U.S RQ-170 Stealth Drone and CIA Network Power Covert Overnight Operation in Venezuela, Trump Confirms No U.S. Fatalities

Washington / Caracas: Former U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed that a covert U.S. military and intelligence operation was conducted overnight in Venezuela, resulting in multiple injuries but no fatalities on the U.S. side. The disclosure offers one of the clearest public acknowledgements to date of a complex, multi-agency mission that combined stealth aviation, special operations forces, and long-running CIA surveillance inside one of Washington’s most sensitive geopolitical theatres.

According to the statement, U.S. personnel encountered resistance during the operation, leading to non-fatal injuries, but all forces were safely extracted. No further details were provided regarding Venezuelan casualties or material damage, reflecting the classified nature of the mission.

RQ-170 Sentinel Spotted After Mission

Adding weight to the confirmation, aviation trackers and regional observers reported that a U.S. Air Force RQ-170 Sentinel—a highly classified stealth, high-altitude unmanned aircraft—was seen returning to Puerto Rico shortly after the overnight operation concluded. The aircraft’s flight profile and timing strongly suggest it played a critical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) role during the mission.

The RQ-170 Sentinel, developed by Lockheed Martin’s elite Skunk Works, is designed for deep-penetration missions in hostile airspace. With its low observable (stealth) design, advanced sensors, and long endurance, the drone is capable of real-time target tracking, signals intelligence support, and battle-damage assessment—all without alerting enemy radar networks.

CIA Surveillance Laid the Groundwork

In parallel with the military operation, reporting by The New York Times reveals that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had quietly deployed officers into Venezuela beginning in August. Their mission was to monitor the movements, security patterns, and daily routines of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, forming the intelligence backbone for broader U.S. planning.

These officers reportedly focused on human intelligence (HUMINT) collection—mapping routes, timings, and decision-making behavior—while coordinating with technical intelligence assets, including aerial and space-based platforms. Such integration between CIA ground reporting and military ISR systems is characteristic of high-risk special operations, where precision and timing are decisive.

Presidential Reaction: ‘No Other Country Could Do This’

In unusually vivid remarks, Donald Trump described watching the operation unfold in near real time.

“No other country on Earth could pull off a maneuver like this. I watched it all like it was a television show. It was an amazing thing,” he said.

The comment underscores the confidence in U.S. technological and operational superiority, particularly the ability to conduct synchronized covert action thousands of kilometers from home territory, under tight secrecy, and with minimal casualties.

Strategic Signal to Caracas and Beyond

While Washington has not officially detailed the mission’s objective, analysts believe the operation was intended as a strategic signal—demonstrating that despite Venezuela’s air defenses and internal security apparatus, U.S. forces retain the ability to penetrate, observe, and act at will if required.

The visible involvement of the RQ-170 Sentinel, combined with months of CIA groundwork, points to a high-value intelligence or contingency mission, rather than a symbolic show of force. It also highlights the evolving nature of modern conflict, where stealth drones, intelligence officers, and special operators function as a single integrated system.

As regional tensions continue and U.S.–Venezuela relations remain strained, the operation marks a rare, partially unveiled glimpse into how Washington conducts 21st-century covert warfare—quietly, technologically, and with decisive reach.