The US operation in Venezuela appears to have been carried out with “impressive speed,” likely with the involvement of special operations forces, according to a munitions and intelligence specialist.
N.R. Jenzen-Jones, director of the research company Armament Research Services, told CNN Saturday that the operation “appears at first blush to have been carried out with impressive speed and precision.”
“The mix of visible aircraft, the known presence of certain US vessels, and the nature and volume of the reported strikes in the imagery circulating online immediately suggested that a raid using special operations forces (SOF) was underway,” he said.
“In addition to at least a dozen helicopters, the operation will have been supported by a robust air package comprising both fixed and rotary wing assets, including specialist aircraft,” Jenzen-Jones said.
The operation would have required a large amount of planning, but so far, the “number and nature” of the strikes reported suggests a “limited target set.”
For its part, Venezuela has “robust air defence systems and locally distributed military, paramilitary, and law enforcement forces” in Caracas, Jenzen-Jones said, meaning that a raid such as this should have been “difficult to conduct with the speed and precision exhibited here.”
“In practice, corruption, poor training, lack of maintenance, and other factors significantly reduce this threat,” he said.- CNN