U.S. Planned Secret Military Raid to Capture Venezuela's Maduro

A major covert military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was planned by the United States, according to multiple reports and a newly released government memo. The plan, which involved elite special forces and extensive preparation, was ultimately never carried out.

The operation, reportedly code-named "Absolute Resolve," was designed during the Trump administration [41041]. Planning involved building detailed replicas of Maduro's expected locations for rehearsals and studying his daily routines for months [41023][41515]. One report indicated the plan involved over 150 aircraft [41515].

A legal memo from the U.S. Department of Justice reveals the administration sought and received approval for the planned raid. However, the memo notably did not determine whether capturing a foreign head of state would violate international law [49846]. The operation was also planned without the prior knowledge or approval of the U.S. Congress, bypassing the legislative branch's constitutional role in authorizing the use of military force [41338][41295].

Several reports describe a scenario where U.S. commandos came very close to executing the mission, with one source stating they neared the doors of the presidential palace in Caracas [41131]. The objective was to detain Maduro and bring him to the United States to face longstanding narcoterrorism charges [42588][40731].

International law experts have warned that such an action, if executed, would likely constitute a serious violation of international law, which generally prohibits the use of force against another state and the removal of its leader [41506]. The revelation of the planned raid raises significant questions about the limits of presidential power, the legal justification for capturing foreign leaders, and the potential for major diplomatic fallout.

The U.S. government has not officially commented on most of these specific reports. The Venezuelan government has also not publicly addressed the newly disclosed details of the planned operation [42588].