In the early hours of January 3, US forces carried out a dramatic operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, according to statements from American officials and confirmed by multiple reports. The mission, described as precise, rapid and highly coordinated, was led by one of the most secretive and capable units in the United States military Delta Force.
What is Delta Force
Delta Force is the common name for the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D), an elite special operations unit of the United States Army headquartered at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. It is one of the most highly trained and clandestine military teams in the world, often described as Tier One because of its assignment to the most dangerous, sensitive and high-impact missions directed by the U.S. government.
Delta Force was created in the late 1970s after U.S. military leaders recognised the need for a highly specialised force capable of counterterrorism and hostage rescue missions that regular units could not reliably execute. The unit’s formation was influenced by the British Special Air Service (SAS), and it has operated under various names including Combat Applications Group and Army Compartmented Elements.
Delta Force: What makes it unique
Unlike conventional military units, Delta Force recruits from the top performers of other elite forces such as the Army Rangers and Green Berets. Selection is famously demanding, with rigorous physical, mental and tactical evaluations designed to weed out all but the most capable soldiers. Those who pass are trained in close-quarters combat, sniping, explosives, covert infiltration, hostage rescue and unconventional warfare.
Because of its secretive nature, most of Delta Force’s operations are never publicly acknowledged. Only a few missions have become widely known, such as the 2019 raid in Syria that led to the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
The Maduro operation and global reaction
According to U.S. officials, Delta Force operators conducted the raid in coordination with broader military strikes in Caracas, neutralising Venezuelan military responses and securing Maduro with precision. President Donald Trump described the operation as successful and indicated plans for Maduro to face charges in the United States.
The operation has already sparked strong reactions worldwide, with some countries condemning the mission as a violation of sovereignty while others hailed it as a decisive action against alleged criminal activity.
Delta Force remains an enigmatic yet pivotal instrument in U.S. national security, used only when missions require speed, precision and high-risk decision-making in hostile environments.