CIA source in Venezuela govt, drones: How US monitored Maduro for Trump's ‘never-seen-before’ operation

A CIA germ, swift of stealing drones, months of " punctilious preparation" was reportedly involved in the capture of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro by the Donald Trump-led US administration after dramatic “large scale” strikes on Saturday.

Putting to rest the speculation of US link in explosions that rocked Venezuela in the early hours of Saturday, Trump at 4:21 am on Saturday, Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social account that the United States had conducted a bold operation and captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Track latest in Venezuela-US tensions here

While the announcement stunned many and raised questions about legality, people familiar with the situation said preparations for what would become one of the most intricate US missions in years had been underway for a long period and involved extensive practice runs.

CIA source in Venezuelan govt: A source of US's Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) within the Venezuelan government monitored the location of Nicolás Maduro in both the days and moments before his capture by American special operation forces, according to a New York Times report, which cited people briefed on the operation. This information was carried by some other media outlets as well.

CIA team monitored Maduro's 'patterns of life' since Aug: According to one source cited by Reuters, the CIA had deployed a small team to Venezuela beginning in August, allowing them to study Maduro's daily routines, “patterns of life”, making the capture operation run smoothly. Two additional sources told Reuters the agency also relied on an asset close to Maduro who tracked his movements and was ready to identify his exact whereabouts as events unfolded. Maduro's movements were also monitored with a fleet of stealth drones that provided near constant tracking over Venezuela, as per the NYT report.

Why operation was delayed: Highly trained US forces, including the Army's Delta Force, built a precise replica of Maduro's safe house and repeatedly rehearsed breaching the heavily defended compound. Once all elements were aligned, Trump authorised the mission four days earlier. Military and intelligence officials, however, advised delaying until weather conditions improved and cloud cover diminished. Before dawn on Saturday, the operation to capture Maduro began. From his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump watched a live video feed of the mission alongside his advisers.

‘Never seen anything like this’, says Trump: The sequence of events during the hours-long operation is drawn from interviews with four people familiar with the matter, as well as details shared publicly by Trump, according to Reuters. "I've done some pretty good ones, but I've never seen anything like this," Trump said on Fox News only hours after the mission concluded.

15,000 troops, fighter jets: The Pentagon had directed a large military buildup across the Caribbean, deploying an aircraft carrier, 11 warships, and more than a dozen F-35 fighter jets. Altogether, more than 15,000 US troops were sent to the area under the banner of long-running anti-drug efforts, according to US officials. Sources told Reuters that beyond fighter jets, the Pentagon had discreetly positioned refueling tankers, drones, and aircraft designed for electronic jamming in the region.

Trump, Rubio, Hegseth planned for months: One source reportedly said Trump adviser Stephen Miller, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe formed a central group that worked on the plan for months, holding frequent-sometimes daily-meetings and calls. They also met regularly with the president.

‘Massive number of aircraft involved’: Late Friday night into early Saturday, Trump and his team gathered as multiple US aircraft launched strikes on targets in and around Caracas, including air defense installations, according to an American military official. Speaking on Fox News Channel's "Fox & Friends," Trump described the number of aircraft involved as "massive". "We had a fighter jet for every possible situation," Trump said.

US forces moved into Caracas as air campaign unfolded: As the air campaign unfolded, heavily armed US Special Forces moved into Caracas, carrying equipment that included a blow torch in case steel doors at Maduro's location needed to be cut open. Officials did not disclose how the troops entered the city, but social media videos posted by residents showed helicopters flying low over Caracas in convoy.

What happened when US troops reached Maduro's safe house: After reaching Maduro's safe house, the troops-alongside FBI agents-entered the residence, which Trump described as a “very highly guarded... fortress.” "They just broke in, and they broke into places that were not really able to be broke into, you know, steel doors that were put there for just this reason," Trump said. "They got taken out in a matter of seconds."

Maduro got 'bum rushed', says Trump: Details remain unclear about how US forces subdued Maduro and his wife inside the house, though Trump said the Venezuelan president attempted to reach a safe room but failed. "He was trying to get into it, but he got bum rushed so fast that he didn't get into that," Trump said. Trump said some US personnel were wounded during the operation, but none were killed.

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