Delta Force has operated in near-total secrecy for almost fifty years, carrying out missions few outsiders ever hear about. Its work ranges from hostage rescues to raids on foreign leaders and militant figures. Most of what it does is classified, so the public only ever sees fragments of its history.
What Is Delta Force?
Delta Force, founded in 1977, officially the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta, is a top-tier U.S. military unit trained for the most dangerous and sensitive missions, such as counterterrorism, hostage rescue, and the capture or elimination of high-value targets for the United States. Operators are often drawn from the Army’s Special Forces (Green Berets) and Rangers and must pass an extremely demanding selection process—only about one in ten candidates make it through.
Training is intense. Candidates endure long night navigation exercises, a 40-mile “Long Walk” carrying heavy packs, and six months of advanced instruction in marksmanship, demolitions, breaching, surveillance, and intelligence. Delta teams are organized into assault squads, reconnaissance units, aviation elements, and clandestine teams. Their motto, Sine Pari—“Without Equal”—reflects the unit’s reputation inside the military.
The Venezuelan Operation
On January 3, 2026, Delta Force reportedly captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in what was called Operation Absolute Resolve. The mission involved strikes on multiple locations in Caracas and extracting the couple from a fortified compound. Operators had trained on replica compounds beforehand, rehearsing every detail from breaching reinforced rooms to helicopter insertions.
A brief firefight occurred, and a U.S. helicopter was damaged, but there were no deaths among American forces. Maduro and Flores were taken into custody and transported to a U.S. Navy ship before being moved elsewhere.
Failed Operation Eagle Claw – Iran, 1980
Delta Force attempted to rescue hostages from the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Mechanical failures and a sudden sandstorm forced the mission to abort, killing eight U.S. servicemen.
Capture of Saddam Hussein – Iraq, 2003
Delta Force located and arrested Iraq’s former leader, Saddam Hussein, in Tikrit. The mission relied on precise intelligence with room-to-room description provided to them and coordination, highlighting the unit’s focus on high-risk, targeted operations.
Raid on ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi – Syria, 2019
Delta Force led the raid that killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Operators entered a compound by helicopter, and when Baghdadi refused to surrender, he detonated a suicide vest, killing himself and two children.
Other Middle East Operations
Delta Force has been involved in several other significant missions:
Gulf War (1991) – Raids deep into Iraq to disable Scud missile launchers threatening coalition forces and Israel.
Afghanistan (2002) – Operations in the Shah-i-Kot Valley against al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters.
Libya (2012) – Assisted in evacuating the U.S. embassy during the Benghazi attack.
Iraq War (2003–2011) – Multiple high-risk raids, reconnaissance missions, and counterterrorism operations.
Gaza / Israel (2023–2024) – Reports also mention that Delta Force personnel were deployed to Israel during the genocide. Their role may have been limited to advising, intelligence support, and planning related to hostage recovery. There is no public confirmation that Delta Force conducted combat operations inside Gaza.
Delta Force exists to carry out missions that governments prefer not to discuss openly. Its record includes failed rescues, targeted arrests, lethal raids, and interventions far from U.S. territory. Some operations succeed, others end in loss, and most remain classified. What is visible shows a unit that often delivers quickly and with irreversible consequences.
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