US Operation Captures Nicolás Maduro in Caracas and Transports Him to New York
The US operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, named Operation Absolute Resolve, lasted about 150 minutes from launch after months of planning. Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured at Caracas's Fuerte Tiuna military complex by Delta Force after attempting to escape into a fortified safe room. The assault included air strikes on multiple targets in Caracas, including Fuerte Tiuna; five strike locations were verified and fires were visible at the complex.
The couple were transported about 2,100 miles (3,400 km) to New York aboard the USS Iwo Jima, arriving over the water at 04:29. From the ship, Maduro and Flores were flown to Guantánamo Bay, then to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York, and finally by helicopter into Manhattan. They are being held at a New York detention centre on charges of conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and import cocaine, plus possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess them.
A video released shows Maduro at the DEA headquarters in New York; security around the Manhattan helipad was reported as heavy.
