The mission to snatch Nicolas Maduro out of his bed in Venezuela for prosecution in the United States was accomplished with the participation of a unit that has been involved in previous high-stakes raids, like those to capture Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden, the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, aka the Night Stalkers. Jeff Schogol and Nicholas Slayton report in Task & Purpose:

Operation Absolute Resolve involved a large force from multiple parts of the military, but the raid to capture Maduro was carried out by two U.S. Army special operations forces, Delta Force and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.

Also known as the “Night Stalkers,” the 160th SOAR provides air transport for special operations missions. They fly multiple helicopters, including MH-60L/M Black Hawk variants and MH-6 Little Birds. Based out of Fort Campbell, the unit was established in 1981 following the failure of Operation Eagle Claw. Its first combat action was in the invasion of Grenada in 1983.

The Night Stalkers saw extensive action during the Global War on Terror, including flying missions in the Battle of Tora Bora and the Battle of Takur Ghar. When Saddam Hussein was captured in December 2003 during the Iraq War, 160th SOAR soldiers flew him to back to U.S. bases. The unit also flew the helicopters used to carry SEAL Team Six in the mission to kill Osama Bin Laden in 2011. 160th SOAR helicopters were spotted in the Caribbean in the fall, carrying out training exercises amid a wider U.S. military buildup.

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