Footage suggests RQ-170 Sentinel operated from Puerto Rico during US raid to capture Nicolás Maduro

Social media footage appears to show a Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel operating from Puerto Rico during the U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. RQ-170s — built for persistent covert surveillance — and supporting electronic-warfare and special-operations aviation reportedly helped neutralize Venezuelan air defenses.

Discovered 2026-01-04T09:29:57.259237-08:00 | 2026-01-04T09:29:57.259237-08:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • Footage indicates employment of a high-end stealth UAS from Puerto Rico during the mission that reportedly marshalled over 150 aircraft, showing the scale and mix of assets used in the operation (air, strike, rotary and UAS) — https://hype.aero/?story=4f685556-d66d-4cdf-8b08-925bc570d62c
  • The report ties stealth drone use to integrated electronic-warfare and special-operations aviation that reportedly neutralized Venezuelan air defenses; this follows other increased airborne surveillance and strike-capable deployments in the region, including E-3 AWACS pairing with F/A-18Es — https://hype.aero/?story=3d72d5a1-fd8d-4544-ae98-bce1ced9ac53
  • The operation produced immediate regional effects on civilian flying: the FAA ordered U.S. carriers to avoid Venezuelan airspace, prompting widespread cancellations to Caribbean services — https://hype.aero/?story=67dfeef9-bae0-4e48-8c8e-8fc498a10cce

Reported By

aero.de defence-industry.eu onalert.gr news.ssbcrack.com FlightGlobal interestingengineering.com
Sources Tracked
9
First Seen
2026-01-04T09:29:57.259237-08:00
Latest Update
2026-01-10T15:17:31.744357-08:00
Coverage
Defense

Sources

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