For months, U.S. intelligence agencies monitored Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s every move.TAG_OPEN_p_97

It was a small team, including a source within the Venezuelan government. According to top military officials, Maduro, 63, was keeping an eye on where he slept, what he ate, what he wore and even “his pet animals”.

Then in early December, a mission called “Operation Absolute Resolve” was finalized. It was the result of months of meticulous planning and drills, in which elite U.S. troops mimicked Maduro’s safe haven in Caracas and drilled through entrances.

This plan was kept completely secret. The Congress was not informed or consulted in advance. Once all the details were worked out, the top military officers were just waiting for the right time.

This operation was an extraordinary U.S. military intervention in Latin America in the post-Cold War period.TAG_OPEN_p_93

} According to the authorities, they wanted to carry out a surprise attack on Saturday. Four days ago, when Trump approved this campaign, there was an attempt to start it. But later it was decided to wait for better weather and less cloudy conditions.

“Over the Christmas and New Year’s lines, the men and women of the U.S. military sat for weeks fully prepared, patiently waiting for the right signals and presidential orders,” Gen. Dan Kaine, the top U.S. military official, said at a news conference on Saturday morning.TAG_OPEN_p_91 ”

Finally, at 10:46 p.m. local time on Friday night, the president ordered the mission to begin.TAG_OPEN_p_90 “We could have done it four days earlier, three days earlier, or two days earlier,” Trump told Fox & Friends, hours after the overnight operation on Saturday morning. But all of a sudden, the situation got better and we said, ‘Go, do it.’ ”

According to General Kaine, Trump said, “He told us, and we appreciate it…TAG_OPEN_p_89 Good luck, you all succeed. ”

}

Trump’s order came just before midnight in Caracas, giving the military almost all night to work in the dark.TAG_OPEN_p_88

What happened next shocked many people, not just Washington, but many around the world.TAG_OPEN_p_87 It was an operation conducted by air, land and sea, which was completed in 2 hours and 20 minutes. In terms of its size and accuracy, it was considered almost unprecedented.

This was followed by a condemnation by many regional powers. Brazil’s President Lula da Silva said the violent arrest of the Venezuelan leader was a “very dangerous precedent for the entire international community”.

Trump did not monitor the mission from the White House Situation Room.TAG_OPEN_p_85 Instead, he was with his advisers at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, where he sat down with CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to watch a live broadcast of the campaign.

“It was unbelievable to watch,” Trump said Saturday.TAG_OPEN_p_84 I was really watching it as if I was watching a TV show. If you could see their speed and violence… It was really amazing, these people did a wonderful job. ”

Thousands TAG_OPEN_p_83 of U.S. troops have been deployed to the region in recent months. With an aircraft carrier and dozens of warships, it was the largest military gathering in decades. President Trump has accused Maduro of drug trafficking and narco-terrorism and destroyed dozens of boats allegedly carrying drugs in the area.

But the initial signs of “Operation Absolute Resolve” began to appear in the sky. According to US officials, more than 150 aircraft, including bombers, fighter jets and surveillance aircraft, were deployed overnight.

“It was very complicated,” Trump told Fox News.TAG_OPEN_p_81 All the maneuvers, the landings, the number of planes—we had a fighter plane ready for every possible situation. ”

At around TAG_OPEN_p_80 02:00 local time, a powerful explosion was heard in Caracas and plumes of smoke billowed over the city. Journalist Ana Vanessa Herrero told the BBC: “I heard a very loud noise, there was an explosion. All the windows shook. Then I saw a huge cloud of smoke, which covered almost the entire scene. ”

According to him, planes and helicopters were flying all over the city.TAG_OPEN_p_79 Videos soon began to circulate on social media, showing planes flying over the sky and what appeared to be after the explosion. One video showed a group of helicopters flying at low altitudes over Caracas, with smoke billowing from the explosion below. “We were woken up at about 01:55 by the roar of explosions and the sound of planes flying over Caracas,” Daniela, an eyewitness, told the BBC. It was dark everywhere, only the glow of the explosion nearby. ”

}She added, “In the group chat of the neighbors, everyone was messaging each other. Everyone was confused, no one knew what was happening and everyone was afraid of the explosion. ”

BBC TAG_OPEN_p_77 Verify has examined a number of videos showing explosions, fires and smoke in different areas of Caracas and is trying to find out which locations were targeted during the US operation.

So far, BBC Verify has confirmed five locations, including Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base, La Carlotta Airport and Port La Guaira, which connects Caracas to the Caribbean Sea.TAG_OPEN_p_76

According to officials, some of the airstrikes targeted air defense systems and other military bases.TAG_OPEN_p_75 Trump also indicated that there would be a power cut in Caracas before the mission began, but did not say how.

TAG_OPEN_p_74″Caracas had a massive power outage due to our special capabilities,” he said. It was dark, and it proved deadly. ”

As the sound of attacks echoed around Caracas, American troops were entering the city at the same time. According to sources at the BBC’s American partner CBS, members of the US military’s top special missions unit ‘Delta Force’ were also involved.

They were heavily armed and carried blowtorches to cut through the iron doors of Maduro’s safe house if necessary.TAG_OPEN_p_72

According to General Kane, the troops arrived at Maduro’s base shortly after the invasion began at 02:01 local time.TAG_OPEN_p_71 Trump described the base as a “heavily guarded military stronghold” in the heart of Caracas.

TAG_OPEN_p_70″They were fully prepared and waiting for us,” he said. They knew we were coming. ”

As soon as the troops arrived, they were fired upon and an American helicopter was also targeted, but it managed to take off safely.TAG_OPEN_p_69

General Cain said, “The team that arrested Maduro descended on his compound and proceeded with speed, accuracy and discipline.”TAG_OPEN_p_68 ”

According to Trump, “They went straight in and even went into places that were not easy to get into, such as specially fitted steel doors.”TAG_OPEN_p_67 ”

Maduro’s wife, Celia Flores, was also arrested in the operation.TAG_OPEN_p_66

While the operation was underway, Secretary of State Rubio began briefing lawmakers on the action.TAG_OPEN_p_65 Later, some members of Congress expressed dissatisfaction with the decision.

Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said, “I want to be clear.TAG_OPEN_p_64 Nicolás Maduro is an illegitimate dictator. But it is reckless to launch military action without congressional approval and without a credible plan of what will happen next. ”

At Saturday’s press conference, Rubio said the mission could have been at risk if Congress had been informed earlier.TAG_OPEN_p_63 Trump added
, “There is a risk of leaking information in Congress, which is not good.” ”

TAG_OPEN_p_62 In recent months, Maduro has reportedly increased his reliance on Cuban bodyguards.

According to Trump, when elite US troops were entering Maduro’s compound, the Venezuelan president was trying to flee to a safe room.TAG_OPEN_p_61

He said,
}”He was trying to get to a safe place, which was not safe, because we could blow that door down in 47 seconds.” ”

He added,
“He reached for the door, but couldn’t close it. He was surrounded so fast that he couldn’t get into the room. ”

Asked if Maduro could have been killed if there had been resistance during the arrests, Trump said: “It could have happened.”TAG_OPEN_p_58 ”

He said the U.S. side had “one or two wounded,” but no soldiers were killed.TAG_OPEN_p_57 Venezuelan authorities have not confirmed any deaths.

Earlier, TAG_OPEN_p_56 the United States had announced a reward of five million dollars for information leading to Maduro’s arrest.

But as of 04:20 a.m. local time on Saturday, Maduro and his wife were in the custody of the US Department of Justice and the helicopter carrying them was leaving the Venezuelan border.TAG_OPEN_p_55 The Maduro couple was being flown to New York, where they are expected to face criminal trials.

About TAG_OPEN_p_54 an hour later, Trump announced to the world that they had been arrested. “Maduro and his wife will soon have to face the full power of the US justice system,” he said. ”