Venezuela oil deal may be a win, but it shouldn’t set a precedent

Eight months ago, American aircraft launched from 20 bases as a special operations team entered Caracas and removed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from a fortified compound. Dozens of Venezuelan and Cuban personnel were killed. Congress never authorized the operation. On Monday, Americans learned what emerged from it: century-long rights to 17 oil fields containing an estimated 65 billion barrels, a 35% Pentagon ownership stake in a newly created company, and a State Department guarantee to purchase one-fifth of its production at cost. Two things can be true at once. The way this agreement was obtained should alarm anyone who cares…