President Donald Trump announced the success of Operation Absolute Resolve, describing how he watched live feeds from Mar-a-Lago as Delta Force commandos stormed Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's main military base, where the couple was staying.
The raid followed a cyber attack that blacked out parts of Caracas, allowing over 150 aircraft to neutralize defenses while helicopters flew low to insert troops.
Intelligence came from CIA agents on the ground since August, stealth drones, and an insider tip—details so granular they included Maduro's meals, movements, and pet habits.
Troops trained on a full-scale replica of the presidential compound in Kentucky, practicing breaches and contingencies. Trump gave final approval at 10:46 p.m. on January 2, citing Maduro's 2020 US indictment for narco-terrorism.Maduro and Flores were flown to the USS Iwo Jima, then to New York, where Maduro is held in Brooklyn awaiting charges.
About 40 Venezuelan personnel and civilians died; no US fatalities were reported. Trump declared the US would temporarily "run" Venezuela to restore oil infrastructure, though legal experts question the move's international legitimacy. Venezuela named Vice President Delcy Rodríguez interim leader, condemning the action as aggression. The operation echoes the 1989 Panama invasion but raises fresh debates over sovereignty and US intervention.
