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President Donald Trump confirmed that Delta Force — the U.S. Army’s most elite counterterrorism and direct-action unit — carried out the daring overnight operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
Delta Force, officially known as 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta, specializes in high-risk missions involving the capture or killing of high-value targets, as well as other sensitive operations that require speed, secrecy and precision.
The unit operates under U.S. Special Operations Command and is typically deployed when missions carry significant political or strategic stakes.
According to Military.com, Delta Force is based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the hub of U.S. Army special operations training. The unit has previously been involved in some of the most consequential U.S. military operations, including the 2003 capture of Saddam Hussein. The secretive unit also conducted numerous counterterrorism missions in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the Middle East, targeting senior al-Qaeda figures.
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Delta Force is commanded by a senior Army officer, but the identity of the unit’s leader is also kept classified, as is the exact size of the unit.
It is unclear how many members took part in the Venezuela operation.
During the raid, U.S. Army helicopters from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the “Night Stalkers,” flew the special operations forces into Venezuela, officials said.
At least seven explosions were heard in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, and low-flying aircraft were seen over the city at about 2 a.m. local time, according to reports.
The CIA provided intelligence to the Department of War that helped guide Delta Force to Maduro and his wife, whom President Donald Trump said were apprehended during the U.S. military operation.
Officials emphasized that while the CIA played a critical role in tracking and locating Maduro, U.S. military special operations forces carried out the physical capture.
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Trump told “FOX & Friends Weekend” early Saturday that U.S. military personnel involved in the operation “did an incredible job.”
“They rehearsed and practiced like nobody’s ever seen,” Trump said. “And I was told by real military people that there’s no other country on earth that could do such a maneuver.”
Trump said he watched the operation unfold in real time.
“The whole maneuver of the landings, the number of aircraft — which were massive — the number of helicopters, different types of helicopters, different types of fighter jets,” Trump said. “We had a fighter jet for every possible situation.”
“They just broke in and they broke into places that were not really able to be broken into,” he added. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Trump said Maduro was inside a fortified residence but was captured before he could reach a secure area.
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Trump also said there were injuries during the operation but no U.S. fatalities and no aircraft losses.
Maduro and his wife were taken aboard the USS Iwo Jima and are expected to be transported to the United States, where they could appear in federal court in New York City as soon as Monday, Fox News has learned.
Fox News’ Rachel Wolf, David Spunt, Jennifer Griffin and Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.
