For months, US spies had tracked Nicolas Maduro’s every move and in the end he was a sitting duck.
America had a mole on the inside and a CIA team had been on the ground for months. They knew where he and his wife Cilia Flores were living, when and where they traveled, what clothes they wore, what food they ate, even what pets they had, top U.S. general Dan ‘Raizin’ Caine later revealed.
The information gleaned from that surveillance allowed the US to build a replica of Maduro’s fortress-like safe house and to begin practicing for Operation Absolute Resolve, a daring raid to capture the leader of a hostile foreign regime on his own soil.
Shortly before the New Year dawned, 150 aircraft at 20 US bases across the western hemisphere were tasked and ready, waiting for the green light from President Donald Trump.
The massive operation was to include F-22 Raptors, F-35s, F/A-18 Hornets, EA-18 electronic warfare aircraft, E-2 command and control planes, B-1 bombers, helicopters, refueling aircraft and numerous remotely piloted drones.
It was to be, as one analyst out it, a meticulously orchestrated ‘ballet in the sky,’ but one replete with potential pitfalls.
If just one ‘component of this well-oiled machine’ failed it would have imperiled the whole mission, according to Caine.
The highly complex plan required aircraft to fly into Venezuela at low altitude and the weather had to be perfect, not least to avoid the risk of civilian casualties.
During his extended Christmas stay at Mar-a-Lago, President Trump received constant updates on the weather.
One of the key challenges was keeping the impending raid secret. No advance notice was given to members of Congress to avoid leaks.
On New Year’s Eve, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was fully integrated into preparations, was videoed happily jamming to Pitbull’s song Fireball at Mar-a-Lago. The Floridian remained at the president’s side as plans were being finalized.
For four days, as the clouds wouldn’t clear, the massive undertaking was successfully kept under wraps. Then, on Friday, January 3, it became clear the weather would part at night and there would be a clear-skyed path into Venezuela.
‘The weather broke just enough, clearing a path that only the most skilled aviators in the world could move through,’ Caine later told a press conference.
Mission operations were quietly set up inside Mar-a-Lago, a senior administration official told the Daily Mail.
Most of the president’s special guests for the weekend had already left after the New Years holiday festivities.
Vice President JD Vance spent Christmas at his home in Cincinnati. He joined several late night meetings via secure video conference, then met with President Trump at his golf club in West Palm Beach during the day on Friday to discuss the strikes, a spokesman for the Vice President told the Daily Mail.
Vance was not at Mar-a-Lago on Friday night, as there were concerns a late-night motorcade movement, while the operation was getting underway, may tip off the Venezuelans. He joined by secure video conference throughout the night to monitor the operation, the spokesman said.
Attorney General Pam Bondi was also involved in the operation from the beginning and watched the capture live from U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Florida, a senior administration official told the Daily Mail.
At 10:46pm U.S. Eastern time, an hour later in Venezuela, President Trump gave the order, sending a message to all involved: ‘Good luck and Godspeed.’
The bombers, fighter jets, reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft took off.
The youngest crew member on board was 20, the oldest 49.
Helicopters took off with the extraction force that would capture Maduro, including members of Delta Force, the Army’s elite direct action unit, and law enforcement officers who would serve the warrant for his arrest on drug charges.
The helicopters flew in across the water at just 100 feet while Space Command and Cyber Command took up the baton.
It is believed that they were involved in taking out lights on the ground in Venezuela, while aircraft disabled air defense systems to allow the helicopters into the target area.
Before reaching the target, the extraction force – the exact size of which remains unclear – flew behind one last area of high terrain, and it was only when they emerged that they were finally spotted, according to Caine.
They had successfully maintained the element of surprise.
At 1:01 am U.S, Eastern time, an hour later at the scene, they reached Maduro’s palace and descended on ropes out of the helicopters.
They came under fire and replied with what Caine described as ‘overwhelming force.’
Intelligence teams speaking to the ground force through headsets were able to guide them through the compound, and aircraft provided cover overhead.
Delta Force were equipped with blow torches and would have been able to get through the door in an estimated 47 seconds.
When Maduro was located he tried, amid gunfire, to get to a safe bunker behind a huge metal door.
He managed to get to the other side but not close the door in time, according to President Trump. Maduro and his wife then gave up.
One aircraft was hit but remained operational, and and was able to fly home at the end.
By 3:39 am U.S. Eastern time the helicopters were back over the water with Maduro and his wife on board, and heading for the USS Iwo Jima.
‘We watched, we waited, we remained prepared,’ said Caine. ‘This was an audacious operation that only the United States could do. It required the utmost precision.’
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