Operation Absolute Resolve: How US Forces Captured Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro in Midnight Raid

The United States’ dramatic capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was the culmination of a meticulously planned covert military mission codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve, US officials have revealed. The operation, executed under the cover of darkness in Caracas, followed months of surveillance, rehearsals and inter-agency coordination involving America’s most advanced military and intelligence capabilities.

According to senior US officials, the raid was launched only after precise weather conditions aligned, allowing helicopters and aircraft to enter Venezuelan airspace undetected. Within less than 30 minutes, US forces had secured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and extracted them from the capital, marking one of the most audacious foreign operations in recent American military history.

Intelligence agencies reportedly spent months tracking Maduro’s movements, daily routines and security arrangements. Special forces units trained repeatedly on a full-scale replica of the presidential compound, including reinforced safe rooms designed to delay intruders. US President Donald Trump later confirmed that troops were equipped with heavy blowtorches to breach steel walls if necessary, though Maduro was captured before he could reach a secure bunker.

The operation unfolded late at night after repeated delays caused by heavy cloud cover. Helicopters flew low over water to evade radar detection, supported by overwhelming air cover. US military officials disclosed that more than 150 aircraft participated, including F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters, F-18s, B-1 bombers, electronic warfare aircraft, surveillance planes and armed drones operating across multiple theatres.

US officials also acknowledged using advanced technical capabilities to plunge parts of Caracas into darkness, crippling communications and power infrastructure to ensure tactical surprise. At least seven explosions were reported across the Venezuelan capital during the raid, triggering panic among residents.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez claimed civilians and members of the armed forces were killed in the strikes, though no official casualty figures were released. The US confirmed that a few American personnel sustained injuries, while emphasising that no US troops were killed. One helicopter reportedly came under fire but managed to return safely.

Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine described the mission as an unprecedented multi-domain operation integrating air, ground, maritime, space and intelligence assets. He said failure at any single stage could have jeopardised the entire mission, underscoring the scale and complexity of the raid.

Following Maduro’s capture, President Trump declared that the United States would oversee Venezuela’s immediate transition, promising a “safe, proper and judicious” process without specifying a timeline. The US Justice Department later confirmed that Maduro and Flores would face narco-terrorism, weapons and conspiracy charges in New York.

The operation has triggered global shockwaves, with Venezuela condemning the action as a violation of international law, while Washington framed it as a decisive blow against what it described as a state-backed narco-terror network. As Venezuela enters an uncertain political phase, Operation Absolute Resolve is already being viewed as a defining moment in modern geopolitical warfare.