In a high-stakes joint military and law enforcement mission dubbed Operation Absolute Resolve, U.S. forces successfully captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in the early hours of January 3, 2026.
The operation, characterized as a “law enforcement action with military support,” involved a massive strike package of more than 150 aircraft and relied heavily on non-kinetic effects provided by U.S. Space Command and U.S. Cyber Command.
Integration of Space and Cyber Assets
According to Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the operation’s success was predicated on the “compression of the kill chain” enabled by integrated space and cyber capabilities.
U.S. Space Command ensured uninterrupted GPS/PNT (Positioning, Navigation, and Timing) for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), allowing helicopters to navigate at just 100 feet above the water in total darkness and low cloud ceilings.
Space and Cyber assets worked in tandem to dismantle and disable Venezuelan integrated air defense systems (IADS) and disrupt the capital’s electrical infrastructure, plunging Caracas into a blackout ahead of the ground assault.
High-altitude satellite imagery and RQ-170 Sentinel stealth drones provided real-time tracking of Maduro’s compound within the Fort Tiuna military complex.
Aviation and Ground Components
The aerial component was launched from more than 20 locations across the Western Hemisphere, involving assets from the Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Air National Guard.
Key assets involved included:
- Fighters/Bombers: B-1B Lancers, F-22 Raptors, and F-35 Lightning IIs.
- Electronic Warfare: EA-18G Growlers and E-2D Hawkeyes managing radar jamming and battlefield coordination.
- Extraction Force: Army Delta Force operators carried by 160th SOAR helicopters.
Post-Capture and Global Impact
Following the extraction, Maduro and Flores were transported to the USS Iwo Jima and subsequently flown to New York. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that the couple faces multiple federal indictments for narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.
President Trump characterized the operation as a fulfillment of the Monroe Doctrine, stating that the U.S. would oversee a “proper and judicious transition” of power in Venezuela. While some regional neighbors like Colombia have called for urgent UN Security Council meetings, others have welcomed the removal of the regime as a step toward regional stability.
