Operation Absolute Resolve and the Arrest of Nicolás Maduro

By Zane Shrewsberry, Loveland High School Student

On January 3rd, 2026, the United States conducted an operation in Caracas, Venezuela, dubbed “Operation Absolute Resolve.” The operation resulted in the destruction of Venezuela's air, naval, and ground assets, as well as the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. 

The United States prepared for Operation Absolute Resolve for several months, building naval forces in the Caribbean and reactivating the retired Roosevelt Roads Naval Air Station in eastern Puerto Rico near the city of Ceiba. The carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and its accompanying strike group were moved to the southern Caribbean to support the operation, as well as the special forces command ship MV Ocean Trader. Advanced air assets were also mobilized, including the F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, E/A-18 Growler, and a secretive drone known as the RQ-170 Sentinel. 

In the months preceding Absolute Resolve, the United States conducted various air strikes against boats in the Caribbean, alleged to be ferrying narcotics into North America, dubbed Operation Southern Spear. The Trump administration has argued that such strikes are legal against vessels operated by foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs), a similar justification for the arrest of Nicolás Maduro. 

At approximately 2:00 AM Caracas time on January 3rd, several explosions were reported along Venezuela’s northern coast, where the vast majority of the country’s estimated 30 million residents live. Most areas targeted by American strikes were military airfields and air defense systems, but satellite imagery suggests communication towers and warehouses were also destroyed. The Venezuelan Air Force positioned non-combat aircraft onto runways at air bases around Caracas to prevent them from being used by American forces during a full-scale occupation, which was not the aim of Operation Absolute Resolve. 

Within two hours of the operation beginning, American forces captured Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores. Although the exact composition of the American personnel on the ground is currently unclear, it is known to have consisted of Delta Force (an elite Army detachment known for its counterterrorism operations) and officials from federal law enforcement agencies, such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Maduro was sheltering in a fortified building and protected by dozens of Cuban and Venezuelan bodyguards when US forces arrived. President Trump described Maduro as entering a safe room protected by a steel door, but being unable to close or secure the door before special forces reached his position. 

After his arrest, Maduro was brought to the United States to face charges relating to narco-terrorism, illegal weapons possession, and drug smuggling in New York. Prosecutors have charged Celia Flores for involvement in Maduro’s alleged criminal activities, which involve facilitating narcotics production and transport on a national scale. Maduro has pleaded not guilty to all charges, arguing that his arrest was a violation of both American and international law, and has insisted that he is still the president of Venezuela. Maduro is being held at the infamous Metropolitan Detention Center in New York City. 

Although Operation Absolute Resolve was a military success for the United States, Maduro’s involvement in widespread criminal activity and the legality of his arrest remain to be proven.