Hours after the dramatic announcement of the capture of Venezuela's president, Nicolás Maduro, new details emerged about the operation that led to his downfall.
The reports reveal a complex, well-coordinated, multi-stage operation carried out deep in the Venezuelan capital.
According to sources quoted in The New York Times, CIA agents began intensive intelligence gathering as early as last August, using a secret agent inside the Venezuelan government.
Information provided by the agent allowed identification of "a pattern of unusual behavior" at the Fuerte Tiuna base - considered Maduro's personal stronghold - where he and his wife, Cilia Flores, were observed.
Meanwhile, as published in The Washington Post, destroyers including USS Iwo Jima, USS New York, and USS Fort Lauderdale were positioned for months in the Caribbean Sea, and the carrier USS Gerald Ford provided aerial backing. The Gerald Ford was previously positioned near Israel during the early days of the Swords of Iron war as an attempt to deter other enemies from joining in the attack against Israel and is considered one of the most powerful warships in the world.
With receipt of final confirmation of Maduro's location, President Donald Trump gave the authorization for the operation, which, according to administration officials quoted on CBS, was postponed twice due to weather conditions.
At 02:00 in the morning (Caracas time), American fighter jets opened a wave of targeted strikes against the army's radar and communications systems as a diversion.
Meanwhile, transport helicopters landed Delta Force operatives inside Maduro's residential compound in the heart of the Puerta Tiuana base. The unit operated with the assistance of stun grenades, operational maps and real-time intelligence updates. According to President Trump, Maduro tried to flee to a bunker but was stopped; CNN reported he was captured in the bedroom.
General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed that several soldiers were wounded during the operation, but the mission concluded in full success within about two and a half hours. Caine also noted that every element of the operation had been mission-critical, and that one element failing would have collapsed the entire operation.
After the capture, Maduro and his wife were transported by helicopter to the USS Iwo Jima, where they underwent identification and initial medical examinations.
They were subsequently flown to the United States, where they will face charges of narco-terrorism and drug importation, as declared by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Attorney General Pam Bondi.