USA has just repeated yet another shameful act of ‘dadagiri’. On January 3, 2026, the US launched what it called ‘Operation Absolute Resolve’, a military strike on Venezuela in the course of which their Delta Force claims to have captured alive and successfully kidnapped President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores without, hold your breath, a single scratch on their side. The captives have been flown to the US mainland to face trial for drug trafficking etc. Exactly 36 years ago, on this very date, George Bush Sr. had launched the so-called ‘Operation Just Cause’ on Panama, in the course of which they had captured Panamanian General Manuel Noriega. He was later convicted on eight counts of drug trafficking, money laundering, and racketeering, receiving a 40-year prison sentence. Maduro is currently in federal custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. His first court appearance in Manhattan federal court is expected to take place later this month.
Venezuela for the newcomers
Located on the northern coast of South America, Venezuela is known for its vast natural resources (especially oil), diverse geography, vibrant culture, and remarkable success in beauty pageants. Venezuelan culture is a rich amalgamation of Indigenous, Spanish, and African traditions. Spanish is the official language, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion. The country is known for its music, dance, and cuisine. It’s the land of beautiful women—it is considered a “powerhouse” in international beauty pageants and holds the record for the most wins in the “Big Four” competitions (Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Earth).
Venezuela possesses the largest proven oil reserves in the world. Oil exports have historically accounted for the vast majority (around 90%) of the country’s foreign earnings. Beyond oil, the country has significant deposits of natural gas, iron ore, bauxite (aluminium ore), gold, diamonds, and other minerals. Venezuela’s proven oil reserves, estimated at approximately 303 billion barrels (representing about 17% of the global total), have a notional in-ground value of around $17.3 trillion at current oil prices of roughly $57 per barrel.
Despite its resource wealth, Venezuela has experienced a severe economic collapse since 2013 due to political instability, economic mismanagement, corruption, and international sanctions. This crisis led to hyperinflation, chronic shortages of basic goods, a massive decline in GDP, and the emigration of millions of its citizens.
US Accusations against Maduro
Maduro began as a bus driver for the Caracas Metro and rose through the ranks as a trade union leader. He was a close ally of his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, serving as the president of the National Assembly (2005–2006), Foreign Minister (2006–2012), and Vice President (2012–2013). Before his death in March 2013, Chávez named Maduro as his handpicked successor. Maduro won a narrow, contested special election in April 2013 to officially assume the presidency. He maintained power through a decade of economic collapse and political unrest, most recently being sworn in for a third term in January 2025 following a 2024 election that was widely condemned by the U.S. and international observers as fraudulent.
Maduro was first indicted in March 2020 by the Southern District of New York (SDNY) court. The US accuses him of narco-terrorism by leading the Cartel of the Suns, a drug-trafficking organization allegedly composed of high-ranking Venezuelan officials. He is accused of conspiring with the FARC (a designated terrorist group) to “flood” the U.S. with cocaine. He has also been accused of the possession and conspiracy to possess machine guns and ‘destructive devices’ (whatever they mean) in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The US officially stopped recognizing Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela following the disputed 2018 and 2024 elections—as if US is the ultimate court in the world and the POTUS as the SHO of the world police station.
Finally, the duffer Trump has accused Maduro’s government of “stealing” American oil interests and assets following their nationalization. Omigosh! By this stupid logic, it’s time to go back to the 1960s and take revenge from the Arab states as well for nationalization.
How international law has been screwed
Under customary international law and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, sitting heads of state typically enjoy “personal immunity” (immunity ratione personae), which shields them from the criminal jurisdiction of foreign states. As such, the US has no legal authority to prosecute Nicolás Maduro—a foreign national and sitting head of state. Trump, the bull in the proverbial China shop, is bulldozing his way through on the strength of ‘might is right’, domestic precedents and executive branch policies that bypass traditional international norms of diplomatic immunity. According to the Ker-Frisbie Doctrine, federal courts maintain jurisdiction over a defendant regardless of how they were brought to court, even if they were forcibly abducted in violation of international law. Federal courts claim jurisdiction over any person who conspires to import drugs into the United States, regardless of their nationality or where the crimes occurred.
An argument that we do not recognize you as head of state and hence you do not enjoy diplomatic immunity is absurd ab initio. Moreover, merely because you convicted Noreiga and nobody did anything, does not mean that you dump international law and claim that head-of-state immunity does not shield leaders for private criminal conduct, such as drug trafficking, which is not considered an “official act” of the state.
Critics cite Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, and argue that the military incursion to seize a sitting leader constitutes an unlawful act of aggression and “trans-boundary abduction”. The US has invoked Article 51 of the UN Charter, claiming self-defence against “narco-terrorism,” but experts contend that drug trafficking obviously does not meet the “imminent threat” requirement for a lawful self-defence military strike.
The American strike
Donald Trump and Gen. Dan Caine reported that approximately 150 aircraft from the Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps participated in the 30-minute operation. US forces disabled Venezuelan air defences and cut power to Caracas before the raid. Incidentally, there is no evidence of the neutralization of air defences.
In classic Hollywood filmi style, elite US Army Delta Force soldiers, accompanied by FBI Hostage Rescue Team personnel, breached Maduro’s compound at approximately 2:01 a.m. local time. Maduro reportedly attempted to escape into a reinforced steel room but was apprehended by troops. Such things do not happen in real life.
They claim to have deployed a massive force of over 150 aircraft launched from more than 20 land and sea bases across the Western Hemisphere.
AH-64E Apache: These attack helicopters provided low-level air cover for the assault teams.
MH-60 Black Hawk & MH-47 Chinook: These transport helicopters carried Delta Force and FBI Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) personnel directly into Caracas for the extraction.
MH-6 Little Bird: These light observation and attack helicopters were also identified operating near the Venezuelan coast leading up to the operation.
F-22A Raptors and F-35A/C Lightning IIs are claimed to have flown air dominance missions to ensure no foreign or Venezuelan aircraft could interfere. Amusingly, they did not encounter even a modicum of resistance. Question is why?
State of the Venezuelan Military and Air Defence
The Bolivarian National Armed Forces of Venezuela (FANB) maintained a numerically significant, largely Russian-equipped defence network.
Venezuela’s Integrated Airspace Defense Command (CODAI) operated a multi-layered “Russian Shield” designed to protect strategic oil and political centres.
Long-Range Systems:
S-300VM (Antey-2500): Approximately 12 batteries of this sophisticated system formed the top tier of defense. Their primary operating base was the Capitán Manuel Ríos Aerospace Base in Guárico state.
Medium-Range Systems:
Buk-M2E: At least 9 systems were deployed in critical areas, including oil facilities and naval bases.
S-125 Pechora-2M: Approximately 44 units were in service. These modernized Soviet-era systems were frequently used to defend coastal and urban zones.
Short-Range and Point Defense:
ZU-23-2: These twin-barreled anti-aircraft guns served as the primary defense for Venezuelan airbases against low-level attacks.
MANPADS and Militia Integration
Venezuela possessed one of the world’s largest inventories of man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS), which the government distributed to create “ambush points”.
Igla-S (SA-24 Grinch): President Maduro confirmed an arsenal of approximately 5,000 units. These were widely distributed to regular army units and the Bolivarian Militia, a civilian reserve force that Maduro claimed numbered over 4.5 million by late 2025.
RBS 70: A smaller number of Swedish-made laser-guided systems remained in service, prized for their accuracy against electronic countermeasures.
Even as a layman, you should be asking, were all of these for show only? Why not even one of them was activated?
Why it was a Staged Drama?
The most amusing thing about the American strike was that it was a bloodless operation. It is laughable on its face.
Osama Raid: The American helicopters could reach Abbottabad and kill Osama cheaply without a scratch on their side simply because the Pakistanis permitted them to do so—not because the Pakistani air defence systems (supplied by the USA only) were caught napping. Pakistan betrayed and gave up Osama because he had outlived his utility. Al-Qaeda sensed it immediately and that’s why there was an immediate retaliatory attack on the PNS Mehran, the headquarters of the Pakistan Navy’s Naval Air Arm and the most populous Pakistani military installation, located near the PAF’s Faisal Air Force Base of Karachi, Sindh.
Soviet Raid in Kabul: On December 27, 1979, Soviet Special Forces had launched Operation Storm-333, a high-stakes commando raid in Kabul at the Tajbeg Palace in which they assassinated Afghan President Hafizullah Amin and installed Babrak Karmal as the new leader. The mission was carried out by approximately 660–700 commandos. This included: Alpha Group and Zenith Group (KGB Special Forces); and the “Muslim Battalion” (GRU Spetsnaz), composed of soldiers from Central Asian Soviet republics, who were dressed in Afghan uniforms to maintain deniability. They approached the palace in a motorized ground convoy after having been secretly pre-positioned in the area. Yet, in spite of overwhelming firepower superiority, they lot some 100 of their own and had to kill some 300 Afghan soldiers.
Point being made is that if the fighting is real, it cannot be bloodless. Helicopters, particularly in the dead of the night, can be heard from miles away even if no air defence system worked. Maduro could have escaped to some place unless he was prevented from that by those who betrayed him.
For the simple reason that not only that the air-defence systems were not activated, not a single MANPADS was fired at the low and slow flying helicopters out of their huge stock of nearly 5000 of those, strategic analysts across the world including this author, strongly maintain that the attack was a staged drama. Had it been an attack by F-35s, maybe we could, for the sake of argument, accept that the stealth fighters were not detected by the air defence systems. But Apache helicopters, my foot!
Analysts including me have suggested the following possibilities, which could have been instrumental singly or together to different extent:
Internal Betrayal: It is possible that Maduro was betrayed by his inner circle or the military high command, in exactly the same fashion in which we witnessed the sudden collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria in late 2024. At that time also, I had thoroughly analysed it and shown how Assad was betrayed in my article titled ‘Assad’s fall in Syria not a military defeat but a coup planned by USA’.
Intelligence Leakage: Reports indicate that an “entrenched CIA asset” provided real-time data on Maduro’s precise location, suggesting a breach deep within his security detail. It is possible but even then there should have been some resistance and casualties.
Military Inaction: Despite the use of over 150 US aircraft, including low-flying helicopters, only one US aircraft was reported hit by something but still remained flyable. This suggests that the Strategic Operational Command (CEOFANB) may have stood down or was effectively neutralized from within.
Elite Self-Preservation: Figures like Diosdado Cabello and Vladimir Padrino López may have prioritized their own survival, as analysts noted they would be unlikely to defend Maduro if it meant their own total destruction.
Negotiated Exit: Several opposition sources and regional analysts believe the capture may have been part of a clandestine deal to remove Maduro while preserving some of the existing power structure. May be he himself agreed to be escorted out in exchange for his life if he was presented with the option that he could be targeted in a manner similar to Israel’s killing of Hamas leaders.
Pre-existing Negotiations:The Trump administration had been pressuring Maduro to flee for months. On January 1, 2026, just two days before his capture, Maduro publicly stated he was open to negotiating a deal with the US regarding drug trafficking.
Regime Continuity: Despite Maduro’s removal, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was immediately named acting president by the Supreme Court. Trump suggested US troops might not be necessary if Rodríguez “does what we want,” fuelling rumours of a power-sharing arrangement that sacrificed Maduro to protect the rest of the Chavista elite.
Analysts have drawn direct parallels between Maduro’s 2026 fall and the 2024 fall of Bashar al-Assad. In both cases, regimes that appeared ironclad for decades crumbled in days or hours once the military perceived that the external threat (US or rebel forces) could no longer be deterred. Obviously, it defies military sense or even common sense. The 30-minute extraction in Caracas mirrored the rapid loss of control experienced in Damascus, where institutional loyalty evaporated the moment an “off-ramp” or decisive strike was perceived as inevitable.
Was it all about Venezuelan Oil?
Donald Trump and his administration have since the capture of Maduro made several direct statements indicating that the USA would temporarily govern Venezuela and that American oil companies would take over and rebuild its energy infrastructure. These remarks, often delivered with a focus on “taking the oil” to reimburse US costs; have fuelled global speculation that the intervention was driven by energy interests despite official justifications citing narco-terrorism as a flimsy pretext.
“Running” the Country: President Trump explicitly stated, “We are going to be running it [Venezuela] with a group, and we’re going to make sure it’s run properly” until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” can occur.
Administrative Control: Trump announced the US would put Venezuela under “temporary American control” and that he was not afraid of maintaining “boots on the ground” for as long as necessary.
Group Leadership: Trump mentioned the US would oversee the country via a “group” of people, even hinting at preliminary discussions with Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, despite her subsequent public defiance.
Mandated Investment: Trump declared that “very large United States oil companies—the biggest anywhere in the world” would go into Venezuela to “fix the badly broken infrastructure” and “start making money for the country”.
Oil as Spoils and Reparation: Trump stated that the US occupation “won’t cost us a penny” because the US would be reimbursed by the “money coming out of the ground”. He reinforced his long-standing “to the victor belong the spoils” philosophy, specifically saying, “Take the oil”.
Private Ultimatums: Reports indicate administration officials told oil executives that if they wanted compensation for assets seized by the previous Venezuelan regime, they “must be prepared to go back into Venezuela now and invest heavily”.
Revitalizing Production: Trump vowed to “get the oil flowing the way it should be” and suggested that American companies would invest billions of dollars to unlock the world’s largest proven reserves.
I wrote this article to debunk the myth of a fantastic commando raid to kidnap Maduro. As shown above, it is all bullshit.
The US kidnapping of President Maduro is not only a brazen mockery of international law and the extreme greed of the Trump administration, but also a pathetic tale of cowardice and betrayal by the armed forces, top officials, and the political elite of Venezuela. The article very objectively exposes the stage-managed so-called commando operations.
Very well researched, covering all aspects of the Venezuelan crisis in an exhaustive and analytical manner. The article compellingly questions the dominant narrative and presents the U.S. action as a carefully choreographed drama rather than a spontaneous act, drawing a persuasive parallel with earlier interventions. While interpretations may differ, the piece succeeds in provoking critical thought about global power politics, media narratives, and the larger geopolitical design behind such actions.