Operation Absolute Resolve was a multi‑domain U.S. military and law‑enforcement operation on Jan. 3, 2026 to seize Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (and his wife Cilia Flores). Its stated objectives were to apprehend Maduro on U.S. narcotics-related charges, degrade Venezuelan air‑defenses and military nodes that could resist an extraction, and signal restored U.S. deterrence. Targets included Maduro’s fortified safe house/compound in Caracas and nearby military sites/communications/port facilities. Forces involved: U.S. special operations (Delta Force), 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (helicopter insertion), hundreds of support aircraft from the U.S. Navy/Air Force/Marines (F‑35/F‑22/B‑1 and others), unmanned systems and cyber/space assets, CIA ground teams and DOJ/FBI/DEA personnel embedded for arrest and prosecution.
U.S. officials said the operation was prompted by long‑running U.S. indictments and intelligence linking Maduro’s government to large‑scale drug trafficking and "narco‑state" activity, months of regional military build‑up and maritime actions against Venezuela‑linked shipments, and a campaign of intelligence and rehearsal to enable a targeted arrest; senior U.S. leaders also framed the raid as restoring deterrence and (publicly) gaining leverage over Venezuelan oil resources.
Multiple sources report both deaths and injuries and that Maduro and Cilia Flores were captured. Venezuelan and Cuban officials reported dozens of military deaths (independent counts varied: reports cited roughly 23–47 Venezuelan soldiers and 32 Cuban service members), at least two civilian deaths and more than 100 injured in Venezuela; the U.S. said seven U.S. soldiers were wounded and none killed. Maduro and his wife were taken into U.S. custody and flown to New York to face indictment. (Numbers varied by source and remained disputed.)
The operation was ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump and executed under Pentagon direction (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine oversaw execution); senior administration figures involved in planning included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other White House advisers. The administration justified the action as an arrest of an indicted fugitive with military support and invoked the president’s inherent constitutional (Article II) authority; DOJ had unsealed narcotics‑related indictments against Maduro. Many international law experts and U.N. officials argued the strike violated the UN Charter and Venezuela’s sovereignty, and Congress was not notified in advance.
Unanswerable with available public information: the Department of War (as quoted in the cabinet meeting) has not published a formal definition or specific, public metrics showing how it measures the "deterrent effect" Hegseth cited.
U.S. planning drew on months of intelligence: a CIA team on the ground and an asset close to Maduro to track his movements, extensive aerial and electronic surveillance (including stealth and reconnaissance drones), rehearsals against a full‑scale mockup of Maduro’s safe house, and law‑enforcement evidence/indictments compiled by DOJ/DEA alleging narcotics links — all of which U.S. officials say justified a narrowly timed, multi‑domain arrest operation.
Venezuela condemned the raid as illegal "kidnapping," declared emergency measures and had Delcy Rodríguez sworn in as acting president; Cuba strongly condemned the attack and reported its military fatalities. The U.N. raised concerns about international law and the U.N. Security Council convened; many governments (Brazil, China, Russia, Mexico, Spain and others) condemned the U.S. action while some leaders initially welcomed Maduro's removal but later cautioned about the method. Diplomatic implications include sharp regional tensions, legal disputes over sovereignty, U.N. scrutiny, protests and refugee/instability risks, and simultaneous U.S.–Venezuelan talks over oil and prisoner releases that have complex political and legal fallout.