The US operation in Venezuela appears to have been carried out with “impressive speed” and likely with the involvement of special operations forces, according to a munitions and intelligence expert.
NR Jenzen-Jones, director of research firm Armament Research Services, told CNN this Saturday (3) that “it appears, at first glance, to have been carried out with impressive speed and precision”.
“The combination of visible aircraft, the known presence of certain U.S. ships, and the nature and volume of attacks reported in circulating images online They immediately suggested that a SOF (Special Operations Forces) attack was underway,” he said.
“In addition to at least a dozen helicopters, the operation was supported by a robust air package consisting of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, including specialized aircraft,” said Jenzen-Jones.
The operation would have required a great deal of planning, but so far, the “number and nature” of reported attacks suggest a “limited set of targets”.
For its part, Venezuela has “robust air defense systems and locally distributed military, paramilitary and police forces” in Caracas, Jenzen-Jones said, meaning an attack like this should have been “difficult to carry out with the speed and precision demonstrated.”
“In practice, corruption, inadequate training, lack of maintenance and other factors significantly reduce this threat,” he said.
