US President Donald Trump said on Saturday (January 3rd) that US forces had carried out an “extraordinary” military operation in Venezuela’s capital overnight, which he claimed had resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and the complete neutralization of the country’s military capabilities.
At a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago mansion in Florida, Trump described the attack as one of the strongest demonstrations of US military power in history.
“Late last night and early today, at my direction, the United States military conducted an extraordinary military operation in the capital of Venezuela,” Trump said.
“Overwhelming military power – air, land and sea – was used to launch a spectacular attack, an attack the likes of which had not been seen since World War II.”
“A stunning display of American military might”
Trump said the operation targeted what he described as a heavily fortified military stronghold in Caracas.
“It was one of the most spectacular, effective and powerful displays of American military power and competence in American history,” he told reporters.
He said the goal of the mission was to bring what he called “the outlaw dictator Nicolás Maduro” to justice.
Maduro captured ‘in the dead of night’
Trump said Maduro was captured during a nighttime raid, describing conditions during the operation as dark and deadly.
“All Venezuelan military capabilities have been disabled,” Trump said.
“How the men and women of our military, working with US law enforcement, successfully captured Maduro in the dead of night.”
He added that Maduro and his wife will now face justice in the United States.
Caracas was plunged into darkness during the raid
Trump claimed that Caracas was plunged into darkness during the operation, without giving further technical details.
“It was dark. The lights of Caracas were largely out because of some of the expertise we have,” he said.
“It was dark. It was deadly.”
“No US casualties, no equipment lost”
Trump said the operation was completed without any American casualties or loss of equipment.
“Not one American service member was killed and not one piece of American equipment was lost,” he said.
“We had many helicopters, many planes, many, many people involved in this fight.
He added that no other country could have carried out a mission of similar scale and speed.
“No nation in the world can accomplish what America accomplished yesterday,” Trump said.
US military details “Operation Absolute Resolve” to capture Maduro
General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also provided details of the US military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, describing it as the result of months of planning and coordination.
Months of planning and coordination
General Caine said the operation, officially called Operation Absolute Resolve, was “the culmination of months of planning and rehearsals”. He emphasized the importance of patience and preparation in accomplishing the mission.
“We watched, we waited, we prepared. We remained patient and professional,” he said.
He also noted the related interagency cooperation that builds on decades of expertise in complex military operations.
“Our interagency work began months ago, building on decades of experience integrating complex air, ground, space and maritime operations,” Caine said.
Massive deployment of air and drones
Caine revealed that more than 150 aircraft were deployed throughout the Western Hemisphere in coordinated strikes and support missions.
“The force included F-22s, F-35s, F-18s, EA-18s, E-2s, B-1 bombers and other support aircraft, as well as numerous remotely piloted drones,” he said.
The scale of the operation highlighted the US military’s ability to integrate multiple branches and technologies into a single mission.
Accurate touch of Madura
General Caine gave a timeline for the operation, saying US forces arrived at Maduro’s compound in the early hours of Saturday.
“We arrived at the Maduro compound at 1:01 a.m. EST or 2:01 a.m. Caracas local time and the containment force descended on the Maduro compound and moved with speed, precision and discipline to their objective and cordoned off the area to ensure the safety and protection of ground forces,” he said.
He emphasized the careful coordination that allowed the mission to succeed with no reported American casualties.
Possibility of future missions
Caine also warned that similar operations could be required in the future and emphasized preparedness.
“There’s always a chance we’ll be tasked with this type of mission again,” he said.
Read also | Donald Trump shares first photo of captured Maduro from US ship
