The United States has reportedly spent billions of dollars over the past year in an extensive operation aimed at capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, while this massive expenditure, detailed across three primary fronts, appears to contradict former President Donald Trump's 'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) campaign pledge to avoid costly foreign military interventions. The operation, described as one of America's most expensive military endeavors, involved significant naval. And air deployments, a substantial bounty, and covert CIA activities, all focused on neutralizing Maduro.
Operation Southern Spear: A Costly Military Deployment
The core of the effort to neutralize Nicolas Maduro was an initiative dubbed Operation Southern Spear, which commenced in September. This ambitious campaign, as reported by Defense One magazine, involved the deployment of formidable military assets, while at its forefront were a warship, a nuclear submarine, and a Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, collectively valued at an staggering $40 billion. These naval assets formed a crucial part of the encirclement strategy around Venezuela. Complementing the naval power, the operation also saw the deployment of significant air superiority, including 83 fighter jets, 10 advanced F-35 jets, and 7 Reaper drones. These aerial components alone were valued at an additional $3 billion. The sheer scale of this deployment meant that the operational costs were astronomical, with an estimated. Expenditure of $333,000 (approximately 3 crore Indian Rupees) per hour for maintaining these assets around Venezuela. The entire operational phase, spanning from September to January, accumulated approximately 3700 hours. Of active deployment, leading to an immense total cost for this military encirclement.
The Hefty Bounty on Maduro's Head
Beyond the direct military expenditures, a significant financial incentive was placed on the capture of Nicolas Maduro. The United States offered a substantial reward of $50 million, equivalent to approximately 450 crore Indian Rupees, for information leading to his arrest. This bounty was reportedly distributed to officials immediately following the operation. Notably, a pilot involved in landing a helicopter received a sum of approximately $2 million from the American treasury, indicating specific incentives for key personnel. The magnitude of this reward underscores the high priority the US placed on Maduro's capture, as it was double. The bounty previously offered for Osama bin Laden, highlighting the perceived threat or strategic importance of the Venezuelan leader.
CIA's Extensive Secret Operation and Budget Allocation
The operation against Maduro wasn't solely a conventional military effort; it also involved a significant covert component led by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). According to the White House, the CIA was allocated a substantial budget of $101 billion (approximately 9 lakh crore Indian Rupees) for its operations this year. This budget was broadly divided, with $73 billion designated for intelligence gathering and $28 billion for military actions. A considerable portion of this overall CIA budget was reportedly channeled towards the Venezuela operation, indicating the depth of intelligence and covert action involved in the effort to destabilize or capture Maduro, while this allocation signifies the multi-faceted approach taken by the US, combining overt military pressure with clandestine intelligence operations.
Ground Deployment and Strategic Planning
The military encirclement of Venezuela's capital, Caracas, was a critical aspect of the strategy. The operation involved the deployment of 150 helicopters, suggesting a readiness for rapid air assault or extraction. On top of that, approximately 10,000 American soldiers were strategically positioned around Caracas, indicating a substantial ground presence aimed at securing the area or executing specific objectives. The planning for this extensive military action reportedly commenced in August, with American soldiers meticulously developing attack plans. This long-term strategic preparation underscores the seriousness and comprehensive nature of the US's intent to remove Maduro from power.
Past Failures and Evolved Strategy
The current operation wasn't the first attempt by the United States to effect a change in leadership in Venezuela. In 2020, the US had previously attempted to conduct an operation against Venezuela, which ultimately failed to achieve its objectives. Learning from this past setback, the US adopted a more cautious and multi-pronged approach this time. A key element of the evolved strategy involved a concerted effort to portray Maduro as a. "drugs kingpin" in Western media, aiming to delegitimize his rule internationally and garner public support for intervention. Following this media campaign, Caracas was systematically encircled, intensifying pressure on Maduro. Despite these efforts, Maduro reportedly refused to yield to American demands, demonstrating his resilience.
Leadership and Political Implications
The responsibility for this complex operation was eventually entrusted to Marco Rubio by President Trump. Rubio, serving as the Foreign Minister, took the lead in the CIA operation against Nicolas Maduro, while he worked in conjunction with War Secretary Pete Hegseth and the CIA chief to bring the operation to its final stages. The American outlet Axios reported that if this campaign were to ultimately fail, the blame would likely fall squarely on Rubio. This highlights the high stakes and political accountability associated with such a high-profile and costly international intervention, especially one that reportedly contradicts the stated foreign policy principles of the administration.
