Trump unprepared for 'long, expensive' military commitment: ex-Army commander

On December 20, U.S. President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth escalated their campaign against leftist Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro with the seizure of a second Venezuelan oil tanker. The tanker seizures follow a series of U.S. military strikes against Venezuelan boats that Trump claims were smuggling illegal drugs bound for the United States.

In an article published by the conservative website The Bulwark on January 2, retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling — who served as commander of U.S. Army Europe during Barack Obama's presidency — warns that if the Trump Administration pursues a "regime change"' policy with Maduro, it could open a Pandora's box for the U.S.

"Regime change is a political act of extraordinary consequence — one of the most complex, costly, and uncertain undertakings a nation can attempt," Hertling emphasizes. "When the United States treats regime change as a discrete military option rather than a whole-of-government, generational commitment, it repeats mistakes we have made very recently and ignores lessons we have paid dearly in blood, treasure, and reputation to learn."

The Trump Administration, Hertling laments, is "casually" addressing "regime change" with Venezuela when, in fact, ousting Maduro would be difficult and complicated in a variety of ways.

Hertling warns, "Anyone advocating regime change in Venezuela is implicitly advocating for a long, bloody, expensive commitment — whether they acknowledge it or not…. The most important question is not whether regime change is desirable in the abstract. It is whether the United States is prepared — politically, militarily, morally, and financially — to own another country's future for years."

Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling's full article for The Bulwark is available at this link.