'Over 150 aircraft': From Trump’s go-ahead to handcuffed Maduro — how US carried out Operation 'Absolute Resolve' in under five hours

The United States revealed new details of the covert military mission that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, with senior officials describing an operation of unprecedented scale and precision involving more than 150 aircraft across the Western Hemisphere.According to General Dan Caine, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, the mission, known as Operation Absolute Resolve, was carried out “during the darkest hours of January 2nd” and was the result of months of planning, rehearsals and interagency coordination.

He said that President Trump gave a go-ahead for the mission at 10:46pm (ET).He described it as “an audacious operation that only the United States could do”, stressing that it integrated air, ground, maritime, space and intelligence capabilities on a scale rarely seen."The Force included F-22s, F-35s, F-18s, EA-18s, E-2s, B-1 bombers, and other support aircraft, as well as numerous remotely piloted drones,” he said."We arrived at Maduro's compound at 1:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, or 2:01 a.m. Caracas local time, and the apprehension force descended into Maduro's compound and moved with speed, precision and discipline towards their objective and isolated the area to ensure the safety and security of the ground force," Caine added.

Caine said the operation relied on the combined efforts of soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and guardians working alongside intelligence agencies and law enforcement partners. “We watched, we waited, we prepared, we remained patient and professional,” he said, adding that the mission drew on decades of experience in complex joint operations and counter-terrorism efforts. Intelligence support from agencies including the CIA, NSA and NGA was described as critical to its success.At the core of the mission was an exceptionally precise extraction plan. “An extraction so precise it involved more than 150 aircraft launching across the Western Hemisphere in close coordination, all coming together in time and place to layer effects for a single purpose,” Caine said. That purpose was “to get an interdiction force into downtown Caracas while maintaining the element of tactical surprise”. He warned that failure by any single component “would have endangered the entire mission”, adding that “failure is never an option for America’s joint force”.President Donald Trump praised the military’s role, calling the operation one of “breathtaking speed, power, precision and competence”. Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago club and later in interviews with Fox News, Trump said the raid took place under cover of darkness, claiming that “the lights of Caracas were largely turned off”. “It was dark and it was deadly,” he said, adding: “No nation in the world could achieve what America achieved yesterday.

”Trump said Maduro had been “highly guarded” inside a palace “like a fortress”, and that US forces had rehearsed the raid on a full-scale replica of the building. He said troops were prepared to breach reinforced rooms using “massive blowtorches”, but that Maduro failed to reach a secure space in time. The assault, according to Trump, lasted less than 30 minutes, with at least seven explosions reported across the capital.Venezuelan officials said civilians and members of the military were killed, though no figures were provided. Trump said only “a couple of guys were hit” on the US side, adding that no American personnel were killed and no equipment was lost. General Caine said those involved in the operation “were willing to give their lives for those on the ground and in the helicopters”.Following the capture, Trump said the United States would assume control of Venezuela in the immediate aftermath. “We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” he said, though he offered no timetable. The Justice Department later confirmed that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, face narco-terrorism charges in the United States.