General Dan Caine, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the US military operation targeting Venezuela, codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve, was the result of extensive preparation and coordination.
“This operation, known as Operation Absolute Resolve, was the culmination of months of planning and rehearsal,” Caine said.
He added that the military remains prepared for similar missions in the future.
“There is always a chance that we’ll be tasked to do this type of mission again.”
Months of interagency coordination
Caine stressed that the operation was not improvised but built on long-standing coordination across US agencies and military domains.
“Our interagency work began months ago and built on decades of experience of integrating complex air, ground, space, and maritime operations,” he said.
Describing the lead-up to the mission, Caine said US forces exercised restraint and discipline.
“We watched, we waited, we prepared. We remained patient and professional.”
More than 150 aircraft deployed
The chairman revealed the sheer scale of the operation, which involved aircraft launching from multiple locations across the hemisphere.
“The operation involved more than 150 aircraft launching across the Western Hemisphere in close coordination,” Caine said.
He detailed the range of military assets deployed during the mission.
“The Force included F-22s, F-35s, F-18s, EA-18s, E-2s, B-1 bombers, and other support aircraft, as well as numerous remotely piloted drones.”
Timing and execution of Maduro compound raid
Caine provided precise details of the timing and execution of the raid that targeted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s compound.
“We arrived at Maduro’s compound at 1:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, or 2:01 a.m. Caracas local time,” he said.
He said the apprehension force moved swiftly to secure the objective.
“The apprehension force descended into Maduro’s compound and moved with speed, precision and discipline towards their objective and isolated the area to ensure the safety and security of the ground force.”
Mission posture going forward
Caine concluded by reiterating that US forces remain ready to act again if directed.
“There is always a chance that we’ll be tasked to do this type of mission again,” he said, underscoring continued military preparedness.
