The moment Caracas woke up to a new reality
In the early hours of January 2026, Caracas woke to the unthinkable: Nicolás Maduro was no longer in power—and no longer free.
After years of sanctions, diplomatic standoffs, and failed pressure campaigns, the Venezuelan president was captured in a swift overnight operation that stunned Latin America and caught global markets flat-footed.
So who actually carried it out?
The answer points to the most elite units in the U.S. national security apparatus, operating with surgical precision.
Delta Force: The unit that secured Maduro
At the center of the operation was U.S. Army Delta Force, officially known as 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta.
Delta Force is reserved for missions where:
-
failure is not an option,
-
targets must be captured alive,
-
and political consequences are extreme.
According to detailed reporting, Delta operators executed the ground assault, entering Maduro’s secured residence and taking him into custody without a prolonged firefight.
This was not a battlefield engagement. It was a high-value capture mission, designed to end the regime—not ignite a war.
The Night Stalkers: How U.S. forces got in and out
Supporting Delta was the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR)—better known as the Night Stalkers.
Flying modified helicopters under cover of darkness, the 160th:
-
inserted special operators at low altitude,
-
navigated urban air defenses,
-
and extracted the team under fire.
One aircraft reportedly sustained damage—evidence of how close the operation came to escalation.
Without the Night Stalkers, the mission doesn’t happen.
Intelligence made it possible
The operation was intelligence-driven months before boots ever hit the ground.
CIA personnel reportedly:
-
mapped Maduro’s daily movements,
-
identified security vulnerabilities,
-
and confirmed his presence via a human intelligence source shortly before the raid.
This intelligence allowed planners to strike at the exact window when Maduro was least protected.
FBI and federal agents took custody
Once secured, U.S. federal law enforcement, including the FBI, assumed custody responsibilities. There were also indications of DEA involvement, consistent with longstanding narcotics allegations tied to Maduro’s regime.
Why this matters
The capture of a sitting head of state is almost unheard of in modern geopolitics.
This operation sends a clear message:
-
regime survival is no longer guaranteed,
-
and U.S. pressure campaigns can move from sanctions to seizures.
For allies and adversaries alike, the signal is unmistakable.
