The operation, performed in 2019 by the famous Seals Red Squadron, sought to give the US a strategic advantage in the conversations that Donald Trump then kept with Kim Jong-un. It eventually resulted in the death of unarmed North Korean civilians.
In early 2019, a secret military operation of the United States, designed to penetrate the confidentiality of North Korea, ran disastrously badly, eventually resulting in civil death and exposing the extreme risks of clandestine missions against Nuclear Weapons Adversaries.
The mission, authorized directly by the President Donald Trumpthen in its first term, was executed by the famous Red Squadronthe elite unit of Seal Team 6 which.
The objective of the operation was Install an electronic device advanced in North Korean territory, capable of intercept communications From Kim Jong un, he revealed on Friday.
At a time when Trump drove a high -risk personal diplomacy with the North Korean leader, the intelligence that the device allowed to collect would have offered Washington Precious information about Kim’s intentions.
However, what started as a meticulously planned infiltration turned into a clumsy operationwhich culminated in the death of unarmed North Korean civilians and in a hasty seals removed. The mission had never been publicly disclosed – so far.
The plan depended on Discretion and Precision. From a nuclear submarine, the seals launched two mini-submarines to approach the coast. Wearing diving facts and equipped with non -traceable weaponsthey faced icy waters, with the objective of reach your target without being detected.
Contrary to what happens normally in these special operations, the mission operated under a Total Blocking of Communications. Real -time drones or transmissions could expose the operation, leaving the team dependent on outdated satellite images and previous tests.
The commanders knew that Any failure could make it crumble The delicate diplomacy and trigger a broader military confrontation.
O North Korea Arsenalconsisting of thousands of artillery pieces pointed to South Korea, ballistic missiles capable of hitting the US and an expanding nuclear stock, made the risks particularly dangerous. Up to one Small shooting could cause a climb.
The collapse of the operation
After months of rehearsals, the team reached what they believed was a deserted coast. But three critical errors complicated the operation. First call, one of the mini-submarines exceeded the landing pointleaving the pair misaligned.
Then, while the seals swam to the coast, they did not notice in the presence, near the place, A small fishing vesselwhose crew was difficult to identify with night vision equipment. Finally, by repositioning a submarine, its track may have warned the North Koreans.
When the north-Korean vessel lanterns began to sweep the waters by the place where the seals were, The team feared to be discovered. No way to communicate with mini-submarines pilots or command, the leader of the Seal team gave IMMEDIATE OPENING FIRE.
In seconds, All aboard the boat were dead.
When inspecting the scene, the seals found that The crew was after all civiland that was in the place apparently the dive. No weapons were found. Following the protocol to hide evidenceThe seals tried to sink the bodies before they retired.
With the aborted mission, sent a sign of help. Risking to expose himself as he approached the coast, the submarine extracted the team, and all its elements escaped unharmed-but The device has never been installed.
Silence and secret
American satellites later detected a increased activity Military in the area, although Pyongyang never issued a public response to the incident. Analysts are still unaware of whether the North Korean authorities Have you ever understood what happened.
Nonetheless, Trump continued with his diplomatic efforts. Weeks later, a summit with Kim Jong-un took place at Vietname, that no agreement resulted.
In summer, North Korea resumed nuclear missile testsat a higher pace than previous years. Currently, US intelligence estimates that the country has about 50 nuclear warheadsand ability to produce dozens more.
Os mission details were kept secret Not only from the public, but also from the defense and intelligence committees of Congress.
Failure in North Korea It was not the first example of ambitious missions of Seal Team 6 that failed catastrophically.
Since Granada in 1983, where Four Seals drowned Before reaching the target, even incidents in Somalia, Afghanistan and Yemen, the history of mythical unit includes Both spectacular successes and expensive failures.
Critics within the army state that seals sometimes pursue missions too complex, relying on your reputation of audacity instead of conservatively risks.
Hits and with great visibilitylike the elimination of Osama Bin Laden (and Hollywood movies) molded public perceptionbut failures remain often hidden by secretism.
During the presidency of Barack ObamaSpecial Operations Missions were more rigorously supervised, reserved for extraordinary cases. The Trump administration loosened these restrictions, approving audacious missions with less consideration.
In his first term, just a few days after taking office in 2017, Donald Trump authorized a Team 6 robbery at Yemen that left a navy seal and more than Two dozen civil civilians.
After Trump’s departure, the 2019 aborted mission was scrutinated again. The then Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin He ordered a revision by an independent commission, led by the army inspector general. In 2021, the Biden Administration made known to Congress the conclusions of the Commission.
According to government officials cited by the NYT, the report concluded that the performance of seals took place within the rules, and that the mission collapsed due to unpredictable complications.
For some responsible, the incident remains a warning: behind the myth of the elite commands, There is a bankruptcy record hidden from the public.
As a former defense official said, “when special operations like it fail, they do not only put lives at risk; Wars are risked for which No one is prepared”.
