Much could still go wrong for the United States following last week’s stunningly successful removal of illegitimate Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro.

For one, loyalists of the Chavista regime might dig in for the long haul, forcing President Donald Trump to make good on his threat of a second strike more devastating than the first. China, Russia, and Iran, already seething over lost footholds, will surely funnel arms, cash, and propaganda to any holdouts. 

To be sure, the American public did not sign up for a prolonged war and will not abide by one. Trump’s America First base would sharpen its knives against him. The same precision and resolve that defined the initial raid must be maintained for the remainder of the larger mission.

Yet, despite the precariousness of the situation, the calculation behind the move remains sound. The strategic benefits outweigh the risks. And the moral basis for intervention is powerful.

First, the moral case. Despite telling a New York judge that he is a “decent man,” Maduro is a full-fledged monster, even for an authoritarian despot. He ordered beatings and killings of political opponents and tortured protesters. His corrupt mismanagement of the Venezuelan economy sparked hyperinflation, food shortages, and mass........

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