'Operation Absolute Resolve' used 150 aircraft in overnight mission to seize Venezuela's Maduro

WASHINGTON, DC: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Dan Caine on Saturday, January 3, described the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as the culmination of a sprawling, meticulously planned military and intelligence operation that took months to prepare and hours to execute.

Speaking at a press conference at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Caine said 'Operation Absolute Resolve' involved all branches of the US military alongside intelligence agencies.

US Chiefs of Staff gives details about meticulous planning 

Planning included detailed surveillance of Maduro’s daily life. “We had to understand how he moved, where he lived, where he traveled, what he ate, what he wore,” Caine said.

According to Caine, more than 150 aircraft launched late Friday night from 20 land-and-sea-based locations across the Western Hemisphere. Among them were helicopters carrying an extraction force that flew into Venezuela at roughly 100 feet above the water to avoid detection.

The helicopters reached Maduro’s compound around 1 am ET, protected by a series of strikes in the surrounding area. US forces encountered resistance, engaging in multiple “self-defense engagements” as they came under fire, Caine said.

By 3.29 am ET, Maduro and his wife had been secured and flown out of Venezuela. They were later transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, from where they were taken to New York, where Maduro is expected to stand trial.

“Failure of one component of this well-oiled machine would have endangered the entire mission,” Caine said. “Failure is never an option for America’s joint force.”

Military to stay in region after strikes and capture

Caine said that US forces will remain deployed in the region following the large-scale strikes and the overnight capture of Maduro.

“As we stand here this morning, our forces remain in the region at a high state of readiness, prepared to project power, defend themselves and our interests,” he said, calling the mission a “testament to the dedication and unwavering commitment to justice.”

Marco Rubio and Pete Hegseth to help manage post-Maduro Venezuela

President Trump later offered more insight into what comes next for Venezuela, suggesting that senior US officials would play a direct role in stabilizing the country.

Standing alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen Caine, Trump said, “It’s largely going to be, for a period of time, the people that are standing right behind me. We’re going to be running it.”

He later clarified that Rubio and Hegseth would lead a team working “with the people of Venezuela” to restore order, implicitly acknowledging the risk of a power vacuum.

Trump did not rule out further US military involvement. “We’re not afraid of boots on the ground,” he said.