U.S. officers element Operation Absolute Resolve, revealing the dimensions, planning, and aftermath of the joint operation that captured Venezuela’s president.
Following the U.S. particular operation in Venezuela within the night time of Jan. 3, 2026, a press convention was held by the U.S. administration, attended by U.S. President Donald Trump, Secretary of Protection Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Employees Gen. Dan Caine and Secretary of State Mark Rubio.
The operation, dubbed “Operation Absolute Resolve,” has been outlined as a fear operation targeted on bringing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to justice. The complete joint drive was concerned, in cooperation with the intelligence and legislation enforcement communities.
“Late final night time and early at present, at my course, the US Armed Forces performed a rare army operation within the capital of Venezuela. Overwhelming American army energy, air, land, and sea was used to launch a spectacular assault. And it was an assault like folks haven’t seen since World Conflict II.”
— U.S. President Donald J. Trump
The operation
Gen. Dan Caine offered some extra particulars in regards to the operation, explaining that preparation work started months in the past. Caine stated the work exploited a long time of expertise in searching down terrorists, and noticed all parts of the joint drive working with intelligence group and legislation enforcement.
President Trump Holds a Press Convention, Jan. 3, 2026
— The White Home (@WhiteHouse) January 3, 2026
The work concerned monitoring Maduro to “perceive how he moved, the place he lived, the place he traveled, what he ate, what he wore,” Caine stated. This echoes earlier studies of CIA groups working in Venezuela to maintain tabs on Maduro and set up a sample of life.
A complete of 150 plane took half within the operation, together with F-22 Raptors, F-35 Lightning lls, F/A-18 Tremendous Hornets, EA-18 Growlers, and B-1 Lancers, along with Remotely Piloted Plane and rotary wing. The plane have been launched from 20 totally different bases each on land and at sea.
F-35s returning to Puerto Rico this morning after an in a single day U.S. strike on Venezuela. pic.twitter.com/QBV74XjHJG
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) January 3, 2026
A lot of the air exercise was targeted on offering cowl fireplace and suppression fireplace in assist of the helicopters that have been transporting the assault drive. Caine defined the helicopters flew at 100 ft over the water throughout their strategy to Caracas, and one helicopter got here underneath fireplace whereas making ready to land, though it was capable of proceed the mission safely.
The assault drive arrived on course at 2:01 a.m. Caracas native time (1:01 a.m. EST), attaining a complete component of shock, and left the realm at 2:29 a.m. Caracas native time (3:29 a.m. EST). No U.S. troopers have been killed, though some have been injured.
Pictures launched by the White Home additionally present that OSINT profiles on social media have been monitored in actual time with the intention to defend OPSEC (Operational Safety). That is just like what occurred throughout Operation Midnight Hammer in Iran.
🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/smJU0ZAFxe
— The White Home (@WhiteHouse) January 3, 2026
The aftermath
Following the operation, Maduro was flown to the united statesIwo Jima amphibious assault ship, from which the assault drive was launched. From there, he shall be delivered to the U.S. and transferred to federal authorities for prosecution.
Instantly after the operation, Nicolás Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores, have been indicted within the Southern District of New York. Maduro, based on Legal professional Common Pamela Bondi, “has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Harmful Units, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Harmful Units in opposition to the US.”
Shortly earlier than the press convention, Trump launched a photograph of Maduro aboard the Iwo Jima. The picture exhibits Maduro in a tracksuit, with obscured glasses, listening to safety (probably blocking all sounds to isolate him) and an emergency floatation system, held by a DEA agent.
Nicolas Maduro on board the united statesIwo Jima. pic.twitter.com/omF2UpDJhA
— The White Home (@WhiteHouse) January 3, 2026
Trump additional stated the U.S. goes to run Venezuela with a gaggle till a correct energy transition can happen. Discussions are in progress to resolve the subsequent steps, with Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio a part of the crew serving to run Venezuela.
Trump additionally added that Rubio spoke to the Venezuelan Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez, though he identified “was chosen by Maduro.” When requested in regards to the Venezuelan opposition chief María Corina Machado, he famous “it could be very robust for her to be the chief, she doesn’t have the assist inside or the respect inside the nation.”
Within the worst case, Trump recommended administering Venezuela for years wouldn’t price the U.S. something “as a result of the cash popping out of the bottom shall be very substantial.” He additional added “we going to get again the oil, […] we’re going to be reimbursed for all of that.”
“We’re going to have our very giant United States oil corporations go in, spend billions of {dollars}, repair the badly damaged infrastructure and begin earning money for the nation.”
— U.S. President Donald J. Trump
What occurred
We extensively coated the occasions of Jan. 3’s night time in our earlier report earlier within the day. Here’s a recap offered for context.
Airstrikes and helicopter raids have been reported throughout Venezuelan territory within the night time of Jan. 3, 2026. Later, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that American forces had launched a “large-scale strike” and captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his spouse.
In line with U.S. officers cited by CBS Information, the operation was licensed immediately by Trump following an unprecedented buildup of U.S. army property within the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) space. The operation was reportedly lead by the U.S. Military’s 1st Particular Forces Operational Detachment–Delta, higher generally known as Delta Drive, in addition to FBI brokers.
Breaking: Throughout the early hours of three January, the U.S. performed a large-scale strike in opposition to Venezuela. Per POTUS, President Nicolas Maduro was captured & flown overseas. CBS studies Delta Drive carried out the operation. As of 5AM ET, right here’s what we all know:@SA_Defensa pic.twitter.com/GdhuewgZwc
— Ian Ellis (@ianellisjones) January 3, 2026
The operation adopted months of heightened exercise, together with U.S. strikes in opposition to alleged Venezuelan drug trafficking vessels as early as September 2025, and drone strike inside Venezuela in December attributed to CIA. By December, all required property have been reportedly prepared, although climate and the opposite U.S. army operations overseas delayed the operation in Venezuela.
Particular particulars of the air marketing campaign stay restricted, though the dimensions of property concerned suggests a posh, multi-domain operation. It’s unclear if the united statesGerald R. Ford Provider Strike Group, which was working within the area with its complement of F/A-18E/F Tremendous Hornets and EA-18G Growlers, took half within the motion.
Then again, the united statesIwo Jima amphibious prepared group certainly had a central position. Actually, whereas its air wing with AV-8B Harrier IIs, CH-53 Tremendous Stallions and MV-22B Ospreys have been staged ashore, the ship was used to launch the particular operations helicopters for the air assault.
Land-based F-35A and F-35B Lightning II fighters have been additionally concerned within the operation, alongside further Growlers and F-22 Raptors and. These property have been noticed departing and returning to Puerto Rico in the course of the operation. An RQ-170 was additionally noticed for the primary time working from the airfield, following weeks of rumors.
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) January 3, 2026
MH-47G Chinooks and MH-60 Direct Motion Penetrators from the a hundred and sixtieth Particular Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) have been positively recognized in movies emerged on-line, first pointing to a particular operation in progress. Whereas the formers transported the assault drive, the latter offered Shut-Air Help (CAS) to cowl the assault drive.
Targets reportedly struck embody army bases, port infrastructure, communications towers, and Venezuelan air protection programs. This, along with photographs later emerged of Russian-made Buk surface-to-air missile programs destroyed, additional level to a part of the air package deal conducting Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) in assist of the helicopters.
Caracas, Venezuela, the stays of a Russian-made Buk-M2E SAM system sit smoldering after an in a single day U.S. airstrike. pic.twitter.com/tANAAn659U
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) January 3, 2026
Venezuela’s authorities declared a state of emergency, condemning the strikes as a “very severe army aggression,” whereas Vice President Delcy Rodríguez demanded proof of life for Maduro and his spouse. Many condemned the operation, together with a few of Venezuela’s closest allies resembling Russia, Iran and China. Notably, a Chinese language delegation met Maduro in Caracas few hours earlier.
JUST IN: 🇨🇳🇻🇪 Chinese language officers arrive in Venezuela for talks with President Nicolás Maduro. pic.twitter.com/abviFRZV3f
— BRICS Information (@BRICSinfo) January 3, 2026
U.S. authorities said that army motion was restricted to supporting Maduro’s seize and that no additional strikes have been deliberate. Trump later confirmed that Maduro was taken aboard USS Iwo Jima and can be transferred to New York to face long-standing U.S. felony prices.
The final public picture of the united statesIwo Jima was captured on 12/18/25 because it was departing port in Ponce, Puerto Rico by @MichaelBonet8.
The flight deck is evident of plane.
1/ pic.twitter.com/wmO1y0KwjQ
— TheIntelFrog (@TheIntelFrog) January 3, 2026
No U.S. fatalities have been reported, though Trump said that some personnel have been injured and one helicopter sustained injury however was capable of get better safely. Venezuela claims a number of fatalities, each army and civilian.
Trump additional stated that Maduro and his spouse have been caught in the course of the night time, whereas making an attempt to succeed in a protected area in his residence described as a “fortress.” In line with Trump, “he was in a home that was extra like a fortress than a home. It had metal doorways, it had what they name a security area the place it’s, you realize, strong metal throughout. He didn’t get that area closed. He was making an attempt to get into it, however he acquired bum rushed so quick that he didn’t get into that.”
A picture later launched by the President exhibits Maduro in a tracksuit, with obscured glasses, listening to safety and an emergency floatation system, held by a DEA agent. He’s now being move to the U.S. for switch to legislation enforcement.
The timing of the raid is notable. It occurred precisely six years after the killing of Iranian Common Qasem Soleimani (Jan. 3, 2020) and 36 years after Panama’s Manuel Noriega surrendered to U.S. forces (Jan. 3, 1990).
