Videos suggest stealthy Air Force drone flew recon for Maduro capture
By Stephen Losey
Jan 5, 2026, 04:05 PM
The fleet of aircraft that took part in the U.S. military’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro included bombers, fighters and surveillance aircraft from multiple services — and reportedly one of the Air Force’s secretive recon drones.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a Saturday news briefing with President Donald Trump that more than 150 aircraft took off from 20 locations on land and sea to support Maduro’s capture.
The airborne element of Operation Absolute Resolve, as the U.S. government dubbed the mission, included F-22 Raptors, F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, F/A-18 Hornets and B-1 Lancer bombers, Caine said. It also included E/A-18 Growlers, a Hornet variant that specializes in electronic warfare, E-2 Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft and other helicopters and support aircraft, Caine said.
Caine also said the force included “numerous remotely piloted drones.” Aircraft from the Air Force, Air National Guard, Navy and Marine Corps took part in the operation, he said.
https://www.defensenews.com/air/2026/01/05/videos-suggest-stealthy-air-force-drone-flew-recon-for-maduro-capture/
