Former Pentagon press secretary Dave Lapan has sounded the alarm over a U.S. military raid in Venezuela, warning that murky justifications threaten America’s global reputation. Speaking exclusively, the retired Marine colonel dissected the operation’s legal voids and contradictory rationales.
Key uncertainties persist: Was the goal neutralizing a drug trafficker, extracting oil resources, or engineering a government overthrow? Lapan criticized the administration’s flip-flopping stories, which confuse citizens and foreign governments alike.
He drew stark parallels to authorized conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, noting the absence of congressional green lights here. Despite fewer troops, the raid involved deadly engagements, killing scores and wounding Americans—without prior notice to Capitol Hill.
While operationally effective, claims of it being mere ‘police work backed by troops’ draw skepticism from legal circles. Lapan also faulted the botched information rollout, a far cry from the Pentagon’s tradition of swift, senior-led updates.
Now, with Joint Chiefs briefing from the White House and the Pentagon’s press team dismantled, confusion reigns. This opacity fuels distrust in the military’s domestic and overseas deployment.
Internationally, the raid sows doubt among allies. ‘It forces partners to wonder if U.S. promises mean anything,’ Lapan said. The result? A battered U.S. image, compelling a hard look at how unilateral moves erode hard-won alliances.
In an era of rising powers, such missteps could prove costly, urging a return to transparent, accountable power projection.