The Capture of Maduro and Avoiding Another Iraq Nation-Building Debacle

Originally published by American Greatness

The massive US military operation ordered by President Trump to apprehend former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife from their heavily guarded residence was a game-changer for regional and global security. The Trump administration’s next steps will be crucial to ending the threats from Maduro’s criminal regime without repeating the disastrous nation-building effort in Iraq after the second Gulf War.

The operation to capture Maduro removed a narcoterrorist dictator from power and set the stage for the US to restore stability and security to the Western Hemisphere by ending the flow of narcotics, criminal gangs, and illegal migrants into the US from Venezuela.

More importantly, Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chavez, made Venezuela into a base of operations that Russia, China, and Iran—as well as drug cartels and Hezbollah—were using to undermine American security and promote their influence in Central and South America. China has given or loaned over $100 billion to Venezuela since 2000 to install anti-US dictators and secure access to Venezuelan oil. Russia loaned and/or made payments to Venezuela totaling $17 billion to $34 billion since 2000. Cuba also has a large presence in Venezuela, providing the regime with troops, intelligence officers, and doctors.

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