High Alert: U.S. Marine Corps Emergency Operation Aboard USS Iwo Jima

Marines and sailors, lock and load—this is the moment the world turned its eyes to the Caribbean! In the dead of night on January 3, 2026, the mighty Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) became the epicenter of a daring, high-stakes U.S. military operation. As part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit embarked, this floating fortress executed a precision strike and extraction mission that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, delivering them into U.S. custody aboard the ship before transfer to New York for justice. This wasn't routine patrol—it was Operation Absolute Resolve, a bold counternarcotics and regime-change strike amid escalating tensions in the region. Hear the thunder of rotors, the roar of special ops, and the unbreakable resolve of America's expeditionary warriors in this 10-minute combat briefing. The battle for the hemisphere just escalated—stay frosty!
Keynotes from the Briefing:
Drawing from frontline reports, official statements, and real-time fleet tracking, this video covers the core elements of this emergency operation:

Geographical and Strategic Overview: USS Iwo Jima positioned in the Caribbean Sea, off Venezuela's coast, as a mobile sea base for rapid intervention.
U.S. Military Activities: Strikes launched January 3, 2026, in Venezuela under Operation Absolute Resolve/Southern Spear, capturing high-value targets.
DoD and Official Insights: Confirmation of no U.S. losses, precision exfiltration via helicopters, with Maduro and wife flown to Iwo Jima for custody.
Leadership Responses: President Trump confirming the operation, posting images of Maduro aboard the ship; statements on professionalism and justice.
U.S.-Navy/Marine Corps Alliance: Iwo Jima ARG with 22nd MEU (SOC), including 4,500+ personnel, supporting special ops and amphibious readiness.
Enhanced Capabilities: Ship's role as special operations mothership, air wing redeployed, helicopters for extraction, Marines securing the mission.
Joint Engagements: Live-fire drills, damage control, integration training leading to this high-alert response.
Regional Ties and Support: Part of broader U.S. Southern Command buildup against narcoterrorism, with destroyers and support vessels.
Coordination Details: Quiet special ops execution, overhead coverage by aircraft, no resistance losses reported.
Deterrence and Broader Implications: Raises stakes in counter-drug operations, potential regime change signals, threats to regional stability.
Diplomatic Efforts: U.S. framing as justice against indicted narcoterrorists, amid ongoing Caribbean operations.
Overall Convergence: USS Iwo Jima's pivotal role elevates amphibious power projection, constraining adversaries through rapid, decisive action.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro: High Alert in the Caribbean (30s)
0:30 - Strategic Positioning: Iwo Jima in Venezuelan Waters (50s)
1:20 - Operation Absolute Resolve: Strikes and Capture (50s)
2:10 - Intel Breakdown: No U.S. Losses, Precision Execution (50s)
3:00 - Command Confirmation: Trump's Announcement (50s)
3:50 - Amphibious Power: Navy-Marine Corps Team (50s)
4:40 - Ship Capabilities: Extraction via Helo (50s)
5:30 - Onboard Training: Marines and Sailors Ready (50s)
6:20 - Regional Buildup: Southern Spear Forces (50s)
7:10 - Special Ops Coordination: Night Raid Details (50s)
8:00 - Deterrence Impact: Shaking the Hemisphere (50s)
8:50 - Justice and Diplomacy: Maduro to New York (40s)
9:30 - Final Salvo: Iwo Jima's Legacy in Action (30s)

Why Watch This Video?
This isn't just news—it's a frontline dispatch on one of the most audacious U.S. military actions of 2026! See how the USS Iwo Jima and 22nd MEU turned an amphibious assault ship into a floating command center for capturing a head of state, showcasing rapid response, special operations integration, and overwhelming power projection. If you're into Marine Corps ops, Navy expeditionary warfare, counternarcotics missions, or global flashpoints, this breakdown delivers unfiltered intel, visuals of the ship and forces, and analysis of what it means for the future of hemispheric security. Don't miss the details that mainstream outlets gloss over—subscribe to Military Era for raw, no-holds-barred military breakdowns that keep you locked on target!
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