Operation Absolute Resolve - Multiple Teams Moving as One Cohesive Force
- agmxdirect
- Jan 10
- 4 min read
A detailed hour-by-hour timeline of Operation Absolute Resolve — the U.S. strategic military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026
~22:46 ET - Estern time (Jan 2, 2026)
President Donald Trump gives the final authorization to launch the operation.
U.S. military aircraft begin to taxi and take off from ~20 bases across the Western Hemisphere, preparing for the precision strike and insertion mission
00:46 BRT ~ 01:00 VET (Jan 3)
U.S. aircraft, including fighters, bombers, electronic warfare jets, reconnaissance platforms, and drones, are already en route to Venezuelan airspace.
Intelligence and cyber effects teams begin suppressing Venezuelan air defenses and radar networks to protect incoming forces.
~02:01 VET
[the main assault phase begins]
The operation officially starts when helicopters carrying U.S. special operations forces touch down near Maduro’s compound in Caracas (Fort Tiuna area).
This moment marks the beginning of the targeted assault force’s insertion under layered air support.
02:01 – 02:15 VET
As the helicopters land, anti-aircraft fire from Venezuelan defenders engages at least one of the U.S. aircraft; the helicopter is reportedly hit but remains operational.
Overhead tactical aircraft, including bombers and fighters, continue to neutralize air defense sites around Caracas, clearing the way for the ground assault.
~02:15 – 02:30 VET
U.S. special forces advance rapidly toward Maduro’s location after breaching defensive perimeters.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, attempt to evade capture but are apprehended on site.
~02:30 – 03:00 VET
After capture, Maduro and Flores are secured and prepared for exfiltration.
Meanwhile, U.S. forces continue operations to ensure air superiority and secure evacuation routes.
~03:00 – 03:29 VET
Maduro and Flores are flown out via USS Iwo Jima amphibious assault ship or similar naval platform.
U.S. forces extract and begin departure from Venezuelan territory, concluding the kinetic phase of the operation.
~04:21 ET
[Early Morning Public Announcement]
President Trump announces success of Operation Absolute Resolve on his social media platform.
He confirms that Nicolás Maduro and his wife have been captured and that the operation was successful.
Key Operational Highlights:
Months of Intelligence Gathering
The operation was preceded by extensive intelligence preparation, including pattern-of-life tracking on Maduro and real-time targeting data.
Air and Cyber Domain Integration
More than 150 aircraft from multiple U.S. services participated, coordinating with Space Command and Cyber Command to cripple Venezuelan air defenses and communications.
Special Forces Entry
Elite units such as Delta Force and special operations aviation elements executed the close-quarters capture under enemy fire.
Minimal U.S. Casualties
Official reports indicate no U.S. fatalities during the operation, although aircraft sustained fire.
How the Operation Was Structured
Analysts and official briefings describe this as a highly precise military action rather than a full-scale invasion. It combined:
Air suppression and deception (to blind and confuse Venezuelan defenses);
Helicopter insertion of assault teams;
Rapid objective domination (capture of high-value targets — Maduro and Flores);
Fast exfiltration before conventional defense forces could pivot.
Outcomes by Dawn
Maduro and Cilia Flores captured and transferred to U.S. custody.
Acting government leadership transition announced in Caracas.
Venezuelan air defenses suppressed during the assault.
An Analysis Through the Lens of Thomas Aquinas — This Might Surprise You
What Legitimate Sovereignty Is for Thomas Aquinas
==> For Saint Thomas, sovereignty (political authority) is legitimate when it:
ultimately proceeds from God (Romans 13:1, properly interpreted);
is exercised in accordance with natural law;
is ordered toward the common good, not private interest;
respects the dignity of the human person and justice.
"The purpose of government is the common good.” The ruler is a minister of order, not the owner of the people.
What Tyranny Is According to Thomas Aquinas
==> Tyranny arises when the ruler:
governs for his own benefit, not for the common good;
exercises power in an arbitrary manner;
uses force, fear, and injustice as instruments of rule;
breaks with natural law and justice.
“The tyrant seeks his own good, not the good of the community." Classic Thomistic definition: Tyranny is the corruption of sovereignty.
Can the People Resist Tyranny?
==> Here Saint Thomas is prudent, yet firm. He teaches that:
Tyranny is an evil;
It is better to prevent tyranny than to confront it once it has taken hold;
Resistance may be legitimate, but it must avoid greater evils (such as chaos or civil war).
“If a regime becomes tyrannical, it is lawful to remove the tyrant, provided that no greater evil results from it.”
Limits of Sovereignty: When Power Ceases to Bind
In the Summa Theologiae, Saint Thomas teaches a central principle:
“An unjust law is not a law, but a corruption of law.” (ST, I–II, q. 96, a. 4)
Direct consequences:
Tyrannical laws do not bind in conscience;
Power loses its moral authority when it separates itself from justice.
Blind obedience is not a virtue for Thomas Aquinas.
Thomistic Synthesis
Sovereignty is just when it serves the common good; when it serves the ruler’s ego, it turns into tyranny and loses its moral legitimacy.
Connection with EXTREME TEAMNESS | The Culture of Magnanimous Cohesion
Thomistic logic applies directly:
Leadership = service ordered toward a higher end;
Organizational tyranny arises when leaders use people as means;
True cohesion exists only where there is justice, a shared purpose, and human dignity.
by Asfene G. Macciantelli
The Author of EXTREME TEAMNESS — The Culture of Magnanimous Cohesion
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