BLUF: Operation Absolute Resolve
Welcome back from the holidays and a Happy New Year to all of our BLUF readers! 2026 kicked off with no shortage of big news but, to no surprise to any of you, we have been most captivated by the operation in Venezuela.
Putting aside the policy discussion around the decision to move forward with said operation for just a moment, the mission to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, Operation Absolute Resolve, was a stunning success. In the words of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Gen. Dan Caine: “This was an audacious operation that only the United States could do.”
From the reported embedded CIA assets on the ground to the advanced cyber capabilities, the precision flying from our military pilots (more than 150 aircraft were involved!), and the perfect execution by members of the 160th SOAR and Delta Force acting with unbelievable coordination, this operation serves as yet another proof point of America’s unmatched military strength and effectiveness. Bucking advanced foreign Chinese and Russian air defense systems, United States government personnel were able to waltz in and out of a capital city without - thankfully - sustaining any losses.
While we point to the advanced systems and capabilities that were used to make the operation a success, make no mistake, what continues to set America apart from our adversaries is our people.
Those involved in this operation - from the planning to the brave execution - were incredible and deserve to be heaped with all the praise. But we’re going to wrap up tonight’s topper by pointing out a group that might not get as much love but played an important role: the news outlets who possessed advanced knowledge of the operation but decided to hold the story until after the raid so as to not put in harm’s way those involved in this highly sensitive and risky mission.
Despite the serious disagreements we might have in society, or the Administration has with those that cover them, the shared loyalty and commitment we as Americans have to our country remains our defining strength and enduring advantage. We would all do well to remember that when the stories of fracture become overwhelming.
(Sidenote: If anyone has the story behind Maduro’s tracksuit we’re dying to know!)
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