Seize the assets of the Venezuelan generals at the border – Washington Examiner

Responding to Venezuelan regime attacks against civilians, the U.S. should identify those commanders responsible and seize their assets.

The need for action is clear. Four civilians were killed on Saturday as they sought to bring aid across the Brazilian and Colombian borders into Venezuela. That aid was to have been used to alleviate chronic starvation rates and shortages of basic medicines. But although about 100 Venezuelan security officers defected to Juan Guaido’s opposition movement over the weekend, most Venezuelan military commanders remain in Nicolas Maduro’s corner.

We must recognize that the current pressure isn’t enough to move the needle in Guaido’s favor. Rather than offering compromise, the U.S. should now identify commanders responsible for border security operations and seize any of their international assets. Those assets should then be transferred to Guaido’s administration.

This isn’t just about moral justice; it’s also about political effect.

After all, it’s increasingly clear that the U.S. will have to be more creative in undercutting Maduro’s hold of power. That means targeting Maduro where it hurts most — in the wallet. If pro-Maduro military officers and militia leaders start to realize that their loyalty to the dictatorship now risks their immediate personal privation, they’ll have more reason to reconsider that loyalty.

Thanks to the Cuban-led domination of Venezuelan security forces, fear of reprisals currently motivates officers to stand by Maduro. It’s time for the U.S. to make the consequences tangible for all of Maduro’s remaining supporters in the military.