Inside the US operation in Venezuela to capture President Nicolas Maduro
Elite US troops seized the Venezuelan leader and his wife in a predawn assault involving 150 aircraft, in a mission that was months in the making
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At 4.21am on Saturday, US President Donald Trump sent a message on his Truth Social platform: the United States had carried out a daring mission to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
The action came as a surprise, but according to sources familiar with the matter, planning for one of the most complex US operations in recent memory had been in the works for months and included detailed rehearsals.
Elite US troops, including the US Army’s Delta Force, created an exact replica of Maduro’s safe house and practised how they would enter the strongly fortified residence.
The CIA had a small team on the ground starting in August who were able to provide insight into Maduro’s pattern of life that made grabbing him seamless, according to one source familiar with the matter.
Two other sources told Reuters the intelligence agency also had an asset close to Maduro who would monitor his movements and was poised to pinpoint his exact location as the operation unfolded.
With the pieces in place, Trump approved the operation four days ago, but military and intelligence planners suggested he wait for better weather and less cloud cover.