In a move described by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth as a “flawlessly executed” demonstration of American military might, U.S. Special Operations forces carried out a swift and precise raid in Venezuela during the early hours of Saturday. This operation resulted in the capture and arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who faces serious charges including narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and illegal possession of machine guns and destructive devices. Additionally, Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, was also taken into custody during the raid.
The extraction was conducted by operators from the U.S. Army’s Delta Force, backed by the advanced helicopters of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment. In a phone interview on Saturday morning with Fox & Friends Weekend, President Donald Trump revealed that he watched the raid unfold in real time from Mar-a-Lago. He noted that the mission had been postponed by four days due to adverse weather conditions. Trump emphasized that, despite a helicopter taking fire in the heavily fortified target area, U.S. troops only sustained minor injuries, with no American fatalities:
During his press conference Saturday afternoon at Mar-a-Lago, President Trump described the operation as one in which “overwhelming American military power, air, land and sea was used to launch a spectacular assault, and it was an assault like people have not seen since World War II.” He also noted that the raid took just under 30 minutes to complete.
The success of this operation can be attributed to the extensive regional preparations undertaken during Operation Southern Spear. This effort included the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group, equipped with numerous tactical aircraft, along with around 15,000 U.S. troops strategically positioned throughout the Caribbean.
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During a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, standing alongside President Trump, described the mission as “an audacious operation that only the United States could pull off.” He highlighted that it involved “aircraft and troops from 20 different bases across the Western Hemisphere.” The remarkable scale and coordination necessary to plan and execute such a mission vividly showcase American military supremacy.
Low-flying helicopters from the elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) played a crucial role in the extraction mission. SOAR is recognized as the U.S. Army’s top helicopter unit, specifically trained to handle high-risk operations. Renowned worldwide as the “Night Stalkers,” these pilots are experts in conducting nighttime, low-level flights through the toughest of environments. They live by the unwavering motto, “Night Stalkers Don’t Quit.”
The airstrikes were carried out to neutralize threats, specifically Venezuela’s Russian-made surface-to-air missile systems at La Carlota, which could have targeted American aircraft. According to sources familiar with the operation, the CIA conducted months of covert surveillance in preparation for the capture of Maduro and utilized on-the-ground assets within Venezuela that provided the crucial intelligence needed for the raid to succeed.
The Trump administration regarded the removal of Maduro as vital for a long-term victory in the war on drugs, recognizing his regime as a key player in facilitating the flow of fentanyl into America. Maduro’s arrest is based on a 2020 indictment from the Southern District of New York, and as of August 2025, the State Department was offering a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest and/or conviction.