At the heart of the U.S. mission that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife was an elite, highly secretive special forces team, according to several reports.
Quoting official sources, media outlets like The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal reported that Delta Force, along with law enforcement teams, carried out the capture of Maduro under Operation Absolute Resolve. It was a sudden night operation targeting the Venezuelan leader's residence in Caracas, reports Business Insider.
While speaking about the complex mission, President Donald Trump said it was carried out by the "most highly trained soldiers in the world", adding that no one else matches their level of skill and ability.
The president may have been referring to everyone involved in the mission. U.S. officials said the action to capture Maduro used forces from land, air, sea, space, cyber, and intelligence domains. However, Trump's words also clearly fit Delta Force, a top-level special operations unit.
Here is what is known so far about this elite force.
A Crucial Yet Deeply Secretive Force
Delta Force, officially called the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (SFOD-D), is a highly secret unit responsible for tracking, capturing, or eliminating high-value targets.
Like other top-tier special mission units, such as SEAL Team 6, Delta Force handles some of the most secretive and difficult missions carried out by the U.S. Army.
The special operations unit was formed in the 1970s by Charlie Beckwith for direct combat, unconventional warfare (fighting using non-traditional methods like guerrilla tactics, covert actions, and local fighters), and counterterrorism missions. It is headquartered at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, which is also home to other U.S. Army special operations forces.
The operators are trained for rapid infiltration (quickly entering a target area) and exfiltration (safely exiting after the mission), close-range fighting, accurate shooting, handling explosives, hostage rescue, and many other high-risk skills.
In contrast to many other units, Delta Force selects the best and most experienced fighters from across the U.S. armed forces, though it mostly recruits from U.S. Army special operations units.
Known as "quiet professionals," Delta Force operators usually do not talk publicly about their missions or actions.
Most of the elite unit's work is highly classified, but a few Delta Force missions have become publicly known.
Delta Force took part in the Operation Just Cause, which led to the capture of Panamanian ruler Manuel Noriega during the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama. The unit also proved its skill in the Battle of Mogadishu, later shown in the book and movie Black Hawk Down. Two snipers were honoured after death with the Medal of Honor for their bravery.
Operation Just Cause :
Manuel Noriega was the military dictator of Panama, who controlled the country's government and armed forces. He was accused by the United States of drug trafficking, corruption, and abusing power, which led to the 1989 U.S. invasion and his eventual capture.
Battle of Mogadishu :
This was a 1993 mission in Somalia to capture warlord leaders. U.S. troops faced heavy street fighting, helicopters were shot down, and soldiers fought bravely to protect each other under extreme danger.
In this century (the 2000s and later years), the unit was rapidly sent to Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks, helped in the 2003 capture of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, and was involved in the 2019 operation that killed Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
According to Business Insider, Delta Force, along with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, played a key role in the capture of Maduro.
The Attack on Venezuela and the Raid on Maduro's Residence
The U.S. president and other American officials revealed details of the raid that captured Maduro on Saturday, January 3, 2026.
Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the capture team (the soldiers assigned to arrest Maduro) stormed a heavily guarded compound to seize Maduro after months of careful planning. U.S. intelligence agencies closely tracked his daily routine, while other teams trained on a mock copy (a practice model built to look exactly like his real house) of Maduro's home. The same method was earlier used to prepare for the 2011 raid on Osama bin Laden's compound.
Reports say Delta Force was moved into the target area by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (160th SOAR)-known as the Night Stalkers, who specialise in flying elite soldiers into and out of dangerous locations using high-skill helicopter operations.
With fighter jets, bombers, and electronic warfare aircraft giving support and protection, Caine said the helicopters carrying the capture team reached the target with complete surprise.
During the complex capture mission, U.S. operators moved quickly through the building, located Maduro and his wife, and secured them before they could lock themselves inside a steel safe room.
Trump said Venezuela's military was overpowered by U.S. forces. He added that a few American personnel were injured, and one helicopter was hit but could still fly. No soldiers or equipment were lost during the mission.
The Trump administration says Maduro supported narco-terrorism (drug trafficking) and other crimes. It also claims the operation was linked to oil, accusing Venezuela of using oil money to fund harmful activities. Maduro has denied all these charges.
Trump said on Saturday, January 3, 2026, that the U.S. would manage Venezuela until a "safe and proper" election is held. He also said U.S. oil companies would enter Venezuela, a country that holds the world's largest proven crude oil reserves.
To protect these actions, Trump said he has not ruled out sending U.S. troops on the ground. He added that the U.S. military is ready to carry out more strikes if required.
Pamela Bondi, the U.S. Attorney General, said Maduro and his wife have been charged in New York with drug and weapons crimes, and Maduro is expected to appear in court.
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(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany)