{"id":15963,"date":"2026-01-15T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/holistic.news\/en\/?p=15963"},"modified":"2026-01-13T15:06:20","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T14:06:20","slug":"delta-force-origins-how-failure-created-an-elite-unit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/holistic.news\/en\/delta-force-origins-how-failure-created-an-elite-unit\/","title":{"rendered":"Started by Tragedy: How Delta Force Became Invincible"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Walking Into a Military Base in Caracas<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I could hardly believe it was happening. No one stopped me, searched me, or even glanced at my backpack. No permits, no ID checks, no basic questions like: \u201cWho are you? What brings you here?\u201d A friend of mine, a captain, simply walked me past the sentry post. Just like that, I was standing inside a major military base in the heart of Caracas.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

My surprise only grew when I saw the “discipline” of the soldiers on duty. Men in uniforms drifted around the base, joking and laughing\u2014it felt more like a khaki-colored fiesta than a cog in a high-functioning war machine. After touring the facility, my friend called a driver for a military vehicle. It was my last day in Venezuela, and I needed to get to Sim\u00f3n Bol\u00edvar International Airport to catch my flight back to Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the World’s Most Dangerous Cities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I felt deeply grateful for the captain’s concern. He wanted to ensure a foreign guest reached the terminal in one piece. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caracas remains one of the most dangerous cities<\/a> on Earth; anyone looking like a “gringo” is an easy target. Last year, The Economist<\/em> ranked Venezuela\u2019s capital as the worst city in the world to live in, “surpassing” even Kyiv and Damascus. This was the raw reality of the Caracas garrison during my last visit\u2014Hugo Ch\u00e1vez had just passed away, and Nicol\u00e1s Maduro was beginning his first term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"US
Photo: SPC Robert Woodward, USA\/ Wikipedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Caracas: An Operation Out of Science Fiction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I remembered that visit vividly when news broke about American commandos storming central Caracas. They reportedly snatched Maduro and his wife right from their bedroom and flew them to a detention center in New York. While initial reports spoke of heavy casualties, official communications later confirmed that several dozen Cuban soldiers tasked with protecting the “presidential” couple were killed during the raid<\/strong>. Maduro had recently rigged an election he had clearly lost, and the U.S. moved in with surgical precision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, these weren’t Venezuelan soldiers; they were Cubans. It\u2019s an open secret, even among the Chavista elite, that the corrupt, disorganized Venezuelan army is incapable of providing real protection<\/strong>. Instead of relying on his own failing military, Maduro turned to Cuban “Praetorians”\u2014highly trained and equipped commandos sent by Havana to guard their ally in exchange for cheap fuel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fuerte Tiuna: The “Impenetrable” Fortress<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Maduro had every reason to feel safe. Although the U.S. had been massing forces near Venezuela since September\u2014including a carrier strike group\u2014the regime leader was hunkered down inside Fuerte Tiuna<\/strong>. This massive military complex in Caracas featured a specially adapted building with multi-level security and was surrounded by hundreds of Cuban bodyguards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, modern anti-aircraft systems purchased from Russia and China<\/a> protected the entire area. But it was all an illusion. The Americans sent their best specialists to dismantle the Cuban defense: Delta Force. A unit famous for doing the undoable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helicopters Over the City: Explosions and Radio Silence<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The entire raid lasted just 2 hours and 20 minutes. The U.S. President gave the “green light” last Friday just before 11:00 PM. Three hours later, Caracas residents were uploading videos of explosions rocking the capital and a “convoy” of helicopters moving like ghosts at low altitudes toward the city center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“What they did in Caracas is absolute mastery. Delta Force is a legend among special forces worldwide. There have been situations where just a few soldiers from this unit successfully defended themselves against over a hundred enemies,”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

– says Andrzej, an officer in the Polish Armed Forces who served in the GROM* unit (he remains on active duty and requested anonymity).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He adds:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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“Delta is the elite of the elite, but beyond having incredibly effective soldiers, this unit operates its own helicopters and pilots trained for the most extreme conditions. Our own GROM was modeled after them; they also maintain their own specialized transport capabilities.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n