The operation lasted 46 seconds: From the raid on the bedroom to extraction by helicopter, details of how Maduro was captured by Delta Force

The U.S. raid in Venezuela and Delta Force in action: Maduro and his wife captured while sleeping in their bedroom.

The secret operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, codenamed “Maduro Out,” began last summer, when Donald Trump authorized the CIA to carry out “covert actions” on Venezuelan territory. The goal was clear: to track the leader’s movements, study his bases of support, and map the security network protecting him.

American agents operated silently, combining classic infiltration methods with advanced technology, including the use of drones. At the same time, according to U.S. sources, American intelligence services sought support within the Venezuelan military apparatus, as it was considered difficult for such an operation to succeed without internal assistance in a state marked by extreme security controls.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was conducting secret negotiations with figures from the Caracas regime. Rubio himself confirmed that he had offered Maduro a “way out” on more than one occasion, without specifying what that offer entailed. One of the unclear points remains whether the U.S. was prepared to guarantee him an exit without trial to the United States.

After negotiations failed, the political team of the Trump administration—comprising Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and National Security Advisor Stephen Miller—together with U.S. generals led by Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine, planned the military intervention. Trump approved the plan four days after Christmas, but due to bad weather, it was decided to wait for the right moment.

The operation was activated at 10:46 p.m. on Friday, January 2, Washington time. Naval, air force, and especially special counterterrorism units, Delta Force, were involved. More than 150 combat aircraft took off from around 20 bases, both land-based and aircraft carriers. The operation used F-35 fighter jets, B-1 bombers, drones, and attack helicopters.

During the night, aircraft bombed several strategic targets in Caracas and its surroundings, including the port of La Guaira, Higuerote airport, and the La Carlota military base. The main target was the Fuerte Tiuna military complex, where Maduro was staying with his wife, Cilia Flores.

After air defenses were neutralized, Apache helicopters transported Delta Force units to the complex. At 2:01 a.m. local Caracas time, special forces entered the perimeter, cut the electricity, and breached the building. According to Trump, clashes were intense, but there is still no clear information about casualties on the Venezuelan side.

Maduro and his wife were on the ground floor. Within 46 seconds, special forces entered the bedroom. Maduro attempted to move toward a fortified room but was stopped after a few steps. He was arrested and handcuffed. FBI agents informed him of the arrest warrant issued by courts in New York. According to Rubio, this was “not an act of war,” but the enforcement of a U.S. judicial decision.

The most delicate phase was the extraction from Venezuelan territory. Maduro and his wife were transported by helicopter to a U.S. aircraft carrier positioned in waters near the coast. At 4:29 a.m., the helicopters landed on the deck of the American warship “Iwo Jima.”

After the operation concluded, Donald Trump published a photo of a handcuffed Maduro, dressed in a gray tracksuit and wearing large sunglasses, symbolically portraying him as a defeated historical figure.

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