Eight Military Takeaways from the Maduro Raid
Patrick Sullivan and John Amble | 01.09.26
Eight Military Takeaways from the Maduro Raid
Despite steadily heightening tensions, heated rhetoric, US strikes against alleged drug trafficking boats, and a buildup of US forces near Venezuela, news of the successful mission to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro still surprised the world. Much of the discussion since has focused on the geopolitical stakes, questions of international law, and the domestic political context. Such discussion will undoubtedly continue.
But apart from these, there is also a military lens through which to examine Operation Absolute Resolve. What can we learn from the raid, which from a purely operational perspective was stunningly successful? How should we understand the operation in the context of the United States’ strategic global military rivalry with Russia and China? And how do the capabilities on display during the few hours in Caracas figure in the context of a potential large-scale conflict with a peer adversary?
Eight main takeaways from the operation stand out.
SOF: The Enduring Hammer
https://mwi.westpoint.edu/eight-military-takeaways-from-the-maduro-raid/
