Inside the Capture of Venezuela’s President: Operation Absolute Resolve
Rendy Andriyanto
Gotrade Team
Reviewed by Gotrade Internal Analyst
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Jakarta, Gotrade News - Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been officially captured in a high-precision military op dubbed by the US as "Operation Absolute Resolve."
This Saturday early morning raid wasn't a random incident; it was the result of months of intelligence planning, exploiting security gaps under the total darkness of the capital, Caracas.
For defense market watchers and geopolitical observers, the execution of this operation shows a major escalation in how the US handles foreign leaders flagged as narco-terrorism threats.
According to AP News reports, this operation was designed with an extreme level of detail—US intel had been tracking everything from Maduro's eating habits to his daily schedule.
Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, mentioned that special forces had been rehearsing since early December, not just to get it right, but to ensure they couldn't get it wrong.
President Trump, in an interview with Fox Corporation on "Fox & Friends Weekend," revealed that US troops even built an identical replica of Maduro’s home for simulation runs.
The squad was also equipped with massive blowtorches, just in case they needed to slice through the walls of his panic room.
Execution in Total Darkness
The weather was a key factor here, with US forces waiting four days for cloud cover thick enough to mask their aerial approach.
On the night of the execution, lights in Caracas reportedly went out completely—a condition Trump claimed was due to "certain expertise" the US possesses, hinting at some cyber or electronic warfare strategy.
US helicopters flew low over the water to dodge radar detection before landing and executing a strike that lasted less than 30 minutes.
Failed Run to the Safe Room
Despite having high-level protection facilities, the speed of the op meant Maduro didn't stand a chance.
Trump explained that Maduro tried to bolt to his safe room, but he got "bum-rushed" so fast before the steel door could even shut.
Venezuela’s VP, Delcy Rodríguez, called this a "brutal attack" that caused casualties among the Venezuelan military and civilians, though Trump claims there were no US fatalities involved.
Extradition to New York
Once secured, Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were immediately flown by helicopter to a US warship standing by offshore.
From there, they were transported to New York to face federal charges related to drug trafficking, with video footage showing Maduro being escorted by DEA agents.
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