Black Ops Pilot On Maduro Raid Did The Unthinkable After Being Shot Multiple Times, Is A True Hero
Maduro was captured by Delta Force operators flown by the elite 160th SOAR.
New details on the raid to capture Nicolás Maduro shine a light on the insane heroics of one of the pilots.
The former Venezuelan dictator was captured by Delta Force in the early morning hours of January 3rd, but The Unit didn't show up alone.
They were flown in on helicopters piloted by the 160th SOAR. For those of you who might not know, the 160th SOAR is a special operations unit with the best helicopter pilots on the planet.
No other unit does it better. When the bat phone starts ringing for Delta to go somewhere, those are the men who make sure they show up on time.
One pilot on the Maduro raid certainly went above and beyond the call.
RELATED: Venezuela Dictator Captured By U.S. Black Ops, Insane Strike Videos Surface
Nicolás Maduro is in U.S. custody after being captured by Delta Force. (Photo by XNY/Star Max/GC Images via Getty Images)
Heroic pilot flew helicopter on Maduro raid after being shot multiple times.
The New York Times released new details about the raid in a lengthy piece, and one part stood out above the rest.
The helicopter pilot on the lead Chinook – a large transport helicopter – was shot three times in the lower body on insertion as the aircraft took extremely heavy fire.
Instead of panicking and the mission potentially imploding with a downed chopper, the wounded pilot and his co-pilot managed to get the Delta Force operators off so they could start smashing Maduro's Cuban security detail.
His heroic actions didn't end there. The unnamed 160th SOAR pilot then managed to fly, while wounded, the shot-up helicopter back to the USS Iwo Jima.
Guts of absolute steel.
A look at the kind of helicopter used to insert Delta Force operators for the raid to capture Maduro. (Credit: Getty Images Creatives)
Most people in America will complain about the most minor inconvenience in their lives. The unnamed 160th SOAR pilot got shot multiple times, never lost control of the helicopter, got the Delta Force operators out and on the ground and then successfully flew back……with three gunshot wounds to his body.
The New York Times reported that during the assault on the compound, "a fresh wave of helicopters" was inserted for extraction and to fly through enemy fire on their way out.
Oh, did I mention Maduro's entire Cuban security team got absolutely obliterated by the Delta Force team? Doesn't get more badass than that.
God bless the United States and all the brave heroes who got the job done. Best military on the planet by 1,000 miles. Let me know what you think at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.