An Impossible Mission. Mike Lyons Talks to A&G.

Summary

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Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: “An Impossible Mission. Mike Lyons Talks to A&G.”
Date: January 6, 2026
Guest: Mike Lyons, Military Analyst
Host: Armstrong & Getty (iHeartPodcasts)

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Episode Overview

This episode focuses on the U.S. Special Operations raid that resulted in the successful apprehension of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Military analyst Mike Lyons joins Armstrong & Getty to break down the complexity, risk, and geopolitical implications of the mission, reflecting on the demonstration of American military power and what the operation signals for the future of Venezuela and global energy politics.

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Key Discussion Points

1. The Raid on Maduro: Complexity & Execution

• The hosts replay General Kane’s vivid description of the raid’s climactic moments, emphasizing how Maduro was apprehended in his compound by U.S. Special Forces with speed and surprise ([02:04–03:04]).
• Mike Lyons highlights the sophistication and difficulty of infiltrating Venezuela, referencing past doubts about the feasibility of such a mission due to operational risk and history of failures (such as Desert One):

  “For months I’d been talking to former special operators... We all thought that this mission was going to be impossible... The level of, from an operational perspective, was so complex and just, just incredible.” ([03:49])

• The scale of the mission:

  “150 aircraft, no casualties, in and out, two and a half hours. You couldn’t write a script that said it would go as easy as that.” ([03:49])

2. How the Mission Worked: Joint Operations Explained

• Lyons details the elements involved:

  “Aircraft that took out their air defense systems, drones monitoring, surveillance helicopters shuttling in the 75th Rangers... Delta guys that go in and extract people like this, this is their mission.” ([05:05])

• Importance of U.S. “joint force” capability, in contrast to Russian military limitations:

  “This is why the Russians are wallowing a novocaine in Ukraine. They can’t jointly bring all their forces together... in this case, the United States is able to... bring them together and create this incredible... that can take anybody out that we choose to.” ([05:05])

• The element of surprise and extreme risk, despite flawless execution:

  “That alone was a factor that just was incredible... this does, too, shows once again the total crap of Russian military equipment... the United States just blew right by it.” ([06:44])

3. Training, Planning, and Contingency—Why It Worked

• Repeated rehearsals were critical:

  “We rehearsed this over and over and over again, not so that we could get it right, but so that it couldn’t go wrong.” ([08:00], quoting Gen. Kane)

• Lyons calls this approach essential post-Desert One, referencing the “playbook checklist mentality”:

  “You plan for every one of those contingencies, rehearse them... so you know exactly what to do.” ([08:20])

• On command culture:

  “Everybody got the mission... commander's intent. And that's what makes our military work better than everybody else’s.” ([08:52])

4. Strategic & Geopolitical Consequences

• Lyons argues this is not regime change or an occupation:

  “This is not Iraq... not regime change. Their Constitution... put their vice president, Delsey Rodriguez, now in charge... we've given her the message, you’re either going to play ball or not. And if you’re not... you might find yourself in... a Special Forces helicopter.” ([09:20])

• The broader significance:

  “We’re taking control of 300 billion barrels of reserve crude oil in our hemisphere and not allowing the Chinese... the Chinese are taking their oil, the Russians and their military. This is long overdue to take care of this situation right now.” ([09:20])

• Potential long-term effects on global energy and power balances, and leverage over China:

  “The fact that we have this control now over their oil puts Canada on notice, China on notice. China might not be able to invade Taiwan now... There’s so much leverage that was gained by this operation that without even a casualty being gone, I just can’t talk about it so much.” ([11:44])

5. Outcomes and Uncertainties Ahead

• The U.S. will “let this thing stew” and pressure the interim leader:

  “We’re going to give this person Rodriguez a chance because she does control the military and the oil. We’re going to cut a deal... move this down the road.” ([11:44])

• If Rodriguez fails, consequences remain direct:

  “If this gal doesn’t come around, we snatch her up and then the person after her, and before long, it’s like being the head of ISIS. You know, the first thing you do when you get the job is you write your will.” ([12:41])

• Legal authority of the mission:

  “It’s all done legally, too, which is really why we go in there in the first place. Under this guise of, you know, getting him from legally, from a drug perspective, you can’t argue against it.” ([12:50])

6. Reflections on Service and Sacrifice

• The hosts and Lyons close with mutual admiration for the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, underscoring the importance of remembering past sacrifices:

  “A lot of presence there and just the sacrifices made, and we just should never forget. And we’re getting further from that generation, but it’s just incredible. I would advise everybody to go there.” ([13:51])

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Mission Complexity:

  “The only thing I can think of is like, you’re sitting on a desert island, you got a can without a can opener and you’re not going to eat. And then all of a sudden, the next day the cans open and now you’re going to be able to eat.”
  — Mike Lyons ([03:49])

• On American Military Power:

  “This is for grownups. This is not for, you know, theoretical people that are running the government. She’s got no legitimacy, unfortunately. I hate to say it like that, but she doesn’t.”
  — Mike Lyons ([11:44])

• On Legal Authority:

  “It’s all done legally, too, which is really why we go in there in the first place.”
  — Mike Lyons ([12:50])

• On Operation Risks:

  “To say that you wouldn’t expect a casualty or you wouldn’t expect something to go wrong, very unlikely. In this case, 8 out of 10 times something else would go wrong.”
  — Mike Lyons ([06:44])

• Command Culture:

  “Everybody got the mission. Everybody knew what the mission was... and that’s what makes our military work better than everyone else.”
  — Mike Lyons ([08:52])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [02:04] – Recap of raid on Maduro by General Kane
• [03:37] – Mike Lyons joins, offers initial analysis
• [04:55] – Scope of air assets and operational complexity
• [06:44] – Discussing risk, Russian technology, and success factors
• [08:00] – Importance of rehearsal and contingency planning
• [09:20] – Strategic aftermath: Venezuela’s future, oil and geopolitics
• [11:44] – New regime dynamics and pressure options
• [13:39] – Reflections on the National WWII Museum
• [14:16] – Episode close

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Closing Thoughts

Through incisive analysis and candid reflection, Mike Lyons illuminates the magnitude and implications of the Maduro raid—a mission many deemed “impossible.” The discussion explores not only military prowess but also the shifting landscape of global power and energy. For those wanting context, color, and deeper understanding behind the headlines, this episode offers a clear, brisk, and compelling examination.

Transcript

[Mike Lyons]

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[Podcast Host 2]

See terms as the helicopter force ingressed towards the objective at low level, we arrived at Maduro's compound at 101am Eastern Standard Time or 2:01am Caracas local time and the apprehension force descended into Maduro's compound and moved with speed, precision and discipline towards their objective and isolated the area to ensure the safety and security of the ground force while apprehending the indicted persons. So how Old is Maduro. I gotta think he get woken up from a sound sleep and there's a bunch of, you know, us super secret special forces. Special forces dudes with guns and flashlights.

[Podcast Host 3]

And stuff in your face.

[Podcast Host 2]

Takes a while to get your bearings.

[Podcast Host 3]

You got to have at least one thought that, wow, this is a weird dream.

[Podcast Host 2]

He's 63. Yeah, it take me a little while to say ice food last night.

[Podcast Host 3]

What's going on here? Right, right. Well, General Kane there describing the critical kind of, you know, the climactic moments of the raid and coming across Maduro, we skipped past where he helps us understand the incredible complexity and sophistication of the operation. And for that analys what a pleasure it is for the first time of the year to talk to military analyst Mike Lyons about this awesome, awesome demonstration of American capability. Mike, how are you, sir? Do you have a good holiday season?

[Mike Lyons]

Hey, good morning, guys. Happy New Year. Yes. Had a great holiday season and what a way to start the year for sure.

[Podcast Host 2]

Yeah, I was really digging your Twitter feed in the middle of the night the other night following your, your analysis of it. It was what happened. So thanks.

[Mike Lyons]

Yeah, you know, just watching this, you know, here's to me is the biggest issue. For months I'd been talking to former special operators and other people in military, trying to figure out what are we doing in the Caribbean, right. Obviously we're projecting power, blowing up drug boats and the like there. And we all thought that this mission was going to be impossible. I mean, for us to go and kinetically take out Maduro, it would mean an invasion force. I kept saying, well, nothing's going to happen because the Army's not in the game yet. And, you know, the only thing I can think of is like, you're sitting on a desert island, you got a can without a can opener and you're not going to eat. And then all of a sudden, the next day the cans open and now you're going to be able to eat. I mean, the level of from an operational perspective was so complex and just, just incredible. And from a competency perspective, and I still have the scars from the 1980s with Desert One and what Happened there and the ashes that took place there. So I can't reiterate just how incredibly amazing this mission was and the complexity of it. 150 aircraft, no casualties, in and out, two and a half hours. You couldn't write a script that said it would go as easy as that.

[Podcast Host 3]

150 aircraft. Yeah. Help us understand what kind of aircraft and what were they doing for we laymen? Just give us the broad outlines of the complexity of the operation.

[Mike Lyons]

So all the levers of forces that we have in power were applied here. Aircraft that took out their air defense systems, drones monitoring, surveillance helicopters, shuttling in the 75th Rangers, you know, this was if you had to give a visual, it's kind of like Black Hawk down back from the 90s, that failure of a mission, unfortunately. But you know, the fact that we have the rangers in there protecting the strike force, which is the Delta guys that go in and extract people like this, this is their mission. We know that they ended up practicing this for months before they had a set up and they had done this. I'm still surprised that Maduro didn't have 30,000 troops surrounding him. I mean given the fact that, you know, he knew the United States was going after him. So it still is just incredible about those soldiers getting in. But every single one of those aircraft had a mission either bringing troops in, gathering surveillance, taking targets. Just a real high combination. And you notice General Kaine kept talking about the joint Force. The joint Force. That is the difference between us and every other military out there. This is why the Russians are wallowing a novocaine in Ukraine. Right. They can't jointly bring all their forces together to make, to attack something and move forward with it. They don't combine air power with ground power and isr. They just go one at a time. But in this case, the United States is able to take with interagency, take all of these levers of power and bring them together and create this incredible. That can take anybody out that we choose to.

[Podcast Host 2]

Like give me an idea of how risky this would have been. Like if you do it ten times, are you successful eight times? Or do. Would you have any guess on that?

[Mike Lyons]

Well, that's why we all sat around and said this just wasn't going to happen. Wasn't it wasn't even a kind of a course of action. And I was talking to guys that were the highest levels of J Sock and you know, that had been in that spot. They just thought it was going to be just too difficult. The element of surprise, just maintaining that that alone was a factor that just was incredible. And then the weather played. I mean D day type invasion is what we all thought. We thought that yeah, if they thought they would move 20 to 25,000 troops or so because we thought they'd had to get an egress point in. But they were able to take out any of the air defense systems. So the other thing this does, too, is that it shows, once again the total crap of Russian military equipment, because that's what's been surrounding Venezuela when it comes to their air defense system. So the SA300, you might as well put it in a museum right now, because anybody who has it is never going to use it again because the United States just blew right by it. So we take out the air defense platforms, we take out their systems, and then we shut the power off in the country. I mean, again, there's no other country in the world that can do this. But to say that you wouldn't expect a casualty or you wouldn't expect something to go wrong, very unlikely. In this case, 8 out of 10 times something else would go wrong. You'd have the expectation. Commanders expect losses. You'd have an expectation you lose something, right?

[Podcast Host 3]

Yeah. A miraculous success. I was struck by General Kane saying, we rehearsed this over and over and over again, not so that we could get it right, but so that it couldn't go wrong. Now, obviously, fate and God intervene, but that's a philosophy that we civilians don't. I hadn't heard articulated in that way before.

[Mike Lyons]

Yeah, that's a result of Desert One and the fact that you have to plan. When I was on active duty, we said, we're gonna plan to get slimed. Right. What's gonna happen to us along the way? And you plan for every one of those contingencies, rehearse them so they're second nature, so you know exactly what to do. It's that playbook checklist mentality that the military has military trains for that within our military because of this thing called commander's intent. Right. I'm watching people try to say, oh, the soldiers, the sailors, they don't know where they're going. You know, we're invading Venezuela.

[Podcast Host 1]

None of that.

[Mike Lyons]

Everybody got the mission. Everybody knew what the mission was. Get in, get out, extra extract, exfiltrate the guy, get him in and out. Everybody knows commander's intent. And that's what's another thing that makes our military work better than everybody else's?

[Podcast Host 2]

Well, as you're talking to some of your friends who've been there, done that, with regime change and nation building and everything. Is there some concern that we're going to have boots on the ground trying to keep Venezuela a stable place for a certain amount of time?

[Mike Lyons]

I don't think so. This is not Iraq. We don't have 100,000 troops there. This was not an invasion. And it's also not regime change. Their Constitution has put their vice president, Delsey Rodriguez, now in charge. And we've given her the message, you're either going to play ball or not. And if you're not going to play ball, you might find yourself in a pair of white tennis shoes and a Nike jumpsuit, sitting in the back of a Special Forces helicopter here if you don't play ball. And the thing about it is, this is what we want to do. We're taking control, taking control of 300 billion barrels of reserve crude oil in our hemisphere and not allowing the Chinese, by the way, the. The Ukrainians had already built a drone facility manufacturing drones in Venezuela. The Chinese are taking their oil, the Russians and their military. This is long overdue to take care of this situation right now. I mean, this has been so. This will be so pivotal for our country from a generational perspective on how we've reset the world and reset the economy and the energy market in particular. It's fantastic.

[Podcast Host 3]

We're talking to military analyst Mike Lyons. Mike, I mentioned earlier in the show that you almost have to compartmentalize each part of this because you always want to leak to the next part. And you kind of did, which is a great discussion, and I'm a little mystified by this. The operation was amazing. And as a demonstration of American power, I think it will echo around the globe, and it should. But going forward, can we exercise levers power effectively enough to get what we need out of the Venezuelan regime, given the fact that they are still what they were and this. This gal who's in charge now is a hardcore Maduro item. Socialist?

[Mike Lyons]

Well, we're gonna find out. And she controls the military right now. And he's basically said we'd come back in if we had to. So we're gonna let this thing stew for a little bit again. It's not been regime change right now. It's just different person running the country right now. I've got confidence that we'll put enough pressure on them. We will then start to take over the petroleum assets and where they actually pump oil from, and we'll do all those kinds of things, which is what we're trying to do here, which is what we're trying to think. So, for example, this administration, the Trumps, was not keen about restoring Machado. That was the individual who won the Nobel Peace Prize from this last year.

[Podcast Host 3]

And was the party won the last election. Right, right.

[Mike Lyons]

But realpolitik on the ground. She doesn't control anything. You know, it's. Right now, this is hardcore human nature. Who controls the military? This is for grownups. This is not for, you know, theoretical people that are running the government. She's got no legitimacy, unfortunately. I hate to say it like that, but she doesn't to run the government. So we're going to give this person Rodriguez a chance because she does control the military and the oil. We're going to cut a deal with her, I'm sure, and we'll move this down the road. And if we do it, this is again, Trump with leverage. He is the leverage meister getting leverage of oil right now. The fact that we have this control now over their oil puts Canada on notice, China on notice. China might not be able to invade Taiwan now. They only have 25 billion barrels in reserve. They might not have the energy to do it now. So there's so much leverage that was gained by this operation that without even a casualty being gone, I just can't talk about it so much.

[Podcast Host 3]

So if this gal doesn't come around, we snatch her up and then the person after her, and before long, it's like being the head of isis. You know, the first thing you do when you get the job is you write your will.

[Mike Lyons]

Yeah, right. You know what's funny was that they got asked the question, like, Marco Ruby got asked the question over the weekend about why did you just take him? Why didn't you take all his other henchmen? It's like, do you not get. Do you not hear yourself? I mean, that was the mission of getting that one person, which is the person. So again, it's all done legally, too, which is really why we go in there in the first place. Under this guise of, you know, getting him from legally, from a drug perspective, you can't argue against it. Again, you know, the Democrats wanted. It wanted him out five years ago. They just didn't have the nerve to do what we did.

[Podcast Host 3]

Military analyst Mike Leinz. Yeah, Marco gave a fine spanking to Margaret Brennan.

[Podcast Host 2]

I wanted to ask you this before we let you go. I purposely went to New Orleans over vacation just to go to the World War II Museum. I assume you've been there before.

[Mike Lyons]

I have. Amazing. Just, you know, the story starts in that rail car and you walk through.

[Podcast Host 2]

And that's the most amazing museum I've ever been to anywhere in the world. It absolutely incredible.

[Mike Lyons]

A lot of presence there and just the sacrifices made, and we just should never forget. And we're getting further from that generation, but it's just incredible. I would advise everybody to go there. My classmate actually is one of the directors there works down there and they hold nice events there. But just the historical what they've captured there is just amazing.

[Podcast Host 2]

Tell them I'm impressed.

[Podcast Host 3]

Yeah, yeah. I want to hear more about that from you Jack as well. Mike Lyons. Mike, thanks so much for the time. Great to talk to you.

[Mike Lyons]

You great guys. Thanks for having me.

[Podcast Host 3]

All right, our pleasure.

[Mike Lyons]

Armstrong and Getty.

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[Mike Lyons]

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[Mike Lyons]

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