President Donald Trump revealed on 24/1 that US forces used a weapon called the "Discombobulator" to neutralize Venezuelan military equipment during an operation to raid and capture President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

"They had Russian and Chinese weapons, but none of them fired. They pressed the button as we moved in, but nothing happened. They were ready for us," he stated, adding that he wanted to disclose details about the equipment but could not.

President Maduro and his wife were escorted from a helicopter to a New York court on 5/1. *Reuters*.

Speculation about a secret weapon used by the US in the operation to capture the Venezuelan president emerged after White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared an interview on social media on 10/1 with someone identified as a bodyguard for Maduro.

The individual described US forces emitting something like extremely powerful sonic waves, causing soldiers to collapse and bleed from the nose, with some even vomiting blood. Venezuela's radar also abruptly stopped functioning without clear reason.

When asked about a "secret sonic weapon" in an interview on 20/1, Trump said it was something "no one has", but did not name it or describe its use at the time. "I think it’s better not to talk about it, but we have some truly incredible weapons," the US President said.

However, according to a US official who wished to remain anonymous, President Trump appears to have combined several different capabilities into a single, non-existent weapon.

"US forces used cyberattack tools to disable early warning networks and other defense systems during the operation. They also utilized existing acoustic systems to disorient ground forces," the official explained.

Elijah Magnier, a military and political analyst in Belgium, suggested that "Discombobulator" is merely a general term for existing US military tools. He stressed that there is no verified definition for "Discombobulator" and that the word is not a technical term.

"The most reasonable interpretation is that the term refers to a group of existing non-kinetic tools, not new equipment," Magnier commented.

Regarding reports of Venezuela's defense system suddenly becoming "inoperable", the expert stated that sonic weapons are unlikely to cause such an impact. This could be the result of electronic warfare, cyberattacks, or operational error.

Some images from the scene released after the US operation showed many Buk-M2E air defense combat vehicles belonging to Venezuela still in their warehouses and destroyed by glide bombs, rather than deployed in combat positions.

Magnier also suggested that the symptoms experienced by "Maduro's bodyguard" do not necessarily indicate a new generation of sonic weapons. "This effect could stem from the pressure of explosions, stun devices, or disorientation tools. There is no public evidence to suggest the existence of a new weapon," he said.

The US military has researched and developed several directed energy weapons, including systems designed to produce piercing sounds to temporarily blind or deafen, or even completely neutralize targets.

One of the most well-known projects is the Active Denial System (ADS). The program focuses on developing vehicle-mounted, large-scale equipment capable of emitting a millimeter-wave energy beam that makes targets feel a burning sensation on their skin, without long-term consequences.

The ADS system during a capability demonstration in Arizona, US, in 2017. *US Marine*.

ADS is primarily intended for crowd control and countering certain forms of terrorist attacks, including suicide bombings. The current progress of the project and whether the equipment is ready for actual deployment remains unclear, but at least two different prototypes were built before 2020.

Another less lethal weapon often mentioned by the US military is the Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD). This system is designed to issue warnings, but it can also generate high-intensity sound to stun and cause pain, mainly for crowd control or protecting defensive forces.

LRAD and similar systems have generated controversy due to the risk of long-term consequences for targets. Extremely loud noise can cause not only short-term or long-term hearing damage but also physical effects and cardiovascular problems.

LRAD can combine with laser dazzlers, specialized for temporarily blinding optical sensors and providing visual warnings. The US military is working to implement more effective dazzlers on warships to disrupt electro-optical and infrared sensors.

Washington is also researching systems that can create combined effects of LRAD, ADS, and dazzlers, focusing on new applications of laser-induced plasma.

However, Joseph Trevithick, a writer for the military specialized publication War Zone, noted that dangerous and critical missions like the operation to capture Maduro require the US to deploy more specialized equipment than usual, even items currently undergoing testing and highly classified.

A prime example is the 2011 operation to assassinate al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, where the US military used a special, previously undisclosed stealth Black Hawk helicopter variant.

The LRAD system being tested on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in December 2025. *US Navy*.

The Delta Force leading the operation is also noteworthy. Equipment used by Delta and other top US forces is often only revealed years after its deployment, or kept completely secret.

"These units often directly participate in developing new equipment, which can be classified as top secret. If any force is equipped with strange directed energy weapons capable of neutralizing enemies, it would be Delta," Trevithick stated.

Pham Giang (According to CNN, War Zone, Al Jazeera, New York Post)