Venezuela After the Capture of Maduro

The Fallout and Implications of Operation Southern Spear: A Tactical Win and Dubious Operational Impact - Potential Strategic Failure?

Nicolás Maduro in Custody Aboard the USS Iwo Jima

At 1:00 a.m. ET on January 3, the United States military launched a daring raid into Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. A helicopter carrying U.S. special operations forces descended on Maduro’s residence as American aircraft and naval assets disabled air defense systems and provided suppressive fire. Maduro and his wife were positively identified by U.S. forces, taken into custody, and transferred aboard the USS Iwo Jima off the Venezuelan coast. The operation lasted less than an hour, resulted in no American casualties, and culminated in the exfiltration of one of the United States’ principal adversaries in Latin America.

Operation Southern Spear was, by any tactical measure, a near-flawless success. However, this mission is already revealing itself as a strategic gamble - one that risks producing instability, weakening international norms, and burdening the United States with responsibilities …