Morning Note

Washington may start a regime change war in Venezuela. One federal agent reportedly had a different idea for how to oust the country’s president: hire his pilot to fly him into U.S. custody. 

The plan was simple. All the aviator had to do was divert Nicolas Maduro’s plane to where American authorities could arrest the South American leader. In return, the U.S. government would make him a very rich man. As in $50 million rich.

The pair’s communication began in 2024, when the U.S. official proposed his plan and covertly recorded their conversation. The pilot left their secret location without a deal, but gave the American his phone number to keep in touch. Their dialogue continued until last month, when the Venezuelan declared he refused to act as a traitor and killed the plot.

How should Venezuela respond? If a foreign country tried to hire an Air Force One operator to fly Donald Trump into its arresting officers’ hands, America’s reaction would likely be swift and forceful. But like we wrote yesterday, it’s okay when we do it because we’re a “democracy”? Are we sure about that?

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