New satellite imagery shows damage at a military facility in Caracas after the US carried out strikes as part of a surprise operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The new imagery, captured on Saturday by the US spatial intelligence firm Vantor and obtained by Business Insider, shows damage around the Venezuelan military complex at Fuerte Tiuna in the southern part of Caracas.
Fuerte Tiuna is a critical military installation in Venezuela. It houses defense ministries and major commands, official residences, and other major strategic infrastructure. It was a primary target of the US mission.
The new imagery reveals significant damage to military storage buildings and equipment at the complex, including several vehicles, as well as destroyed security buildings at a gate to the facility.
President Donald Trump revealed earlier on Saturday that the US carried out a highly complex raid to capture Maduro and extract him from the country to face drug-related charges in New York. The White House in August had placed a $50 million bounty on his head.
The bold operation began late Friday night and continued into the early hours of the next day, with US military aircraft — including fighter jets, surveillance planes, bombers, and drones — striking Venezuela’s air defenses to clear a path for apprehension forces to locate Maduro.
Venezuela’s government said US forces targeted military and civilian areas and strongly condemned the strikes. Video footage shared on social media showed helicopters above Caracas, with large explosions and plumes of smoke rising from the city.
Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters in Florida that the apprehension team, which included US law enforcement officers, broke into Maduro’s fortified compound under heavy fire and took the Venezuelan president and his wife into custody.
Several American personnel were injured in the raid, Trump revealed, and one helicopter took a hit. However, no one was killed, he said, and the US didn’t lose any equipment. Maduro was flown to the US Navy amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima ahead of his transfer to New York.
The mission — dubbed “Operation Absolute Resolve” — followed months of escalating tensions between Trump and the Maduro regime and dozens of US military strikes against alleged narcotics-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.
Prior to the mission, the US had established a large military presence around the Caribbean, and Trump had repeatedly threatened to pursue targets in Venezuela.
Caine said that the audacious operation involved months of meticulous planning and rehearsal. That included building a replica of Maduro’s compound, similar to what US special operations forces did ahead of the 2011 Osama bin Laden raid.
The operation on Saturday marks a significant escalation in the Trump administration’s pressure campaign, which also saw the US seize Venezuela-linked oil tankers while imposing a naval blockade targeting sanctioned vessels.
The strikes raise questions about the future of Venezuela’s leadership. Trump said the US will run the country” until it can ensure a safe transition of power, although it’s unclear how Washington will do that.
Trump, meanwhile, has been encouraging American oil companies to become involved in the Venezuelan oil industry.
Some world leaders have reacted strongly to the operation, including some from countries near Venezuela, who criticized the mission. They were joined by some Democratic US lawmakers. Many Republicans voiced their support.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained to reporters in Florida on Saturday that the Trump administration did not notify Congress ahead of the operation and only informed members afterward. The president defended the decision.
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