Soon after news broke that the United States had conducted an operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in Caracas and bring them to the United States to face drug trafficking charges, a wave of media coverage erupted. Much of the public discussion focused on the event’s geostrategic implications, questions of policy, and the political and legal context. But what if we examine the raid exclusively military operation.
It is difficult to argue that the action was anything other than a success at the tactical and operational level. Its execution accomplished its objectives at extraordinarily virtually zero losses in personnel or equipment. And it was almost certainly preceded by months of planning and rehearsals—a vital component of an operation of this scale and complexity. But what were the key capabilities that led to this success? What are the challenges that need to be overcome to enable a task-organized, joint and interagency force package to cooperate with the precision that characterized the operation? And how applicable are the lessons we can extract from the mission’s execution to other contexts—namely, large-scale combat operations?
To explore these questions and more, John Amble is joined on this episode of the MWI Podcast by two guests with extensive—and relevant—combat experience. Liam Collins is a retired US Army colonel who spent much of his career in special operations units. And Jimmy Blackmon, also a retired colonel, is a former Army helicopter pilot. Both have taken part in a large number of missions targeting key combatant leaders in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.
The MWI Podcast is produced through an endowment generously funded by the West Point Class of 1974. You can listen to this episode of the podcast below, and if you aren’t already subscribed, be sure to find it on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or your favorite podcast app so you don’t miss an episode. While you’re there, please take just a moment to leave the podcast a rating or give it a review!
Image credit: Petty Officer 2nd Class Gladjimi Balisage, US Navy
