Exclusive images have surfaced showing a highly classified American drone returning to base following a daring military operation to apprehend Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The footage, which emerged online, captures a US Air Force RQ-170 Sentinel landing at a base in Puerto Rico at sunrise on January 3, just hours after the raid.
Covert Surveillance and a Daring Capture
According to reports, at least one of these stealth drones played a crucial role in the overnight mission to arrest President Maduro and his wife. The United States does not recognise Maduro as Venezuela's legitimate leader. The New York Times reported that unnamed officials stated the CIA had quietly deployed these drones over Venezuela for months, meticulously tracking Maduro's movements and building a detailed picture of his daily routine ahead of the strike.
While the exact flight paths remain classified, the drones were operating in Venezuelan airspace, particularly around the capital Caracas. Military analysts suggest the RQ-170's primary contribution was long-term, covert monitoring of Maduro's compound, drawing parallels to the intelligence gathering that preceded the 2011 operation against Osama bin Laden.
The RQ-170 Sentinel, designed by Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works division, has been in service since around 2007 but was only officially acknowledged in 2009. It is specifically built for surveillance of high-value targets in hostile territory and to support special operations teams like Delta Force, who executed Maduro's capture at Fuerte Tiuna military complex.
The Technology Behind the Operation
The unmanned aircraft is believed to be equipped with advanced sensors for mapping, infrared cameras for night vision, and sophisticated tools for intercepting communications. It is estimated that only 20 to 30 RQ-170 drones are in service, operated primarily by the 432nd Wing at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada—a facility located less than 100 miles from the notorious Area 51 test site.
Alongside the stealth drones, the large-scale operation involved over 150 aircraft launching from multiple bases in the region. US Air Force General Dan 'Razin' Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed that air defences in Venezuela were dismantled to ensure safe passage for helicopters into the target area.
Cyber Warfare Blackout
Military technology experts believe US cyber warfare units were instrumental in the attack's success, plunging the target area into darkness as the raid began. A significant power outage was reported around the Fuerte Tiuna complex in Caracas.
James Knight of DigitalWarfare.com noted that US cyber forces had spent years mapping digital targets in Venezuela, taking care to avoid disrupting civilian facilities like hospitals. The focus was reportedly on disabling Venezuela's military command and communication (C2) networks. Former President Donald Trump appeared to confirm this tactic, stating, "It was dark, the lights of Caracas were largely turned off due to a certain expertise that we have."
The operation, executed without US casualties, marks a significant escalation in the application of combined stealth drone technology and cyber capabilities for high-stakes international missions.
