Javier Marcado Tabata, the dismissed Director of the Presidential Guard, held responsible for the failure to protect Maduro. [Photo= BBC]
At 2 AM on the 3rd (local time), it took Delta Force (1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta), the elite special forces of the US Army, a mere 35 seconds from landing at Maduro's safe house to arrest him on drug trafficking charges and depart with him in a helicopter. 

During this arrest operation, 32 Cuban G2 (Dirección de Inteligencia) agents, known to be affiliated with Cuba's military and intelligence agencies, were killed. This number represents the size of the small elite unit present at the scene. 

While not official figures, past data and public discussions have estimated that over 5,600 Cuban personnel (including military, intelligence, and others) were dispatched to Venezuela to perform security and defense missions, with approximately 3,700 engaged in intelligence (G2) related tasks. 

Cuban G2 Organization: The Guardian of the Maduro Regime Until the End

The G2 agents who protected the Nicolas Maduro regime, which had murdered 18,000 citizens on charges of "resistance," were not merely involved in "security" or "advising." They were the invisible hand that suppressed the opposition and the populace for the regime's survival. 

Cuban G2 is an organization that has evolved since the 1959 Cuban Revolution to safeguard the regime. Specialized in internal control, infiltration, and counter-insurgency, this agency is a fusion of the Soviet-style security model and Latin American political operations. 

The Venezuelan regime, facing constant existential crises, had excessively refined its bespoke security techniques. Michael Shifter, former president of the Inter-American Dialogue and a recognized authority on Latin American politics, pointed out, "an unusually hypertrophied intelligence capacity for a country of its size."

Venezuela Provided Oil, Cuba Provided Regime Security in Mutual Exchange

Cuba had long relied on Venezuela's oil, and after coming to power, Hugo Chávez, unable to trust his own military, became dependent on Cuban G2. In the so-called "oil-regime security exchange" structure that formed from the mid-2000s, Venezuela provided oil at low or nearly free prices, while Cuba offered personnel and expertise for regime protection. 

Following the 2018 presidential election, the Maduro regime faced simultaneous challenges of legitimacy disputes, economic collapse, and internal military unrest, leading to an increased reliance on G2. 

The Core Role of Cuban G2 Organization is 'Power Protection'

The role of G2 was, first and foremost, "power protection." 

They maintained multi-layered control over Maduro's movements and access personnel, and constantly implemented mutual surveillance and loyalty assessments within the security units. 

Second was the counter-surveillance of the military and intelligence agencies. 

Political reliability was prioritized in personnel appointments for military commanders and security executives, fundamentally blocking any possibility of betrayal. It is more efficient to thwart a coup during the preparation phase than during execution. To this end, G2 implanted Cuban-style security protocols and intentionally fragmented communication and reporting lines. 

Suspicious signals were addressed not by post-incident suppression but by pre-emptive personnel actions and unit redeployments to extinguish potential threats. The structure of pre-emptive containment prevented the escalation of a military uprising on April 30, 2019. 

Third was the dismantling and neutralization of internal opposition. 

Large-scale bloody crackdowns risked exacerbating international sanctions and diplomatic isolation. Therefore, instead of resorting to violence, opposition leaders were consistently divided and isolated, and subjected to arrest and persuasion. 

This approach, centered on Human Intelligence (HUMINT) with strengths in human networks rather than Technical Intelligence (TECHINT), is a method through which Cuban intelligence agencies have accumulated expertise over long periods of practice. Brian Latell, a former CIA analyst who has tracked Cuban G2 for decades, describes G2 as "a HUMINT organization optimized for regime preservation."

Cuban G2 Organization Suffers Humiliation

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 5th (local time) that the recent US Army Delta Force operation, "Operation Absolute Resolve," resulted not only in the failure of Cuba's G2 organization to protect Maduro but also in the death of all 32 of its agents. The WSJ commented, "(Cuban agents) were tasked with protecting President Maduro, but they failed to protect him and lost 32 agents," analyzing that "Cuba, once considered the elite in intelligence operations during the Cold War era, has been humiliated."

Jorge Castañeda, former Foreign Minister of Mexico, also criticized G2's failure to protect Maduro during the Delta Force operation, stating, "What is even more serious is that they caused no damage to the United States," implying that "Cuba does not possess the capabilities it needs."

Maduro's 'Shadow Chief of Security'... Allegedly Cooperated with the CIA

Although Maduro relied on foreign Cuban forces for presidential security, Venezuela officially has its own Presidential Guard. The director of Venezuela's Presidential Guard, Javier Marcado Tabata, was dismissed immediately after Maduro's arrest, held responsible for the failure to protect the president. However, Maduro had a "shadow chief of security" in addition to this official director. 

This "shadow chief of security" for Maduro, Asdrubal De La Vega, a cadre from the Cuban intelligence organization, disappeared without a trace following the US military operation. It is speculated that he collaborated with the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), providing information about Maduro's safe house and every move, and persuaded Maduro to cooperate passively during his arrest. 

Perhaps for these reasons, Maduro, facing what amounts to a life sentence (hundreds of years) based on the charges of drug trafficking conspiracy, terrorism affiliation, and money laundering announced by the US Federal Prosecutor's Office, was able to appear so nonchalant and give a thumbs-up. 

The Hankook JMS Editorial Department