Inside the operation: How the US moved to capture Nicolás Maduro
Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Key takeaways
- Monthslong planning and a covert CIA presence inside Venezuela helped shape the timing and location of the operation.
- Operation Absolute Resolve leveraged 150 aircraft and cyberwarfare to clear the path for ground forces and extraction teams.
- Maduro and Flores were captured in Caracas and transported to the USS Iwo Jima, then Guantanamo Bay, with public photos released by the administration.
- Political risk and long‑term consequences remain a concern for lawmakers as the administration pursues an uncertain future for Venezuela.
Table of Contents
- Strike months in the making
- Conditions ripen for a strike
- The operation: Absolute Resolve
- Maduro captured and transported
- Aftermath and reaction
- CORRECTION
Strike months in the making
Preparations for the raid began in mid‑December, with the plan to remove Maduro taking shape over months. In August, the CIA covertly installed a small team inside Venezuela to track how he moved, where he lived, what he wore, and even what he ate, informing the operation’s precise target locations. The public goal, publicly stated for months, was not regime change, but the private push toward a leadership transition.
Conditions ripen for a strike
As weather and political momentum aligned, Trump approved the strike after weeks of careful deliberation. General Dan Caine described the plan as a multi‑agency effort involving 150 aircraft and personnel, with cyberwarfare to clear air and space for the extraction teams.
The operation: Absolute Resolve
When the go‑ahead came just before 11 p.m. ET, American forces launched from 20 bases in the Western Hemisphere. Helicopters reached Maduro’s compound at 2 a.m. local time; one aircraft was briefly damaged but remained flyable. In real time, aerial and ground intelligence guided the mission, delivering a rapid, decisive outcome and a swift extraction toward the USS Iwo Jima and onward to Guantánamo Bay.
Maduro captured and transported
Maduro and Flores were placed aboard the USS Iwo Jima before being moved to a U.S. base at Guantánamo Bay. A photo Trump posted on Truth Social showed Maduro in custody, wearing blackout goggles and gray sweats, as a symbol of the operation’s success.
Aftermath and reaction
In the hours after the strike, lawmakers privately debated the long‑term security and diplomatic implications. Some warned of unintended consequences, while others pressed for clarity on governance in Venezuela and the potential for further U.S. intervention.
CORRECTION
CORRECTION: This article has been updated to accurately describe Maduro and his wife’s movements from Venezuela to the U.S. They were placed aboard the USS Iwo Jima before being taken to Guantánamo Bay.
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Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/03/politics/nicolas-maduro-capture-venezuela
Source: https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/03/politics/nicolas-maduro-capture-venezuela
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