In the early hours of today, January 3, the United States carried out a large-scale military operation against targets in Venezuela, which ultimately resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife by Special Operations Forces. The information was announced by President Donald Trump himself and echoed by the White House, while social media and other outlets have been flooded with images and videos documenting the operations and attacks recorded in Venezuela.
Hours earlier, at approximately 07:21 AM local time, and after weeks of tension, the President of the United States announced on his Truth social network that: “The United States has successfully carried out a large-scale attack against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who, along with his wife, was captured and expelled from the country. This operation was carried out in collaboration with U.S. law enforcement agencies. More details will be provided shortly.”
While a press conference is still expected to take place, to be conducted by President Trump himself, reports from various media outlets, and even from the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, indicate that the military operation launched by the United States Armed Forces aimed to ensure the execution of an insertion of Delta Force operators from the U.S. Army, whose primary objective was the capture of President Maduro and his extraction to a location that has not been disclosed.
Prior to this, and according to what has been observed, the operation carried out a series of attacks against political and military targets in order to limit any type of military response by the Bolivarian Armed Forces that could jeopardize the operation led by Delta Force, employing assets from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the Night Stalkers.
Among the targets that are reported to have been attacked during the early morning hours are Fort Tiuna, in the southeast, where part of the Ministry of Defense is located; the headquarters of the Strategic Operational Command of the Armed Forces and the Bolivarian Army. Also targeted were Generalísimo Francisco Miranda Air Base and the Cuartel de la Montaña, where the remains of Hugo Chávez rest, and whose surrounding area hosts the headquarters of the Bolivarian Militia.
At present, President Donald Trump is expected to address the American nation and the world in order to provide additional details on the military operation, as well as on the whereabouts of Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
*Developing story.
