The CIA’s highly secretive ‘Ground Branch’ unit paved the way for Special Forces troops to launch an operation on Nicolas Maduro’s stronghold in Venezuela, as revealed by The Mirror.
Deployed in Caracas since August, the Ground Branch team, part of the CIA Special Activities Centre, monitored Maduro’s movements, identified entry points for Army Delta Force commandos, and compiled detailed intelligence on Maduro and his security personnel for the mission.
Operating covertly, the team meticulously studied Maduro’s routines, assessed building structures, identified security measures, and planned routes, all while evading Caracas security forces. The tension escalated daily, with the US Navy fleet on standby off the coast.
In a high-stakes operation on a Saturday, Maduro, his wife Cilia Flores, and others were apprehended during a mission involving 150 warplanes and 11 ships. Subsequently, Maduro and his wife faced narco-terror charges in a New York court, pleading not guilty.
The Ground Branch team comprises elite operatives, including ex-Army Delta Force members and former Navy SEALs, recognized as one of the US government’s most secretive ‘black ops’ units. Concurrently, regular CIA agents collaborated with defectors from the Maduro regime to gather vital intelligence.
This operation, characterized as a ‘black op,’ was a prolonged and risky endeavor, heavily reliant on defectors for insider information. The Ground Branch’s covert approach emphasized plausible deniability to shield the operatives and the US government in case of exposure.
Described by a source as an exceptionally challenging mission due to its complexity and absence of official cover, the Ground Branch operates discreetly, recruiting specialized individuals from special forces units and providing extensive training in espionage tactics.
Established to fulfill the need for a paramilitary force capable of executing clandestine missions, Ground Branch operatives are skilled in various roles, including assassination, intelligence gathering, sabotage, and mission planning. This initiative emerged following the failed 1980 Operation Claw during President Jimmy Carter’s administration.
Comparatively, the UK’s closest equivalent to Ground Branch is the SAS ‘E Squadron,’ collaborating closely with MI6 on operations.
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