Business -- 1 month ago
Operating in the shadows of war: the special forces you maybe haven’t heard of
As global tensions rise, elite task forces not armies are re-shaping global outcomes, mostly away from the public eye. These covert units have become the modern day pawns of political power.
- Words: Archie Rutland
On 3 January 2026, a high-stakes U.S. military operation swept through Caracas before dawn, culminating in the capture of Venezuela’s embattled de facto leader, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores. Codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve, it was not a conventional invasion but a meticulously planned raid conducted by elite special forces and supporting units under Joint Special Operations Command. The world watched in disbelief as a sitting president was seized on foreign soil and flown to the United States to face federal charges. It was a moment which emphasised how clandestine units have become instruments of power in the 21st century.
