Operation Absolute Resolve: A tactical success but a strategic quagmire. Learn why the 2026 Venezuela extraction is a "Red Herring" for global resource seizure.
Part 2 — The Venezuelan Extraction: Law Enforcement or Land Grab?
Executive Summary (BLUF): On January 3, 2026, U.S. Special Operations forces captured Nicolás Maduro in Caracas. While the administration frames this as a "law enforcement" action against narco-terrorism, the strategic objective — stated by President Trump himself — is clear: control of the world’s largest oil reserves. By bypassing international law, the U.S. has set a precedent that our adversaries are already preparing to exploit.
The Caracas Op: Tactical Precision vs. Strategic Blindness
Tactically speaking, Operation Absolute Resolve was a masterpiece of military execution. Over 150 aircraft suppressed Venezuelan air defenses while an apprehension force extracted Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their residence. There were zero U.S. casualties, but early reports indicate over 100 Venezuelans were killed in the assault. From a purely military doctrine standpoint — if this were an action movie — it was flawless.
But reality is not a movie.
A shallow tactical victory often masks catastrophic strategic failures, even if the repercussions take years to manifest. Immediately following the capture, the Trump administration stated the quiet part out loud: The U.S. will "run" Venezuela and "fix" its oil infrastructure. Notably, the President chose to only notify GOP legislators and oil executives about the operation before the rest of the world. Let that sink in for a moment.
The logic being sold to the public is that Venezuelan oil will "pay" for the multibillion-dollar investment required to rebuild their dilapidated infrastructure — as though these mineral resources belong to the U.S. and not the sovereign nation of Venezuela. International law does not allow for the toppling of heads of state based on a perceived lack of "sovereignty" — regardless of whether the target is a "good guy" or a "bad guy." By labeling this a "law enforcement operation," the administration is flying a "bullshit flag" over a clear act of expansionism.
The Role Reversal: A Thought Experiment for the "Varsity" Level
To understand why 99% of the world is alarmed, we have to remove our tribal blinders. Let’s run a "forensic" thought experiment:
The Scenario: Imagine the Venezuelan military enters Washington D.C. They kill 100 Americans — including Secret Service members and civilians — and capture the U.S. President and the First Lady. In the process, the First Lady is physically assaulted, suffering a black eye and broken ribs. They parade the U.S. President in a foreign prison as a common criminal. They then announce that Venezuela will now "run" the USA and seize our natural resources to "pay for the trouble," while installing a "legitimate" replacement of their choosing.
Would that be acceptable to you? If your answer is "No," then you understand the Forensic Truth: Violating lawful statutes creates a dangerous precedent. If the U.S. can extract a leader it deems "illegitimate" to seize resources, what stops Russia from doing the same in Ukraine, or China in Taiwan? Or any other regime to do the same elsewhere in the future - even against the US.
The Oil Quarantine: The Great Red Herring
The "Oil Quarantine" currently enforced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio is the ultimate red herring. While the public is told this is about "starving a dictatorship," the reality is a massive play for resource dominance. Despite the extraction, Maduro’s Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, has assumed power and is maintaining the same iron fist. Talk of a future election has sounded like an afterthought — a sentiment evident by Rubio’s visible hesitation when questioned on national television.
The Ignored Human Factor:
The "Colectivos": Maduro’s paramilitary forces are already retaliating against civilians perceived to be supporting the capture. People are being murdered for agreeing with the U.S. intervention, meaning the violence has escalated, not resolved.
The Insurgency Spike: History (Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan) proves that "liberating" a country without a culturally aligned plan leads to a quagmire that extends for decades. It is easy to start an invasion; it is exponentially harder, or even impossible, to sustain momentum.
The Machado Snub: Despite María Corina Machado being the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, President Trump has refused to recognize her as the head of state, despite her own loyalty to him. While Machado has made the symbolic gesture of offering her Nobel to Trump, the administration seems more focused on "consolation" trophies like the newly instituted FIFA Peace Prize. This is critical for understanding the barometric pressure of this geopolitical battlespace.
A Gift to Our Adversaries
Russia and China condemn these actions in public but celebrate them behind closed doors. The Trump administration has aligned perfectly with the narrative our adversaries have wanted to write since 1949. By violating international statutes in the name of "preventing adversary leverage," the U.S. has effectively given every other regime tacit permission to follow this precedent.
The story is far from over. Maduro and his wife are currently facing prosecution in New York City, but we must remember that DOJ lawyers struggled and failed other prosecutions of Trump's political enemies with significantly more "ammunition" in 2025. This legal and moral overreach threatens the prestige of the U.S. across the other 195 countries on this planet. We'll speak more about it.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that this operation was necessary to prevent adversaries from gaining leverage. Ironically — or ineptly — they gave Russia and China tacit permission to follow the U.S. precedent. This story is far from over.
Continuance: The Arctic Firewall
The "Extraction Doctrine" isn't stopping in South America. The same logic used to justify the seizure of Venezuelan oil is now being applied to the frozen north. In Part 3, we look at Greenland. If you thought capturing a dictator in Caracas was controversial — and illegal — wait until you see what happens when the U.S. threatens a NATO ally to use military action to seize their territory.
Next Lesson: Taking Denmark by Force — The Suicide of NATO?
About the Author: J. Marcelo "BeeZee" Baqueroalvarez
🔗 Connect & Learn More: Visit Marcelo's comprehensive landing page for his extended bio, social links, consulting form, and more.
J. Marcelo "BeeZee" Baqueroalvarez is the Founder of Half Life Crisis™, a unique father-daughter collaboration dedicated to the relentless pursuit of intellectual honesty, critical thinking, geopolitical strategy, and meaningful art. Marcelo is the recognized author of the essential reads, Authoritarianism & Propaganda and Woke & Proud, driving challenging conversations worldwide. When not publishing, Marcelo utilizes his strategic insight in technology and business as the founder of BeeZee Vision, LLC™, which includes BZVweb™ Automated Web Services and Info in Context™ strategic consulting.
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