22-Hour Blitz: Reconstructing Operation 'Resolute Resolve' and the Capture of Maduro
KO YONG-CHUL Reporter
korocamia@naver.com | 2026-01-05 06:40:11
(C) El Imparcial
NEW YORK — In a lightning-fast nighttime extraction, U.S. special operations forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, ending his 13-year rule since 2013. The mission, dubbed "Operation Resolute Resolve," successfully toppled the regime in a mere 150 minutes without a single U.S. casualty.
According to Dan Kane, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, President Donald Trump authorized the mission at 10:46 PM on January 2nd. Immediately, over 150 aircraft, carrying elite units including Delta Force and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Night Stalkers), were deployed. To evade radar, helicopters maintained a low-altitude flight just 30 meters above the sea, neutralizing Venezuelan air defenses before reaching Maduro’s stronghold at the Fuerte Tiuna military base at 1:01 AM on January 3rd.
The operation was the result of months of meticulous intelligence. The CIA had been tracking Maduro’s daily routines, dietary habits, and even his pets since last August. Delta Force operators had reportedly trained using full-scale mock-ups of his safe house. Within three minutes of breaching the residence, the team secured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in their bedroom. By 3:29 AM, the units had cleared Venezuelan waters aboard the USS Iwo Jima.
Upon arriving at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, Maduro maintained a defiant air, wishing agents a "Happy New Year" in English. While the U.S. reported no military fatalities, the New York Times noted that at least 40 people, including Venezuelan soldiers and civilians, were killed during the raid. This operation marks a historic shift in U.S. foreign policy and a significant turning point for South American geopolitics.
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