Inside the US capture of Venezuelan leader Maduro; Operation Absolute Resolve
Caine said his forces were “prepared” in early December, adding, “We think, we develop, we train, we rehearse, we debrief, we rehearse over and over again.” “Not to get it right, but to make sure we can’t get it wrong.”
Trump said on Fox that US forces were conducting an extraction drill in a replica building.
“They essentially built the same house they walked into, with steel all around,” Trump said.
‘We turned off all the lights’
Trump said the American operation took place under cover of darkness, but did not provide details on how this happened. “The lights in Caracas were largely turned off because of the particular expertise that we have,” Trump said. “It was dark and deadly.”
At least seven explosions were heard in Caracas. The attack, which US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth described as part of a “major joint military and law enforcement raid”, lasted less than 30 minutes.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro aboard USS Iwo Jima after being captured by US forces.Credit: @realDonaldTrump/ Truth Social
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who seized power under the law, said some Venezuelan civilians and military members were killed.
Caracas resident Yanire Lucas, whose house was trapped next to the Venezuelan military base that was hit throughout the night, said she started hearing explosions near her house around 1:50 in the morning.
‘Several people were injured’
Trump said that several Americans involved in the operation were injured, but he believed no one was killed.
“A couple of people were shot, but they came back and they should be in pretty good shape,” he told Fox.
“We had to do this because it was a war,” he added.
Caine said a helicopter caught fire as it approached Maduro’s compound, but was able to fly safely when it returned.
Weather was a factor
Trump said in the television interview that U.S. forces delayed carrying out the operation for days and waited for cloud cover to pass because “the weather had to be perfect.”
“We waited four days,” he said.
“We were going to do it four days ago, three days ago, two days ago. Then all of a sudden it opened up and we were like ‘go for it.’ Let me tell you, it was truly amazing.”
President Donald Trump speaks, Secretary of State Marco Rubio watches.Credit: access point
On Friday night, “the weather deteriorated sufficiently to create a path through which only the most skilled airmen in the world could pass,” Caine said. He said the helicopters flew low over the water to enter Venezuela and were guarded above by protective U.S. aircraft.
Operation ‘Absolute Determination’ in Numbers
Caine described in detail the planes and US forces participating in the operation, which he said was called “Absolute Determination”:
More than 150 aircraft were launched from the Western Hemisphere, including F-18, F-22 and F-35 fighters, B-1 bombers and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Trump was approved at 22:46 in the US on Friday.
U.S. forces reached Maduro’s compound at 1:01 a.m. EST on Saturday and returned over the water at 3:29 a.m. EST.
It was stated that the ages of the US soldiers participating in the operation were between 20 and 49.
Where is Maduro now?
Trump said Maduro and Flores were taken by helicopter to a US warship and would go to New York to face charges. On Truth Social, he posted a photo of the Venezuelan leader wearing gray tracksuits, ear protection and a blindfold. The headline read: “Nicolas Maduro aboard USS Iwo Jima.”
The Department of Justice issued an indictment charging the duo for their alleged role in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.
Increasing actions for months
The raid was a dramatic escalation of a series of attacks by the US military since early September on boats carrying Trump’s drugs in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. It is known that there were 35 attacks that killed at least 115 people.
On December 29, Trump said the US had struck a facility where boats accused of transporting drugs were “loaded”. The CIA was behind a drone attack on a docking area believed to be used by Venezuelan drug cartels. This was the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since the United States began its offensive in September.
A few details on how the US will now govern Venezuela
Trump said at the press conference that a group of officials standing behind him, including Hegseth, Caine and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, “will be a team working with the Venezuelan people.”
The Republican president left open the possibility of US troops being present in the country. “We’re not afraid of boots on the ground if necessary,” he said, adding: “We had boots on the ground last night.”
Trump said the United States would “rule” the country until a new leader is elected.
“We will ensure that the country is governed properly. We are not doing this in vain,” he said. “This is a very dangerous attack. It could end very, very badly.”
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