In an operation of unprecedented scale and secrecy, United States special forces constructed a full-scale replica of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's Caracas residence as part of a daring mission to capture him, it has been revealed.
The Months of Meticulous Planning
A small, covert team that included an intelligence asset embedded within the Venezuelan government spent months surveilling the 63-year-old leader. They gathered exhaustive intelligence on his daily routines, including where he slept, his dietary habits, his wardrobe, and even the care rituals for his pets. This intelligence was critical for planning the high-stakes extraction, codenamed "Operation Absolute Resolve".
The plan, finalised before Christmas, represented the most significant military intervention in Latin America since the Cold War. Congress was neither informed nor consulted in advance, keeping the mission a closely guarded secret. Using the intelligence gathered, crack US troops built the exact replica of Maduro's safe house to rehearse and perfect every possible entry and exit strategy.
Execution of Operation Absolute Resolve
US President Donald Trump authorised the controversial raid, but military chiefs waited for optimal conditions. A false start occurred when initial approval was given last week, but operations were delayed for four days to await better weather and reduced cloud cover to maximise the element of surprise.
General Dan Caine, the nation's highest-ranking military officer, stated: "Over the weeks through Christmas and New Year, the men and women of the US military sat ready, patiently waiting for the right triggers to be met and the president to order us into action." The final order from President Trump came at 22:46 EST on Friday (03:46 GMT Saturday). The President later remarked, "We were going to do this four days ago, three days ago, two days ago, and then all of a sudden it opened up. And we said: go."
International Fallout and Condemnation
The mission itself, launched under cover of darkness in Caracas, lasted two hours and twenty minutes and involved air, land, and sea components. No US military personnel were injured or killed, and no equipment was lost or damaged. President Maduro was successfully apprehended, shackled, and taken into US custody.
However, the bold action has sparked significant international condemnation. Brazil's President Lula da Silva warned that the violent capture sets "yet another extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community." Nations including Russia have also voiced strong objections to the operation, which has sent shockwaves through diplomatic circles in Washington and around the globe.
