U.S. military fighter jets sit on the tarmac at José Aponte de la Torre Airport in Puerto Rico, on Jan. 3, 2026. Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / AFP via Getty Images January 4, 2026 How Maduro’s capture went down – a military strategist explains what goes into a successful special op R. Evan Ellis, The Center for Strategic and International Studies Months of preparation and intelligence gathering went into the mission to seize Venezuela’s president in Caracas.
