Planned for months

The protocol: How the US unit nabbed Maduro

(Bild: AP/Molly Riley)

The US attack on Venezuela and the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro was planned by the Trump administration for months. But what happened in the run-up to Operation Absolute Resolve? And how was it carried out? A protocol.

Five months of preparatory work (even the dictator's hideout was recreated), 150 aircraft, helicopters 30 meters above the sea: the USA left little to chance in Venezuela.

Riskiest US military operation since the killing of Bin Laden
The surprise raid by the elite Army Delta Force unit on Saturday before dawn was the riskiest US military operation of its kind since the killing of Osama bin Laden by members of Navy SEAL Team 6 in a safe house in Pakistan in 2011. But in the end, a security airlock played the decisive role in Venezuela ...

On Friday night at 10.46pm (US East Coast time), US President Donald Trump ordered the military operation to begin. Trump President said he had been following the operation from Mar-a-Lago.(Bild: AP/Molly Riley)

According to the US, this is how Operation Absolute Resolve went down:

Preparations. The operation was preceded by months of planning and repeated rehearsals. Intelligence service employees (CIA, NSA) sneaked into Venezuela as early as August and observed Maduro and his habits very closely. They knew about his food, his clothes and even his pets. It was an extremely dangerous mission. As the US embassy was closed, the secret service employees could not operate under diplomatic cover. But it was extremely successful. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a news conference Saturday that the intelligence gathered by the team allowed the United States to map Maduro's routines down to the smallest detail.

Estate recreated. Beforehand, Delta Force commandos even rehearsed Maduro's arrest in a full-scale model of his mansion built by the Joint Special Operations Command in Kentucky. They practiced blowing up steel doors at an increasingly rapid pace. In view of the heightened tensions with the USA, Maduro had alternated between six and eight locations. In order to carry out the operation, the US military needed confirmation that Maduro was in the property they had been training to attack.

This is how the US special forces prepared for the operation:

In the days leading up to the raid, the United States deployed more and more specialized aircraft, electronic warfare planes, armed Reaper drones, search and rescue helicopters and fighter jets to the region. Reinforcements have been added in recent days, which analysts said indicated that the question was no longer whether military action would take place, but when.

Waiting four days for the right weather window. According to Trump, they waited four days for the right weather window. If the weather had not improved, the mission would have had to be postponed until mid-January. On Friday evening at 10.46 pm (US East Coast time), the US President finally ordered the military mission to begin. The order was sent to the entire armed forces. During the course of the night, air operations were launched from 20 bases on land and at sea. According to Chief of Staff Dan Caine, more than 150 bombers, fighter jets, reconnaissance aircraft, helicopters and drones were deployed.

Start of the operation. Helicopters carrying emergency personnel and representatives of law enforcement agencies took off. They flew at extremely low altitude over the sea towards Venezuela. The US says it is activating space, cyber, communications and intelligence capabilities near Venezuela to create a secure corridor. Trump said lights had also been turned off in Venezuela's capital Caracas. US air forces then began destroying Venezuelan air defense systems near the capital Caracas to ensure the safe passage of helicopters. The element of surprise remained fully intact according to the assessment of the operational command, said Caine. Maduro was not warned of the operation. 

Landing at Maduro's estate. Saturday night 1:01 a.m. (U.S. East Coast time) and 2:01 a.m. local time in Caracas, the helicopter landed over Maduro's estate. The soldiers landed and secured the area. During the landing, helicopters came under fire and returned fire, according to reports. According to Caine, one helicopter was hit but remained airworthy.

The arrest. A US official said it took the special forces three minutes to make their way through the building to Maduro's location after the door was blown. According to Trump, Maduro had been well guarded, like "in a fortress". Nevertheless, according to CNN, the Americans managed to surprise the couple in their sleep.

He was still trying to get into his security room. But he was no longer able to close the door.

Donald Trump über die Festnahme Maduros

Shortly before they were arrested by forces from the US special forces Delta Force, both tried to get into a "safe room" secured with steel, but were unable to close the steel doors before they were arrested. Both were therefore quickly overpowered so that they were no longer able to escape, said Trump, who observed the operation via transmission. Trump later said that Maduro could have been killed during the operation. About five minutes after entering the building, the Delta Force reported that they had taken Maduro and his wife into custody - with no US casualties.

Maduro shortly after his arrest(Bild: X/White House, Krone KREATIV)

Preparing to leave. Helicopters were requested to evacuate. Fighter jets and drones secured the airspace, there were several skirmishes. 3:29 a.m. (U.S. East Coast time): Forces left Venezuelan territory. According to Trump, a helicopter brought Maduro and his wife on board the "USS Iwo Jima". According to the Venezuelan government, both soldiers and civilians were killed in the US attack in Venezuela. The US side did not disclose in the press conference how many people were killed or injured. Two US officials stated that about half a dozen soldiers were injured in the entire operation.

Detention in New York. Both were brought to the USA and have since been held in a detention center in New York. According to US Attorney General Pam Bondi, they are accused of "conspiracy to commit drug terrorism" and "conspiracy to import cocaine", among other things. At the press conference in Mar-a-Lago, Trump announces that the USA wants to lead Venezuela on a transitional basis. "We will continue to lead the country until we can ensure a safe, orderly and prudent transition." How exactly this will work remains unclear for the time being.

Political consequences still open
From a military point of view, Operation Absolute Resolve was certainly crowned with success. Politically, however, the consequences of the open break with Western values are not yet clear. It is quite possible that this attack on Venezuela was only the beginning of a war. 

At the press conference in Mar-a-Lago, Trump announces that the USA wants to lead Venezuela on a transitional basis. "We will continue to lead the country until we can ensure a safe, orderly and prudent transition." How exactly this will work remains unclear for the time being.

In any case, General Caine was satisfied and prepared for further operations: "Our task is to pool combat power so that when the order comes, we can deploy overwhelming forces against any enemy at any time, anywhere in the world."