In-depth Intelligence Analysis of the U.S. Operation to Capture Venezuelan President Maduro and His Wife

List of Key Chapter Titles

1. Background Overview
2. Operation Timeline
3. Special Operations Process and Tactical Analysis
4. Intelligence Support and Covert Operations
5. Impact Assessment on Venezuela's Domestic Situation
6. Impact Assessment on the Regional Landscape of Latin America
7. Impact Assessment on the Global Landscape and International Law

Document Introduction

In the early hours of January 3, 2026, the United States launched an unprecedented special military operation against the sovereign nation of Venezuela, successfully capturing its incumbent President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. This operation marked a sharp escalation of the U.S. "maximum pressure" policy towards Latin American countries and set a dangerous precedent of publicly using military means to capture a foreign head of state in office since the end of the Cold War, posing a severe challenge to international law and global strategic stability.

Based on detailed information, this report systematically traces the background of the deteriorating U.S.-Venezuela relations since 2018, particularly during Trump's second term. The U.S. designated the Maduro government as an "illegitimate regime" and a "foreign terrorist organization," using the legal pretext of combating "narco-terrorism" to gradually complete a pressure chain ranging from diplomatic isolation and economic sanctions to military deployment. The report meticulously records key event nodes from September 2025 to the day of the operation, including the large-scale U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, multiple "counter-narcotics" interceptions and strikes against Venezuelan maritime targets, the seizure and blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers, and the final legal and public opinion groundwork laid for direct military intervention.

The core of the report lies in its in-depth deconstruction of the entire process of this capture operation, whose codename remains unknown. The analysis defines it as a "multi-dimensional, integrated, and precise strike" operation, breaking it down into four key steps: First, the use of F-35B stealth fighter jets and cruise missiles to conduct a preemptive airstrike, paralyzing key air defense nodes (such as Fuerte Tiuna military base and La Carlota Air Base) and command communications in and around the Venezuelan capital, securing absolute air superiority. Second, amidst the chaos created by the airstrike, the "Delta Force" unit under the Joint Special Operations Command, aboard stealth-modified helicopters, conducted secret infiltration and air assault. Third, ground assault teams executed a multi-directional, three-dimensional assault on the target building, quickly subduing Maduro's guard force after brief firefights and capturing the targets alive. Fourth, emergency evacuation via helicopters along the original route. The entire process, from the first explosion to personnel extraction, took less than 30 minutes, demonstrating extremely high precision and efficiency.

The success of this operation was largely attributed to the comprehensive and meticulous intelligence preparation by the United States. The report analyzes its intelligence support system from four dimensions: First, human intelligence (HUMINT) penetration, likely through the recruitment of Cuban security advisors, Venezuelan opposition figures, and defected military/political personnel, to accurately grasp Maduro's routines, security arrangements, and hideouts. Second, signals intelligence (SIGINT) and cyber intelligence, involving long-term monitoring of Venezuelan senior-level communications by agencies like the NSA, and potential cyber attacks against Venezuelan air defense radars and command networks, clearing electronic obstacles for U.S. stealth penetration and communication disruption. Third, imagery intelligence (IMINT) surveillance, relying on continuous monitoring of the target area by satellites and high-altitude unmanned reconnaissance aircraft (such as the RQ-4 Global Hawk), providing real-time situational awareness and target area details for the operation. Fourth, intelligence integration and simulation exercises, where cross-departmental intelligence joint task forces cross-verified multi-source information, and special forces built realistic models of the target building based on intelligence and conducted multiple rehearsals, ensuring precision during the actual operation.

Finally, the report assesses the profound impact of this operation from three levels. For Venezuela domestically, Maduro's sudden absence created a power vacuum, potentially triggering intense power struggles within the United Socialist Party, among various military factions, and with the opposition, even leading to social unrest, a worsening humanitarian crisis, and deteriorating security. For the Latin American region, this act severely tramples on the principle of "inviolability of sovereignty." While gaining moral support from some pro-U.S. countries, it has provoked widespread condemnation and vigilance against U.S. military intervention, potentially exacerbating regional political polarization, weakening regional cooperation frameworks like the Organization of American States, and causing spillover effects from Venezuela's internal turmoil, aggravating border security and refugee issues. For the global landscape and international law, the U.S. act of cross-border capture of a foreign head of state without UN authorization severely undermines the core principles of the UN Charter prohibiting the use of force and respecting national sovereignty, setting a dangerous precedent that may encourage emulation by other major powers, lower the threshold for military intervention, and impact the fundamental norms of the international order established post-World War II. Simultaneously, the operation has sparked domestic controversy in the U.S. regarding presidential war powers, the legality of the action, and subsequent accountability.

This report is based on public reports and intelligence analysis available on and before January 3, 2026. It aims to provide researchers and policy analysts in relevant fields with an in-depth, structured assessment of this significant geopolitical and military event.

List of Key Chapter Titles

1. Background Overview
2. Operation Timeline
3. Special Operations Process and Tactical Analysis
4. Intelligence Support and Covert Operations
5. Impact Assessment on Venezuela's Domestic Situation
6. Impact Assessment on the Regional Landscape of Latin America
7. Impact Assessment on the Global Landscape and International Law

Document Introduction

In the early hours of January 3, 2026, the United States launched an unprecedented special military operation against the sovereign nation of Venezuela, successfully capturing its incumbent President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. This operation marked a sharp escalation of the U.S. "maximum pressure" policy towards Latin American countries and set a dangerous precedent of publicly using military means to capture a foreign head of state in office since the end of the Cold War, posing a severe challenge to international law and global strategic stability.

Based on detailed information, this report systematically traces the background of the deteriorating U.S.-Venezuela relations since 2018, particularly during Trump's second term. The U.S. designated the Maduro government as an "illegitimate regime" and a "foreign terrorist organization," using the legal pretext of combating "narco-terrorism" to gradually complete a pressure chain ranging from diplomatic isolation and economic sanctions to military deployment. The report meticulously records key event nodes from September 2025 to the day of the operation, including the large-scale U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean, multiple "counter-narcotics" interceptions and strikes against Venezuelan maritime targets, the seizure and blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers, and the final legal and public opinion groundwork laid for direct military intervention.

The core of the report lies in its in-depth deconstruction of the entire process of this capture operation, whose codename remains unknown. The analysis defines it as a "multi-dimensional, integrated, and precise strike" operation, breaking it down into four key steps: First, the use of F-35B stealth fighter jets and cruise missiles to conduct a preemptive airstrike, paralyzing key air defense nodes (such as Fuerte Tiuna military base and La Carlota Air Base) and command communications in and around the Venezuelan capital, securing absolute air superiority. Second, amidst the chaos created by the airstrike, the "Delta Force" unit under the Joint Special Operations Command, aboard stealth-modified helicopters, conducted secret infiltration and air assault. Third, ground assault teams executed a multi-directional, three-dimensional assault on the target building, quickly subduing Maduro's guard force after brief firefights and capturing the targets alive. Fourth, emergency evacuation via helicopters along the original route. The entire process, from the first explosion to personnel extraction, took less than 30 minutes, demonstrating extremely high precision and efficiency.

The success of this operation was largely attributed to the comprehensive and meticulous intelligence preparation by the United States. The report analyzes its intelligence support system from four dimensions: First, human intelligence (HUMINT) penetration, likely through the recruitment of Cuban security advisors, Venezuelan opposition figures, and defected military/political personnel, to accurately grasp Maduro's routines, security arrangements, and hideouts. Second, signals intelligence (SIGINT) and cyber intelligence, involving long-term monitoring of Venezuelan senior-level communications by agencies like the NSA, and potential cyber attacks against Venezuelan air defense radars and command networks, clearing electronic obstacles for U.S. stealth penetration and communication disruption. Third, imagery intelligence (IMINT) surveillance, relying on continuous monitoring of the target area by satellites and high-altitude unmanned reconnaissance aircraft (such as the RQ-4 Global Hawk), providing real-time situational awareness and target area details for the operation. Fourth, intelligence integration and simulation exercises, where cross-departmental intelligence joint task forces cross-verified multi-source information, and special forces built realistic models of the target building based on intelligence and conducted multiple rehearsals, ensuring precision during the actual operation.

Finally, the report assesses the profound impact of this operation from three levels. For Venezuela domestically, Maduro's sudden absence created a power vacuum, potentially triggering intense power struggles within the United Socialist Party, among various military factions, and with the opposition, even leading to social unrest, a worsening humanitarian crisis, and deteriorating security. For the Latin American region, this act severely tramples on the principle of "inviolability of sovereignty." While gaining moral support from some pro-U.S. countries, it has provoked widespread condemnation and vigilance against U.S. military intervention, potentially exacerbating regional political polarization, weakening regional cooperation frameworks like the Organization of American States, and causing spillover effects from Venezuela's internal turmoil, aggravating border security and refugee issues. For the global landscape and international law, the U.S. act of cross-border capture of a foreign head of state without UN authorization severely undermines the core principles of the UN Charter prohibiting the use of force and respecting national sovereignty, setting a dangerous precedent that may encourage emulation by other major powers, lower the threshold for military intervention, and impact the fundamental norms of the international order established post-World War II. Simultaneously, the operation has sparked domestic controversy in the U.S. regarding presidential war powers, the legality of the action, and subsequent accountability.

This report is based on public reports and intelligence analysis available on and before January 3, 2026. It aims to provide researchers and policy analysts in relevant fields with an in-depth, structured assessment of this significant geopolitical and military event.