WIREDGOV

The US operation to remove Maduro succeeded despite fundamental ambiguity about what cyber delivered but that opacity has strategic consequences.

On 3 January 2026, US forces conducted Operation Absolute Resolve – a multi-domain operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The operation followed months of military buildup and escalating pressure, including the seizure of oil tankers carrying Venezuelan crude. Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, noted in the press conference that as they approached Venezuelan shores in the early hours of 3 January, forces began ‘layering different effects’ provided by Space Command, Cyber Command and other agencies to ‘create a pathway’ for the operation.

President Trump added that the ‘lights in Caracas were turned off due to a certain expertise we have.’ These two brief mentions, albeit vague, were enough to trigger speculation of cyber capabilities to create the blackout. We lack detail on what Cyber Command actually delivered – reconnaissance, disruption, or both.

This commentary argues that analysing Operation Absolute Resolve through a cyber effects lens alone is insufficient. The operation's lessons emerge only when situated within Venezuela's precarious infrastructure, the strategic calculus of how cyber plays into multi-domain operations, and the broader political objectives – particularly oil – that shaped US decision-making.

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