CIA source helped US track Maduro's location

A CIA source inside the Venezuelan government helped the US track Nicolas Maduro's location in the lead-up to his capture by the US Army's elite Delta Force, CBS News has learned, as first reported by NYT.

The human source was part of an extensive network of other intelligence inputs, including overhead and signals intelligence, that informed the operation, which was the result of months of meticulous planning and partnership between the CIA and Department of Defense.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe has previously said the agency would prioritise the recruitment of human sources.

It could not be immediately determined when the source was recruited.

The US government had offered a $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest.

In Venezuela, supporters of the Maduro government are holding a rally in the capital, Caracas.

They're demanding that the US release the Venezuelan leader.

Some are chanting "we want Maduro" as they are being led in a march by Caracas Mayor Carmen Meléndez, who is a firm government loyalist.

Wearing a military uniform, the mayor said that she and others had taken to the streets to protest against what she described as Maduro's "kidnapping".

Opponents of the government meanwhile are expressing their hope that the capture of Maduro and his wife will lead to a change of government in messages they exchange with like-minded friends and family.

When protests erupted in 2024 after the government-dominated electoral council declared Maduro the winner of the presidential election, even though voting tallies collected by the opposition showed that their candidate had won by a landslide, the government cracked down hard.

Thousands of those who protested or expressed their opposition to Maduro's re-election were arrested and sentenced to lengthy jail terms.

Just a few weeks ago, the National Assembly, which is also dominated by Maduro loyalists, passed a law declaring anyone who expresses support for the US naval blockade a "traitor".

So the danger to those who speak out publicly against Maduro and in favour of the US's actions are very real.

Many of the close to eight million Venezuelans who have left Venezuela since Maduro came to power celebrated openly in the streets of the cities where they have settled.

The opposition leader of Venezuela - and Nobel Peace Prize winner - Maria Corina Machado has welcomed the US intervention, saying the country’s “hour of freedom” has arrived.

She said on social media that President Maduro was removed from power after refusing a negotiated exit, and the opposition’s candidate for the 2024 elections - Edmundo Gonzalez - should now “assume” the presidency.

She added the opposition would restore order in the country and free political prisoners.

Such a transition is certainly what the US wants. But it may not be as simple as the opposition claim.

Maduro still has allies in the country, many of whom may not want to go without a fight if they fear repercussions themselves.

Even some fierce critics of Maduro are uncomfortable with US intervention, fear this could lead to further destabilisation, and have not supported Machado’s close alliance with the Trump administration.

But, some critics see this as a final resort to get rid of what they believe was an authoritarian and oppressive regime.