In a bold display of military power, US forces snatched Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from their compound in Caracas in just over two and a half hours, marking an extraordinary end to Maduro's 18-year rule. The operation was months in the making, with US intelligence agencies building up a meticulous picture of Maduro's daily routine.
From August, the CIA had been tracking Maduro's "pattern of life", gathering intimate details about his movements, habits, and security arrangements. This level of intelligence was necessary to identify the perfect moment to strike, which arrived on Friday evening when weather conditions finally cleared enough for the operation to proceed.
The US military amassed a formidable force in the Caribbean, with over 150 aircraft involved in the night raid, including F-35 fighter jets that destroyed Venezuelan air defenses. The mission began with a surgical bombing campaign against Venezuela's aviation and air defense systems, clearing an air corridor for the helicopters carrying the elite Delta Force troops.
The plan was to use surprise and air dominance to quickly capture Maduro, who would then be whisked away on helicopters before being transferred to US custody. However, things did not go entirely as smoothly as planned. A single helicopter was damaged during a fierce firefight with Maduro's security team, but the Delta Force operators still managed to overwhelm them.
In the aftermath of the operation, US officials touted the success of Operation Absolute Resolve as a textbook example of military precision and power. Yet, it is too early to say whether this display of force will allow the US to take control of Venezuela or lead to any meaningful transformation of the country's politics.
Maduro was reportedly forced to flee his compound in Caracas, where he was holed up with a handful of loyal bodyguards, after he tried to make a break for a safe room. The Venezuelan defense minister later reported that over 40 people had been killed during the fighting, while at least two US soldiers were wounded.
The operation raises significant questions about the future of Venezuela and the role of the US in the country's affairs. While it marked a clear demonstration of American military might, it is still unclear whether this will be enough to bring about any lasting change in Caracas or if it simply marks the beginning of a new chapter in a long and tumultuous story.
In the end, all that was required was for Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores to be swiftly extracted from Venezuela. The operation concluded with the transfer of the president and his wife on board helicopters heading towards US custody.
From August, the CIA had been tracking Maduro's "pattern of life", gathering intimate details about his movements, habits, and security arrangements. This level of intelligence was necessary to identify the perfect moment to strike, which arrived on Friday evening when weather conditions finally cleared enough for the operation to proceed.
The US military amassed a formidable force in the Caribbean, with over 150 aircraft involved in the night raid, including F-35 fighter jets that destroyed Venezuelan air defenses. The mission began with a surgical bombing campaign against Venezuela's aviation and air defense systems, clearing an air corridor for the helicopters carrying the elite Delta Force troops.
The plan was to use surprise and air dominance to quickly capture Maduro, who would then be whisked away on helicopters before being transferred to US custody. However, things did not go entirely as smoothly as planned. A single helicopter was damaged during a fierce firefight with Maduro's security team, but the Delta Force operators still managed to overwhelm them.
In the aftermath of the operation, US officials touted the success of Operation Absolute Resolve as a textbook example of military precision and power. Yet, it is too early to say whether this display of force will allow the US to take control of Venezuela or lead to any meaningful transformation of the country's politics.
Maduro was reportedly forced to flee his compound in Caracas, where he was holed up with a handful of loyal bodyguards, after he tried to make a break for a safe room. The Venezuelan defense minister later reported that over 40 people had been killed during the fighting, while at least two US soldiers were wounded.
The operation raises significant questions about the future of Venezuela and the role of the US in the country's affairs. While it marked a clear demonstration of American military might, it is still unclear whether this will be enough to bring about any lasting change in Caracas or if it simply marks the beginning of a new chapter in a long and tumultuous story.
In the end, all that was required was for Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores to be swiftly extracted from Venezuela. The operation concluded with the transfer of the president and his wife on board helicopters heading towards US custody.
The fact that Maduro's daily routine was being tracked by the CIA for months is already giving me a weird vibe... where exactly does this intel come from? Are we talking about some top-secret operation here or just a bunch of surveillance? And what about all these casualties? 40 people killed, including 2 US soldiers? That's some heavy stuff. I need to see more evidence on this one before I can even begin to form an opinion... 
! I mean, I know things have been rough in Venezuela for a while now but this? US forces just swooped in and took out the President and his wife 
like it was no big deal? 150+ aircraft involved? F-35s taking down air defenses? That's some next-level tech right there! 
The way they said Operation Absolute Resolve was a "textbook example" of military precision... yeah, sure 
I'm not convinced. What are the US planning to do with Maduro now? And what about Cilia Flores? This whole thing just seems so... messy 
18 years of maduro and just one swift operation and hes gone its wild thinking about what this means for venezuela's future tho 
and I'm still buzzing from all the fresh air and scenic views. I mean, have you ever tried to take a good selfie while hiking? It's like trying to capture lightning in a camera 
. I swear, my phone battery died like three times because of it. But anyway, speaking of Venezuela, I wonder what's going to happen now that Maduro is out of the picture... or will he just end up on some island with a bunch of other ex-heads of state? 
. And what's the end game here? Is this just going to be another intervention in Venezuela's affairs, or is there something more to it? I hope they're not planning on keeping Maduro locked up forever 
. He may have been a polarizing figure, but he was still the democratically elected president of his country, after all 
.
. Are we seeing a resurgence of American imperialism, or is this just a one-off? I'm not sure what to make of it yet 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this! I mean, 18 years is a long time for one person to rule, right? 
. But what about the cost, you know? All those people lost their lives, innocent bystanders caught up in the crossfire 
. And now we're left wondering if this is gonna lead to some kind of change in Venezuela or just more chaos 
.
. But now that it's done, can we expect some real change or is it just a power play for the US? 
. But seriously, is this gonna lead to a smooth transition or just more of the same? 
#USvsVenezuela #MaduroGone #OperationAbsoluteResolve
gotta wonder what kinda intel was gathered beforehand was it really just 18 yrs of pattern of life or was it more? 
I mean, I knew the tensions between the US and Venezuela were high, but a military operation to just take Maduro out? That's some serious moves 
but seriously tho, this whole thing feels like a giant power play by the us, and its gonna be super interesting to see how it all goes down now... Maduro or not, venezuela's still in shambles 
. Can't we all just get along and find peaceful solutions to conflicts? 