By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON –According to the media reports on Sunday the US military had been preparing for this highly secretive mission for months as CIA spies were deployed to monitor the Venezuelan President’s every move.
It took 2 hours and 20 minutes to enter a hostile nation, capture its President and the first lady from their bedroom, and exit swiftly.
In an unprecedented military operation codenamed ‘Operation Absolute Resolve’, the US Special forces on Saturday captured Nicolas Maduro, the President of Venezuela, and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their Caracas safe house.
According to reports, a US team of spies which also included a mole within the Venezuelan government tracked where Maduro slept, what he ate, and what he wore. Even his pets were under the US watch.
The mission to go inside and capture him was planned in early December last year and codenamed “Operation Absolute Resolve”.
US Special forces had conducted multiple rehearsals at a classified facility, created a replica of Maduro’s Caracas safe house, before launched the operation, media reported.
The meticulously planned operation was kept under wraps until it was actually carried out.
Trump administration didn’t even consult Congress in a bid to avoid leaks and maximize the element of surprise.
General Dan Caine of the US military said during a press briefing on Saturday “Over the weeks through Christmas and New Year, the men and women of the United States military sat ready, patiently waiting for the right triggers to be met and the president to order us into action”.
Trump initially gave his go-ahead 4 days earlier, but the forces waited for suitable weather conditions.
He gave the final order on Friday to begin the operation.
“We were going to do this four days ago, three days ago, two days ago, and then all of a sudden it opened up. And we said: go,” Trump told Fox & Friends.
Over 150 US aircraft, including bombers, fighter jets, surveillance planes and helicopters, were deployed. One aircraft sustained damage but remained operational, and all US assets returned safely, media reported quoted the officials.
