In a stunning revelation, a secret and audacious plan by the United States to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has come to light. Codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve, the mission was designed to be a high-stakes raid involving elite commandos, but was ultimately called off at the eleventh hour. This story, based on exclusive reporting, peels back the layers of a near-miss operation that could have dramatically escalated tensions in Latin America.
The Genesis of a Covert Plan
The roots of Operation Absolute Resolve trace back to the final year of the Trump administration. Frustrated by the failure of sanctions and diplomatic pressure to dislodge Maduro, top officials in Washington began exploring more direct options. The plan was not born from a formal, cabinet-level decision but evolved through discussions among a small group of advisors, including then-National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien.
The objective was stark: to apprehend Maduro and key figures in his government and bring them to the United States to face charges, including narco-terrorism. The US had indicted Maduro and several associates on drug trafficking charges in March 2020, providing a legal pretext. The envisioned operation was likened to the 1989 capture of Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega, but set in the more complex environment of Caracas.
Logistics and the Eleventh-Hour Halt
Planning for the operation involved meticulous coordination with neighboring Colombia. The US sought permission to use Colombian territory as a staging ground for the mission. The proposed force was to include elite Delta Force commandos, who would execute the capture. The plan even considered the potential use of a US Navy hospital ship, the USNS Comfort, which was in the region, to hold the detained Venezuelan officials.
However, the daring plan faced immediate and fierce internal opposition. Key figures at the Pentagon and the CIA raised grave concerns about the potential for a massive blowback. They warned of the risks of a prolonged conflict, high casualties, and the possibility of the operation devolving into a disastrous quagmire. The political fallout across Latin America, where many nations oppose military intervention, was also a major consideration.
Ultimately, these concerns prevailed. In the final weeks of the Trump administration, the plan was formally shelved. The order to stand down came directly from the highest levels, averting what could have been a major international crisis.
Geopolitical Repercussions and Current Stance
The revelation of Operation Absolute Resolve sheds new light on the extreme lengths the US government contemplated in its campaign against Maduro. It underscores the volatile mix of hardline ideology and realpolitik that characterized much of the Trump administration's foreign policy, particularly towards Venezuela.
The Biden administration, which took office in January 2021, has taken a different public tack. It has moved away from the explicit goal of regime change and instead engaged in cautious diplomacy, including negotiating a prisoner swap. However, US sanctions on Venezuela's oil sector and government remain largely in place, maintaining economic pressure.
The existence of this plan is likely to resonate in Caracas for years to come. It provides the Maduro government with a powerful narrative of external threat to bolster its nationalist credentials. For the US, the episode serves as a case study in the limits of unilateral power and the complex consequences of pursuing covert regime-change operations.
While the commandos never launched, the story of Operation Absolute Resolve reveals a world where such an intervention was seriously planned, debated, and nearly set into motion, highlighting the fragile line between geopolitical pressure and open conflict.
