Operation Absolute Resolve was a technologically sophisticated “decapitation strike” aimed at capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro at his heavily fortified Fuerte Tiuna military complex. The mission’s success hinged on achieving absolute operational surprise through the seamless and devastating synergy of advanced cyber warfare, electronic jamming, stealth aviation, and cutting-edge ground tactical equipment.
The critical initial phase, codenamed the “Blackout Phase,” was a precise and overwhelming technological assault on Venezuela’s command-and-control infrastructure. US Cyber Command initiated the operation by successfully and simultaneously shutting down the entire electrical grid powering Caracas. This instantly severed conventional communication and surveillance capabilities across the capital.
Immediately following the power failure, electronic warfare platforms, notably the EA-18G Growlers, saturated the operational area. These platforms systematically severed all active radar and primary communication networks, inducing complete electronic darkness.
This was strategically compounded by the launch of AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles, which eliminated any remaining active air-defense radars, completely blinding the Venezuelan military. This integrated application of cyber and electronic jamming effectively disabled Venezuela’s “eyes and ears,” creating the crucial operational window needed for insertion.
To establish and maintain absolute air superiority for secure insertion and extraction, the operation deployed an overwhelming air armada. This force included fifth-generation, low-observable fighters such as the F-22 Raptors and F-35 Lightning, alongside highly specialized “Stealth Hawk” helicopters.
Low-observable platforms ensured the ground assault team was inserted without detection, leveraging strategically induced electronic chaos. The massive aerial presence guaranteed complete airspace dominance over the capital, eliminating the risk of a coordinated air response.
The ground execution, carried out by a specialized Delta Force team, leveraged the tactical advantage of the induced power outage. The elite operators maintained perfect, uncompromised visibility throughout the operation by utilizing advanced night-vision systems and high-resolution thermal optics, providing an insurmountable edge over defending forces operating in darkness.
To penetrate Maduro’s deeply fortified bunker and residential complex, the assault team employed heavy-duty thermal breaching tools. These advanced tools allowed rapid and effective penetration of reinforced structures, minimizing time spent exposed during the breach phase.
Meticulous planning, which included high-fidelity rehearsals on a full-scale replica of Maduro’s safe house, ensured the team could navigate the complex rapidly and decisively in the dark.
Operation Absolute Resolve is a profound demonstration of multi-domain warfare.
Information-age capabilities — cyberattacks and electronic warfare — were instrumental in facilitating the successful execution of a kinetic special operations mission. The rapid, total paralysis of national infrastructure proved to be the single most defining factor, allowing elite ground units to achieve their objective with zero casualties and complete surprise.
The systematic removal of Venezuela’s command-and-control capabilities through technological superiority ensured the mission’s overwhelming success.
Operation Absolute Resolve was not merely a mission; it was a blueprint. A cold, hard lesson delivered in the dead of night: when the lights go out and the signals die, the future belongs to those who can still see.
And on 3 January 2026, the Venezuelan regime learned, with catastrophic finality, that it was operating in yesterday’s darkness while the US owned tomorrow’s dawn. The master key to the age of war is no longer steel; it is silence.