Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine offered a detailed public account of a highly complex U.S. special operations mission that, according to officials, resulted in the capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro during the early morning hours of Saturday, January 2.

Speaking alongside President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Caine emphasized that the operation represented the culmination of months of planning, rehearsals, intelligence preparation, and interagency coordination, describing it as a mission that only the United States military possessed the capability to execute. According to Caine, the operation unfolded during the darkest hours of the night, a deliberate choice intended to maximize tactical surprise and minimize risks to U.S. personnel. He explained that the execution phase was “essentially flawless,” a phrase meant to reflect not only the outcome but also the disciplined performance of joint forces operating across air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains. The public disclosure followed the emergence of a video showing Maduro being escorted into custody by agents of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, a development that quickly reverberated across international media and diplomatic circles. Caine framed the mission as a precise extraction rather than a conventional military strike, underscoring that its objective was narrowly defined:

to apprehend individuals already indicted by the U.S. Justice Department while avoiding broader conflict. Throughout his remarks, he repeatedly highlighted the professionalism of the troops involved, stressing that the operation’s success rested on preparation, restraint, and coordination rather than sheer force. In doing so, Caine sought to reassure both domestic and international audiences that the mission was conducted with clear intent and disciplined execution.

Elaborating on the scale and complexity of the operation, Caine explained that months of preparation had gone into synchronizing an extraordinary number of moving parts across the Western Hemisphere. He noted that more than 150 aircraft were involved, launching from roughly 20 different bases on land and at sea, all timed to converge in a narrow window to achieve a single purpose. This level of coordination, he said, went far beyond the standard understanding of “integration” within joint operations. Aircraft crews, intelligence analysts, cyber specialists, and special operations forces rehearsed repeatedly to ensure that every action aligned with the next, down to the minute. Caine stressed that even minor deviations in timing or navigation could have jeopardized the mission, particularly given the geographic challenges involved. The flight routes required crews to traverse open ocean, mountainous terrain, and low cloud ceilings, all while maintaining radio discipline and operational secrecy. Weather conditions added further uncertainty, as marginal conditions threatened to delay or cancel the operation altogether. According to Caine, the weather “broke just enough” to permit execution, creating a narrow window that only the most experienced aviators could safely navigate. At 10:46 p.m. Eastern Time, President Trump issued the final order to proceed, offering the words “Good luck and Godspeed,” which Caine said were transmitted across the joint force. That message, he explained, symbolized the trust placed in service members whose ages ranged from 20 to 49, representing a cross-section of experience and youth unified by training and mission focus.

Caine also outlined the extensive intelligence and interagency collaboration that underpinned the operation, emphasizing that it was not solely a military effort. Multiple U.S. intelligence agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, were involved at various stages, from intelligence gathering and analysis to real-time support during execution. Law enforcement personnel were embedded within the extraction force to ensure that the apprehensions complied with legal and procedural requirements once targets were secured. As the mission moved from planning to execution, helicopters carrying the extraction force departed at extremely low altitude, flying approximately 100 feet above the water to reduce detection as they approached Venezuelan territory. Simultaneously, U.S. Space Command, Cyber Command, and other interagency partners layered non-kinetic effects designed to create what Caine described as a “pathway” into the target area. These efforts were intended to limit the ability of Venezuelan systems to detect, track, or respond effectively to the incoming force. Overhead protection was provided by a wide array of U.S. military aircraft, including assets from the Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Air National Guard. Caine listed advanced platforms such as F-22s, F-35s, F/A-18s, EA-18 electronic warfare aircraft, E-2 command-and-control aircraft, B-1 bombers, and remotely piloted drones, all operating in carefully defined roles to support the extraction force without escalating the situation beyond its defined scope.

As the joint force closed in on Caracas, Caine said the joint air component began systematically disabling Venezuelan air defense systems to ensure the safe passage of the helicopters into the target area. He described these actions as defensive and preventative, intended to protect U.S. personnel rather than to inflict unnecessary damage. According to his timeline, the force arrived at Maduro’s compound at approximately 1:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, corresponding to 2:01 a.m. local time in Caracas. Upon arrival, the apprehension force descended rapidly and moved with speed, precision, and discipline to isolate the compound and secure the surrounding area. Caine emphasized that the focus remained on safeguarding both the ground force and any non-combatants in the vicinity while apprehending the individuals named in U.S. indictments. During the initial phase on the ground, helicopters came under fire, prompting U.S. forces to respond in self-defense with what Caine described as overwhelming but controlled force. One aircraft was struck but remained flyable, and he underscored that all U.S. aircraft ultimately returned safely. The chairman echoed earlier statements by the president that no U.S. service members were lost during the operation, framing this outcome as a testament to training, discipline, and planning rather than luck alone.

Caine told reporters that Maduro and his wife ultimately surrendered and were taken into custody by representatives of the U.S. Justice Department, marking the central objective of the mission. He emphasized that the apprehension occurred without loss of life among U.S. forces and without broader destruction in the target area. Once the indicted individuals were secured, attention shifted immediately to extraction. Helicopters were repositioned to exfiltrate the ground force, while fighter aircraft and remotely piloted systems maintained overhead coverage. Caine noted that there were multiple self-defense engagements as U.S. forces withdrew from Venezuelan territory, underscoring that the most dangerous phase of such operations often occurs during departure rather than insertion. Throughout this phase, coordination between aircrews, ground forces, and command-and-control elements remained continuous, ensuring that the extraction proceeded as planned despite ongoing threats. The chairman reiterated that the mission was not designed to occupy territory or engage in prolonged combat, but rather to accomplish a narrowly defined objective and depart as quickly as possible. In this context, the successful withdrawal of all personnel and equipment was presented as a critical measure of mission success, equal in importance to the initial apprehension.

In closing his remarks, Caine framed the operation as a demonstration of U.S. joint force readiness and the effectiveness of interagency cooperation under demanding conditions. He credited the outcome to months of rehearsal, disciplined leadership, and the willingness of service members to execute a mission requiring precision at every level. While acknowledging the extraordinary scale of the effort, he cautioned against viewing it as a template for routine action, instead describing it as a rare convergence of circumstances, capability, and national decision-making. By emphasizing restraint, legality, and coordination, Caine sought to position the operation within a broader narrative of professionalism and accountability. The public disclosure, including the video evidence of Maduro entering custody, marked an unusual level of transparency for such a mission, reflecting its political and diplomatic significance. As reactions continued to unfold domestically and internationally, Caine’s account served as the most detailed official explanation of how the operation was planned, executed, and concluded. Taken together, his remarks painted a picture of a joint force capable of conducting highly complex missions while maintaining focus on limited objectives, force protection, and disciplined execution in an uncertain and contested environment.