New high-resolution satellite photos have uncovered significant destruction at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, right where U.S. special forces captured President Nicolás Maduro in a daring overnight raid. The images, captured before and after the January 3 operation, show flattened buildings, burned-out vehicles, and craters dotting the hillside facility just south of Caracas, highlighting the precision and firepower involved.

U.S. forces launched Operation Absolute Resolve with a massive air assault involving over 150 aircraft, including drones and stealth fighters, that neutralized Venezuelan air defenses in minutes. Delta Force operators, guided by CIA intelligence on Maduro's exact location inside his fortified residence at the base, cut power to the area and stormed in, taking Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores into custody without resistance. They were swiftly extracted by helicopter to a waiting U.S. naval vessel before being flown to New York to face charges of narco-terrorism and related crimes.

Imagery from Vantor satellites depicts at least five structures reduced to rubble, a torched security outpost, and scattered debris across vehicle lots—no massive bomb craters, suggesting the use of targeted munitions like JDAMs or small-diameter bombs to disable key assets while sparing broader infrastructure. Experts say the strikes crippled radar systems, command centers, and anti-aircraft batteries, paving a clear path for the ground team in under 30 minutes.

President Trump praised the mission as a "perfect takedown," pledging U.S. support for a Venezuelan transition government amid the country's economic collapse. Russia, China, and Iran condemned the action as a violation of sovereignty, while regional players like Colombia's Petro remained cautious; Maduro loyalists claim unity, but opposition voices celebrate potential relief from years of sanctions and repression. Legality debates rage, drawing parallels to the 2011 Bin Laden raid, as Maduro's long-standing U.S. indictment fueled the justification. This bold strike marks a turning point in Latin American tensions, with eyes now on Maduro's U.S. trial and Venezuela's fragile power vacuum.