On Saturday, January 3, the US launched a sweeping overnight military operation in Venezuela, striking key sites and detaining President Nicolás Maduro in a rapid raid.
U.S. military and intelligence agencies — including the CIA, NSA and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency — worked for months to gather detailed intelligence on Maduro’s movements, routines and locations.
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The operation was initially scheduled for December 2025 but commanders held off until the right weather conditions and tactical window aligned.
On the night of January 2, 2026, President Donald Trump authorized the mission at approximately 10:46 p.m. Eastern Time.
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Over 150 aircraft from across the U.S. military were launched from at least 20 bases on land and at sea across the Western Hemisphere.
Helicopters carrying the extraction force, including special operations troops and law enforcement personnel, approached Venezuelan airspace flying about 100 feet above the water.
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U.S. forces arrived at Maduro’s fortified “compound” (reported near the Fort Tiuna military complex in Caracas) at around 1:01 a.m. Eastern Time, which was about 2:01 a.m. local time in Caracas.
Upon arriving at the target area, the U.S. aircraft’s came under fire and they instantly replied with overwhelming fire as well.
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According to Gen. Dan Caine, one aircraft was hit but remained flyable throughout the operation.
Maduro and his wife willingly surrendered and were picked up by the Department of Justice and were prepared for extradition.
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Reports also indicate that no U.S. life was lost during the mission. Again, all aircrafts were safely returned to the U.S.
By 4:29am local time in Caracas, all U.S. forces were out of the water and out of Venezuela and on their way home.
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