Capturing Maduro? The Hard Part Was Venezuela's Air Defenses, Says Ex-Commando

A retired U.S. Delta Force operator has revealed that the primary obstacle in planning a mission to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was not the leader himself. It was the nation's advanced air defense network. The special operations veteran discussed the theoretical mission in a recent interview. He stated that penetrating Venezuela's integrated air defense systems (IADS) would have been the most difficult challenge. IADS are networks of radars, missiles, and command centers designed to detect and destroy aircraft. This analysis highlights a major strategic concern. Military planners would have needed to first disable these defenses to allow any covert airborne approach. The operation would have been extremely high-risk. The retired operator did not specify when such planning was considered. The U.S. has previously called for Maduro to leave office, recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the country's legitimate president in 2019. Venezuela has been in a deep political and economic crisis for years.