The United States executed a bold, surgical operation that removed Nicolás Maduro from power and carried him to American custody, a move that shocked the world and gave hope to millions of oppressed Venezuelans. Patriots who have watched socialist tyranny ravage a neighbor for decades saw justice — and accountability — finally catching up to a narco-dictator. This was not theater; it was American power used with clear purpose to take down a trafficker who long exported violence and lawlessness.
Retired Gen. Jack Keane did not mince words on The Story, calling out the thugs and killers who still hold influence in Caracas and warning that Maduro’s capture is only the opening chapter. Keane reminded viewers that the same murderous networks and regime apologists still run the apparatus of repression, with blood on their hands and a long track record of trafficking and terror. We should listen to experienced leaders who know the nature of these regimes: removing one tyrant does not automatically uproot the corruption and brutality that financed and protected him.
Trump’s decision to act reflects a necessary foreign policy clarity that too many in Washington have abandoned — the restoration of American strength and the willingness to hold criminals accountable. Conservatives have argued for years that weakness invites chaos; this operation put muscle behind that principle and delivered a long-overdue measure of justice. If critics want to debate legality, fine — but let them explain where their sympathy lies: with victims of Maduro’s cartels or with the tyrants who enriched themselves while their people starved.
Predictably, global elites and the usual suspects in the diplomatic corps rushed to condemn the operation, warning about precedent and international backlash. Let them talk; talk does not feed Venezuelan families or end the trafficking pipelines that poison American cities. The world will squawk when America acts decisively, but history remembers the outcomes: freeing the oppressed and dismantling criminal states, not the hand-wringing of those who prefer moralizing to results.
Now Washington must turn rhetoric into leverage and finish the job Keane described: identify and dismantle the cadres that propped up Maduro — those in the security services, influential colectivos, and business cronies who profited from suffering. The Justice Department has already moved with indictments and court appearances; there is a real chance to follow the law and build a lasting path to democracy for Venezuelans. Americans should demand that our leaders pair strength with a plan: remove the regime’s lifelines, secure critical infrastructure, and empower the Venezuelan people to choose their future.
This is a moment for patriots to stand tall and back firm policy, not apologize for it. We owe it to Venezuelan refugees, to Americans harmed by narco-terror, and to the ideals that built our country to see this through with resolve. Let Jack Keane’s blunt warning be a rallying cry: call out the killers, strip away their power, and never apologize for defending liberty and justice on the world stage.
