The Long Game with Jake Sullivan and Jon Finer Occupation by Joystick: Venezuela
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Jan 9, 2026 The hosts dive into the audacious U.S. raid that aimed to capture Nicolás Maduro, exploring the geopolitical risks and potential fallout. They discuss Trump's bold claims about controlling Venezuela and the economic implications for Americans. The conversation shifts to the strategic interest in Greenland, probing the dangers of asserting U.S. control over an ally's territory. The episode highlights the broader implications of military actions on global stability, revealing the intricacies of modern-day geopolitics and the challenges of remote governance.
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Operation Versus Occupation
- The Trump administration framed the Maduro raid as removing a bad dictator but then signaled U.S. control over Venezuela's governance.
- That shift turned a surgical operation into a broader strategic and political problem with global precedent risks.
Risk Without Clear Reward
- High‑risk special operations carry major downside if political gains are unclear or fleeting.
- Using elite forces for low direct national‑security payoff increases the chance of costly creep and repeated missions.
How Special Forces Prepare Raids
- Jake Sullivan recalled how special forces build life‑size replicas and rehearse raids relentlessly before executing a high‑risk operation.
- Jon Finer added that months or years of intelligence often underpin target confirmation for such missions.