, confirming his capture.
In a bold declaration shortly thereafter, Trump announced that the United States would temporarily “run” Venezuela, offering limited details while making clear that military presence on the ground remained an option. The announcement stunned allies and critics alike, particularly given Trump’s long-standing criticism of foreign interventions and his political base’s skepticism toward overseas military entanglements.
Behind the scenes, the operation, codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve, was the result of meticulous planning involving military, intelligence, and cyberwarfare units. CIA assets had reportedly been operating inside Venezuela since August, tracking Maduro’s movements, routines, and security patterns. According to Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, intelligence teams knew “where he lived, where he traveled, what he ate, what he wore, even his pets.”
The mission involved over 150 aircraft launching from 20 bases across the Western Hemisphere. Precision airstrikes neutralized Venezuelan air defenses while cyber operations disrupted communication systems. When helicopters reached Maduro’s compound around 2 a.m. local time, they came under fire. One aircraft was struck but remained operational, allowing the mission to continue.
Maduro and his wife surrendered without further resistance and were flown first to Guantanamo Bay before being transferred to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York.
As dawn broke in Caracas, the city remained eerily quiet. Streets were largely deserted, businesses shuttered, and the lingering scent of gunpowder hung in the air as residents tried to comprehend the seismic shift in their nation’s leadership.
In Washington, reactions were swift and divided. Several Democratic lawmakers accused senior administration officials of misleading Congress, pointing to previous assurances that regime change was not the US objective. Meanwhile, administration figures including Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the action, stating Maduro had been offered multiple opportunities to step down peacefully. “He chose defiance,” Rubio said. “And the result is what the world saw.”
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Trump, for his part, appeared energized. Speaking later, he likened watching the raid to viewing a live television broadcast, praising the “speed” and “precision” of the operation. When pressed about America’s mixed history with similar interventions, the president brushed aside concerns. “That was with different presidents,” he said. “With me, we win.”
As Venezuela, and the world, awaits what comes next, one thing is certain: the capture of Nicolás Maduro marks one of the most dramatic and consequential foreign policy actions of Trump’s presidency, with ripple effects that could reshape regional and global politics for years to come.
