Overview
- The New York Times reports that an infiltrated source inside the Venezuelan government provided precise location and movement data in the days before Maduro’s detention.
- A network of low‑observable drones delivered real‑time imagery that, paired with human intelligence, kept continuous track of the Venezuelan leader.
- U.S. special operations forces executed the detention as a police‑style mission rather than a CIA-directed strike.
- According to the reporting, covert CIA teams began mapping Maduro’s pattern of life in August 2025, followed by a November authorization from President Trump to plan operations tied to Venezuela.
- Key details about the source remain undisclosed, with ex‑officials suggesting the U.S. $50 million reward may have encouraged cooperation, and a late‑December armed‑drone strike on a pier marked an earlier escalation.