Retired Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt told Newsmax that military commanders have to pay close attention to weather in deciding when to conduct a special operation like the overnight capture of Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro.
Holt told "America Right Now" on Saturday that, "It's extremely important and one of the reasons is night vision goggles."
Being able to make out features based on vision contrast, he said, is critical. "We wear those … we black out everything. And you want to make sure that the weather conditions, the moon lighting is all perfect for an op like this."
Holt said without being able to see clearly, there’s no need to take the risk.
"You want their optics to be perfect. And again, if it's not set up that way, you've got to measure the risk," he said.
Holt said there are indications the special forces operation was ready to initiate, but commanders were waiting for weather conditions to improve before green-lighting the mission.
"So time was on our side, and they just waited until that front passed through and then got in and got it done," he said.
President Donald Trump announced the surprise military invasion of Venezuela to capture Maduro and his wife and spirit them away from the South American country to an undisclosed location.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has confirmed that Maduro has been indicted on narco-terrorism charges.
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Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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