Venezuela Raid Details
At 2246 eastern time last night, President Trump authorized Operation Absolute Resolve, a raid to snatch Venezuelan dictator/drug lord Nicholas Maduro from a safe house in Caracas Venezuela.
What Happened
Starting shortly after the authorization, the strike force moved out of 20 bases. It consisted of more than 150 aircraft including F-22, F-35, F/A-18, E/A-18, B-1 and B-2. Preparatory strikes took out much of the Venezuelan air defense around Caracas. They also targeted key military installations around the Capitol.
The snatch group consisted of a squadron of CAG (One of the names for 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta), and a couple of members of FBI HRT. They flew into Caracas on CH-47s with gunship support.
At 0101 the snatch group arrived at the objective. They came under fire, and returned it. After neutralizing Maduro’s security, the snatch team grabbed Maduro and his wife and the exfil began. They were over the water by 0329. By 0421 they had returned to the USS Iwo Jima.
One helo was hit during the raid, but remained flyable. There were no US casualties.
What’s Next
Local reaction in Venezuela has been, well, watch:
In his presser discussing the strike, President Trump announced that the US would be taking over running Venezuela for the time being. I expect that he meant during a transitional period and not indefinitely.
The current VP, Delcy Rodriguez, a Maduro ally, has said she is open to working with the US. Whether she means during the transition to the duly elected opposition or in some other nebulous way is unclear at the moment. It is being reported she is currently in Russia, so take that for what it’s worth.
Trump also announced that US oil companies would immediately move into Venezuela and take over for PDVSA, the state run oil company. The US companies are expected to rebuild the decayed oil infrastructure in the country. There has been minimal maintenance and zero new construction of oil facilities in Venezuela since Hugo Chavez stole US companies facilities back when he nationalized the oil industry.
The reaction from the left has been predictably negative. The fact that they support their fellow traveller Maduro isn’t all that surprising. Nor is their screeching about it being unlawful. Professor Jonathan Turley lays that to rest with a single tweet.
opposed to military action, Trump just launched an unjustified, illegal strike on Venezuela. He says we don’t have enough money for healthcare for Americans—but somehow we have unlimited funds for war??”
Trump does not need congressional approval for this type of operation. Presidents, including Democratic presidents, have launched lethal attacks regularly against individuals. President Barack Obama killed an American citizen under this “kill list” policy. If Obama can vaporize an American citizen without even a criminal charge, Trump can capture a foreign citizen with a pending criminal indictment without prior congressional approval.
Obviously, this is something your editor will be watching. There will be updates as needed.
