‘Operation Absolute Resolve’ Relied on Precise Timing, Elaborate Coordination, and Skillful Execution, General Says

Low-flying American helicopters swooped in from the Caribbean Sea, arriving at Nicolas Maduro’s compound at 2:01 a.m. Caracas time, backed by support from fixed wing aircraft overhead. Despite resistance from Venezuelan forces, including fire that hit one of the helicopters, the raiding force was able to reach a secure area of the compound just before Mr. Maduro and his wife were able to lock themselves in.Those are some of the details of Saturday’s dramatic military operation to capture Mr. Maduro, described during a Mar-a-Lago press conference later Saturday by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine.General Caine said the mission — called Operation Absolute Resolve — was the culmination of months of planning and rehearsal. It involved soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and National Guard members working in unison with intelligence agencies.He said the “unprecedented operation” involved 150 aircraft that were launched in close coordination from 20 bases across the Western Hemisphere.“Failure of one component of this well-oiled machine would have endangered the entire mission,” General Caine said. “And failure is never an option for America’s joint force.”The general said the intelligence community had spent months tracking Mr. Maduro to understand “how he moved, where he lived, where he traveled, what he ate, what he wore, what were his pets.”He said the force had been set since early December to carry out the raid. A key consideration was the weather, which can be bad in Venezuela this time of year. General Caine said the weather broke just enough on Friday night to allow for flight operations.President Trump ordered the operation to move forward on Friday at 10:46 p.m. and said, “Good luck and Godspeed.”Mr. Trump, joined by the secretaries of defense and state, Pete Hegseth and Marco Rubio, and other officials watched the operation in real time over monitors at Mar-a-Lago.Over the course of the night, aircraft launched from land and sea bases across the hemisphere, including bombers, fighters, intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance, and rotary wing crafts.General Caine said the youngest crew member was 20 and the oldest was 49.As the night began, the helicopters took off carrying an extraction force that included law enforcement officers. They began their flight into Venezuela at 100 feet above the water, according to the general.As the helicopters approached the Venezuelan shore, Spacecom, CyberCom, and other agencies began “layering different effects” to create a safe pathway for the craft. General Caine said the helicopters were also protected from above by aircraft from the Marines, Navy, Air Force, and Air National Guard.The force included F-22s, F-35s, F-18s, EA18s, E2s, B1 bombers, and other support aircraft as well as numerous remotely controlled drones.As the aircraft approached Caracas, the force began “dismantling and disabling” Venezuela’s air defense systems, and used air weapons to ensure the safe passage of the helicopters into the target area, General Caine said.The helicopters arrived at Mr. Maduro’s compound at 1:01 a.m. Washington time, which is 2:01 a.m. in Caracas. The helicopters were met with gunfire and one was hit but was able to continue flying the mission.American forces returned fire with “overwhelming force” and the apprehension force descended into the compound, General Caine said.Mr. Maduro and his wife were trying to lock themselves in a “secure area” of the compound when the American forces reached them. They gave themselves up and were taken into custody by the Department of Justice.Fighter aircraft and drones continued to provide overhead protection and suppressive fire as the force prepared for extraction. General Caine said there were “multiple self-defense engagements” as the force began to withdraw.He said the force was back over the water at 3:29 a.m. That means the operation lasted nearly two and a half hours inside Venezuela. Mr. Maduro and his wife were transferred to the U.S.S. Iwo Jima to head to New York where they have been indicted.

‘Operation Absolute Resolve’ Relied on Precise Timing, Elaborate Coordination, and Skillful Execution, General Says

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