• The U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in an operation approved just days prior.
• Extensive planning included the creation of a mock safe house for rehearsal by elite troops.
• Over 15,000 U.S. troops were mobilized, and a significant airstrike campaign preceded the operation.
• Maduro was captured in his heavily fortified residence and is being transferred to New York for trial.
• President Trump monitored the entire operation from Mar-a-Lago, showcasing it as a pinnacle of U.S. military strategy.

In the early hours on Saturday, January 3, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that a daring mission had succeeded in capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. The operation, which took place under the cover of darkness, was a surprise to many but had been meticulously planned for months, involving elaborate rehearsals and intelligence gathering, according to reports from Reuters, Channel News Asia, and South China Morning Post.

Central to the operation's success was the extensive groundwork laid by the CIA, which had a team in Venezuela since August. They provided crucial insights into Maduro's habits and had an asset positioned to monitor real-time movements during the operation. As reported, elite troops, particularly from the Army's Delta Force, built a replica of Maduro's secure residence to practice infiltration techniques, which facilitated a smoother execution on the day of the mission, according to the same sources.

Prior to the operation, Trump, advised by key aides and military officials, conducted numerous meetings leading up to the mission. Four days before, he approved the plan, awaiting better conditions such as less cloud cover for optimal execution. By the early hours of Saturday, a considerable U.S. military buildup was in place, with over 15,000 troops, an aircraft carrier, several warships, and fighter jets deployed in the Caribbean region in an operation described as anti-drug but with significant implications, as per reports from Reuters, Channel News Asia, and South China Morning Post.

As operations commenced, U.S. aircraft struck military targets around Caracas, including air defense installations, anticipating resistance as forces moved in. Trump's claim of a "massive" operation was backed by the deployment of over 150 aircraft from various bases, corroborated by military sources. With these airstrikes, U.S. special forces approached Maduro's location while facing some hostility, as visual evidence showed helicopters making low altitude maneuvers over the city, according to all sources mentioned.

Once on the ground, U.S. forces breached Maduro's fortified residence and engaged in a swift altercation, leading to Maduro's capture moments after his attempt to reach a safe room was thwarted. Following penetration into the compound, which Trump characterized as nearly impenetrable, Maduro and his spouse were taken under custody with no casualties reported among American forces. After capturing Maduro, the operation's communications around the event lacked prior notification to key lawmakers, essentially marking a departure from typical oversight protocol, according to insights from Reuters, Channel News Asia, and South China Morning Post.

In conclusion, Maduro was transferred to the USS Iwo Jima after extraction, where he awaits legal proceedings in New York, signaling a significant escalation in U.S. foreign actions against foreign leadership. Trump later shared a photograph of Maduro in custody on social media, which highlights the operation's culmination and its broad implications for international relations, as reiterated by sources across all referenced articles.