U.S. launches military strikes on Venezuela, Trump says Maduro captured and flown out of the country
Category: News & Politics
Via: vic-eldred • 10 months ago • 273 commentsBy: Jennifer Jacobs (CBSPolitics)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
What to know about the U.S. military strikes on Venezuela
- President Trump said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were "captured and flown out of the Country" early Saturday morning, confirming a "large scale strike" by the U.S. that drew quick condemnation and concern from across the globe.
- The U.S. Army's Delta Force, an elite special forces unit, carried out the operation to capture Maduro, officials told CBS News.
- A Republican senator said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had indicated that Maduro would face criminal charges in the U.S., where he was indicted years ago, and that Rubio "anticipates no further action in Venezuela." The Trump administration has long accused Maduro of drug trafficking and working with gangs designated as terrorist organizations, which Maduro denies.
- The strikes follow months of U.S. military buildup in the region, with the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and numerous other warships positioned in the Caribbean.
- In recent weeks the U.S. has seized two oil tankers off Venezuela, launched deadly strikes on more than 30 boats the administration says were carrying drugs, and struck what President Trump called "the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs."
New Updates 14m ago
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado's spokesperson declines to comment
A spokesperson for Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado declined to comment to the Associated Press on the U.S. military operation that led to the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro.
Machado, who has been in hiding since the 2024 presidential elections, was last seen in public last month when she traveled to Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
Machado told CBS News in mid-December that she was "absolutely" supportive of President Trump's strategy in the country and would welcome "more and more pressure so that Maduro understands that he has to go."
"We, the Venezuelan people, are very grateful to him and to his administration, because I believe he is a champion of freedom in this hemisphere," Machado said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan."
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-21c01886 link copied
Updated 44m ago
Bondi says Maduro and wife will "soon face the full wrath of American justice" on U.S. soil
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a social media post on Saturday that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife would "soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts."
Maduro has been indicted in a U.S. federal court on at least four charges, including narco-terrorism offenses and possessing weapons "against the United States," Bondi said.
It was not immediately clear whether the nation's top lawyer was referring only to charges contained in an indictment filed against the Venezuelan leader in 2020, or if there would be new or different charges filed in an indictment Saturday.
Bondi said the Maduros were charged in the Southern District of New York, which is the same jurisdiction that handed down the 2020 indictment against the Venezuelan president. His wife, Cilia Flores, was not previously charged.
Bondi, in her post, added her thanks on behalf of the Department of Justice to President Trump, "for having the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American People, and a huge thank you to our brave military who conducted the incredible and highly successful mission to capture these two alleged international narco traffickers."
By Tucker Reals
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-2355a5d2 link copied
Updated 7:19 AM
European Union calls for restraint, respect for international law
Top European Union diplomat Kaja Kallas said Saturday that she had spoken with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the EU's ambassador in Caracas.
She said the EU was "closely monitoring the situation" and noted that it had "repeatedly stated that Mr. Maduro lacks legitimacy."
"Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected," Kallas wrote on social media. "We call for restraint. The safety of EU citizens in the country is our top priority."
By Kerry Breen
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-b2554192 link copied
Updated 6:50 AM
Russia and Iran condemn U.S. strikes on Venezuela
Russia and Iran were among the many nations to react quickly to the U.S. military strikes on Venezuela and President Trump announcing the capture of the Latin American nation's leader, Nicolas Maduro.
Iran condemned the attack, calling it a "flagrant violation of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of" Venezuela, according to the AFP news agency.
Russia's foreign ministry accused the U.S. of "an act of armed aggression against Venezuela. This is deeply concerning and condemnable" in a statement, according to the Reuters news agency.
"The pretexts used to justify such actions are unfounded," the statement said, adding a call for the prevention of "further escalation," dialogue, and backing other calls for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council.
By Tucker Reals, Haley Ott
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-cda6b7a4 link copied
6:07 AM
Maduro's capture comes exactly 35 years after U.S. arrested Panama's Noriega
President Trump announced the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro early Saturday morning 35 years to the day after U.S. forces arrested another indicted Latin American leader, the late Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega.
A onetime U.S. ally and CIA informant, Noriega led Panama for much of the 1980s, but he fell out of favor with Washington toward the end of his reign due to allegations of drug trafficking.
Former President George H.W. Bush ordered the U.S. military to invade Panama in late 1989, leading Noriega to hide out in the Vatican embassy before surrendering to U.S. authorities on Jan. 3, 1990. He was convicted in the U.S. on drug trafficking charges and spent 20 years in an American prison before being sent to France to serve a money laundering sentence, and then to Panama where he was imprisoned on murder and other charges.
Noriega died in Panama in 2017.
By Joe Walsh
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-90ce188e link copied
5:33 AM
GOP senator says Rubio told him "no further action in Venezuela" expected
Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah said early Saturday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had told him he "anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in U.S. custody."
In a post on X, Lee said he spoke with Rubio on the phone. He said he was told Maduro was arrested, "to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States," and "the kinetic action we saw tonight was deployed to protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant."
By Joe Walsh
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-9006ebfe link copied
5:20 AM
Maduro was captured with a $50 million U.S. bounty out on him
The U.S. government has sought Maduro's arrest for years. He was indicted by a U.S. court in March 2020, accused along with more than a dozen other individuals of narco-terrorism.
Last summer, the Trump administration doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro's capture to $50 million.
Federal prosecutors alleged in 2020 that Maduro and other senior Venezuelan government officials collaborated with the Colombian guerilla group Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, or FARC, to traffic cocaine and weapons to the United States.
At the time, the Justice Department also accused Maduro of leading a criminal ring called Cartel de Los Soles, which the Trump administration designated as a foreign terrorist organization last year.
Some experts have questioned the administration's characterization of Cartel de Los Soles, arguing the term refers to a loosely defined group of corrupt government officials with links to drug trafficking, not a centrally organized group.
By Joe Walsh
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-02833fca link copied
5:15 AM
Venezuelan vice president demands proof of life for Maduro
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, speaking on the country's state-run TV, issued a demand on Saturday morning for proof of life and the location of the country's President Nicolas Maduro.
Her remarks, in a telephone interview with the TV network, came soon after President Trump said Maduro had been captured and flown out of Venezuela.
By Jose Diaz, Tucker Reals
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-fe0b63ad link copied
4:59 AM
Venezuelan defense minister says military is being deployed
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez announced a deployment of military forces across the country in a video posted to social media early Saturday, after the U.S. military conducted strikes on the country.
The defense minister called for a united front of resistance in the face of "the worst aggression" ever against Venezuela. He said all armed forces would be deployed following "Maduro's orders" — but made no mention of Maduro's reported capture.
"They've attacked us but they will not subdue us," he said.
He called for calm and unity, and warned against anarchy and disorder, cautioning: "let's not succumb to the panic the enemy seeks to instill."
The defense minister also said the government had declared a "state of external commotion," effectively a state of emergency.
By Lilia Luciano
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-4d0eb436 link copied
4:47 AM
Maduro captured by Army's Delta Force, sources say
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was captured early Saturday morning by members of Delta Force, the U.S. military's top special mission unit, U.S. officials told CBS News.
The elite Army Delta Force was also responsible for the 2019 mission that killed former Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
By Jennifer Jacobs
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-c5fe6542 link copied
4:26 AM
Trump says Maduro was captured and flown out of Venezuela
President Trump said in a Truth Social post early Saturday morning that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were "captured and flown out of the Country," as he confirmed U.S. military strikes in Venezuela.
"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader," Mr. Trump wrote. He said U.S. law enforcement was involved, but he didn't specify how or which agencies.
Maduro was indicted in an American court for alleged narcoterrorism in 2020.
Mr. Trump said more details will be offered in a press conference at 11 a.m. ET at Mar-a-Lago.
By Joe Walsh
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-98283f85 link copied
4:17 AM
State Department tells Americans in Venezuela to shelter in place
The State Department warned U.S. citizens in Venezuela to shelter in place early Saturday morning.
In a notice posted on its website, the department said the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, was "aware of reports of explosions in and around Caracas, Venezuela."
A fire at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, is seen from a distance after a series of explosions amid U.S. military strikes in Caracas on Jan. 3, 2026. AFP/Getty
The U.S. has warned its citizens against traveling to Venezuela for months, citing the risk of "wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure."
By Jennifer Jacobs, Joe Walsh
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-cb0a0ba6 link copied
4:02 AM
Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego: "This war is illegal"
Shortly after the U.S. launched strikes in Venezuela, Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona wrote on X: "This war is illegal."
The senator, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who was deployed in Iraq, called it the "Second unjustified war in my life time."
Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah also expressed skepticism, saying in a post on X: "I look forward to learning what, if anything, might constitutionally justify this action in the absence of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force."
In recent months, congressional Democrats and some Republicans have pushed back against the Trump administration's military buildup in the region, forcing votes in the House and Senate on measures that would have barred the U.S. from striking Venezuela without congressional approval.
Those measures have been voted down.
By Joe Walsh
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-5294664f link copied
3:50 AM
Venezuelan government declares state of emergency, tells people to take to the streets
Venezuela's government called on its supporters to take to the streets in the wake of the U.S. military strikes early Saturday.
"People to the streets!" the statement said. "The Bolivarian Government calls on all social and political forces in the country to activate mobilization plans and repudiate this imperialist attack."
The statement said President Nicolas Maduro had "ordered all national defense plans to be implemented" and declared "a state of external disturbance." That state of emergency gives him the power to suspend people's rights and expand the role of the armed forces.
By The Associated Press
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-da88d8ef link copied
Updated 3:43 AM
Venezuelan opposition leader has backed Trump's strategy
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado told CBS News in mid-December she was "absolutely" supportive of President Trump's strategy in the country.
"We, the Venezuelan people, are very grateful to him and to his administration, because I believe he is a champion of freedom in this hemisphere," Machado said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan."
At the time, the president's strategy was limited to attacks on suspected drug boats, the seizure of an oil tanker and economic and diplomatic pressure, but not land strikes.
Asked if she'd welcome U.S. military action in Venezuela, Machado did not rule it out, saying: "I will welcome more and more pressure so that Maduro understands that he has to go."
A former lawmaker who was disqualified from running in Venezuela's 2024 presidential election, Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this year, and collected the prize in Norway after a risky waterborne exit from Venezuela. She dedicated the prize to Mr. Trump.
Read more here.
By Kaia Hubbard
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-a76a28d6 link copied
3:43 AM
Caracas military bases and major Venezuelan port hit by U.S. strikes, political opposition says
David Smolansky, a spokesman for Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, told CBS News the following locations were among those hit:
- Fuerte Tiuna — the main military base in Caracas
- La Carlota — the main airbase in Caracas
- El Volcan — signal antenna
- La Guaira Port — a seaport on the Caribbean coast
Map shows location of Venezuela and its capital, Caracas. President Trump ordered strikes on sites inside Venezuela, including military facilities, in the early hours of Jan. 3, 2026, U.S. officials told CBS News. Mehmet Yaren Bozgun/Anadolu/Getty By Margaret Brennan
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-d263e11e link copied
3:34 AM
FAA bans commercial flights over Venezuela due to "ongoing military activity"
As the U.S. carries out strikes in Venezuela, the Federal Aviation Administration prohibited U.S. commercial air carriers from operating at all altitudes over Venezuela, citing "safety-of-flight risks associated with ongoing military activity."
The notice was issued at 2 a.m. local time in Caracas (1 a.m. Eastern) on Saturday, and was set to end at 1 a.m. Caracas time on Sunday.
The order does not apply to foreign or military aircraft.
By Joe Walsh
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-533ca910 link copied
3:25 AM
Maduro said earlier this week that he was open to U.S. talks on drug trafficking
Before the U.S. strikes began, Maduro said in an interview on Venezuelan state TV earlier this week that he was willing to talk with the U.S. about drug trafficking, oil and migration issues.
The Venezuelan president said he was ready for talks "wherever they want to whenever they want," and suggested he was open to an agreement to combat drug trafficking, or American investment in Venezuela's oil sector.
Maduro has alleged for weeks that the U.S. is seeking his ouster.
"What are they seeking? It is clear that they seek to impose themselves through threats, intimidation and force," he said this week.
By Joe Walsh
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-ff93d4c9 link copied
Updated 3:15 AM
Maduro has maintained hold on power despite disputed 2024 election
Maduro, 63, has maintained his grip on power in Venezuela since 2013, when he became president following the death of longtime leader Hugo Chavez.
Maduro has survived several serious threats to his hold on the presidency, most recently in 2024, when he stood for election for a third term. The Venezuelan government declared Maduro the victor, a result that was denounced by opposition leaders and international observers, who accused the regime of stealing votes.
The U.S. recognized the opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the winner, and imposed sanctions against elections officials for allegedly rigging the outcome.
Despite the global outcry, Maduro was sworn in for his third term in January.
By Stefan Becket
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-593c0a07 link copied
Updated 3:12 AM
Trump repeatedly threatened to move from boat strikes to land strikes
President Trump repeatedly warned in recent months that his administration could attack accused drug traffickers who traverse Latin America by land "very soon," which would mark an escalation in the U.S. military's campaign of lethal strikes on alleged drug boats.
"We're going to start doing those strikes on land, too," Mr. Trump told reporters during a Dec. 2 Cabinet meeting when asked about the administration's strikes at sea. "You know, the land is much easier ... And we know the routes they take. We know everything about them. We know where they live. We know where the bad ones live. And we're going to start that very soon, too."
He said at the time that any country where illicit drugs are produced or trafficked could be subject to attack, not just Venezuela.
Read more here.
By Joe Walsh
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-f788a1fe link copied
3:08 AM
Cuba's president denounces strikes on Venezuela as a "criminal attack by the U.S."
Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez said in a social media post that his country denounced "the criminal attack by the U.S." on Venezuela, and he called for urgent condemnation from the international community for what he described as "State terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people and against Our America."
By Tucker Reals
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-60663130 link copied
2:58 AM
Venezuela accuses U.S. of "very serious military aggression"
In a statement early Saturday, the Venezuelan government said it "repudiates and denounces to the international community the very serious military aggression" by the U.S. government.
Venezuela said the strikes targeted civilian and military sites in the city of Caracas and the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira.
The government vowed to defend against the apparent strikes, and accused the U.S. of seeking regime change.
"The whole country must be active to defeat this imperialist aggression," the government's statement read, adding a call for an immediate meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
By Jose Diaz, Joe Walsh
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-eefc7444 link copied
2:55 AM
Explosions heard in Caracas
U.S. officials confirmed to CBS News that President Trump had ordered strikes in Venezuela not long after reports started to emerge of explosions and low-flying aircraft in the country's capital of Caracas in the early Saturday morning hours. Initially U.S. officials had said only that they were aware of the reports.
President Gustavo Petro in neighboring Colombia said in a social media post that someone was "bombing Caracas in this moment," without saying who.
"Alert to the whole world, they have attacked Venezuela bombing with missiles," he said, calling for a meeting of the United Nations.
A fire burns at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, after a series of explosions in Caracas on Jan. 3, 2026. LUIS JAIMES /AFP via Getty Images
Smoke could be seen rising from the hangar of a military base in Caracas, and another military facility in the capital was without power, The Associated Press reported.
By Joe Walsh
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-5299a56c link copied
2:49 AM
Trump approved Venezuela strikes days beforehand, sources say
President Trump gave the U.S. military the green light to conduct land strikes in Venezuela days before the actual operation occurred, according to two U.S. officials who spoke to CBS News under condition of anonymity to discuss national security matters.
Military officials discussed conducting the mission on Christmas Day, but U.S. airstrikes in Nigeria against ISIS targets took precedence, the sources said.
The days following Christmas opened more potential strike windows to U.S. military officials but the operation was held due to weather conditions. The officials said the U.S. military wanted weather conditions that were advantageous to mission success.
By James LaPorta, Jennifer Jacobs
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-b89b6f16 link copied
2:38 AM
U.S. launches airstrikes on Venezuela
President Trump ordered strikes on sites inside Venezuela early Saturday morning, including military facilities, U.S. officials told CBS News.
The Pentagon referred all requests for comment to the White House.
By Jennifer Jacobs, James LaPorta, Eleanor Watson
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-11813129 link copied
2:38 AM
Before land strikes, Trump said it would be "smart" for Maduro to leave
President Trump has been noncommittal on whether the goal of his military buildup is to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He told reporters on Dec. 22 it would be "smart" for Maduro to leave power, but it's "up to him what he wants to do."
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles has been more direct about the president's intentions, telling Vanity Fair in November: "He wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle."
Mr. Trump said in mid-December that Venezuela was "completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America."
"It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before — Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us," he posted on Truth Social on Dec. 16.
By Joe Walsh
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-d6e426cf link copied
2:38 AM
Military action follows more than 30 boat strikes, seizure of oil tankers
Since early September, the U.S. military has carried out more than 30 strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, killing over 110 people. The first of those attacks, on Sept. 2, sparked additional controversy when it emerged that the military launched a follow-on strike after spotting two survivors. Critics in Congress have called for an investigation into whether that constitutes a war crime.
Then on Dec. 10, the U.S. seized an oil tankercalled The Skipper off the coast of Venezuela. The mission was launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford, an aircraft carrier that has been in the area for weeks as part of a broader buildup of U.S. forces in the region, sources told CBS News.
Attorney General Pam Bondi posted a 45-second video of the operation on X, showing armed personnel descending onto the vessel's deck from a helicopter. She said the U.S. executed a seizure warrant on the vessel, and that it was "used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran."
Less than a week later, President Trump announced a "total and complete blockade" of sanctioned oil tankers entering and exiting Venezuela. The U.S. later seized a second oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on Dec. 20, and later pursued a third tanker that refused to be boarded and fled.
In what could be the campaign's first known land strike, Mr. Trump said in late December the U.S. "knocked out" a "big facility" that was allegedly linked to drug trafficking. He described the target as a "dock area where they load the boats up with drugs," but he didn't specify its location or offer many further details.
The Venezuelan government has criticized the operations at sea, calling the oil tanker seizures acts of "piracy" and accusing the Trump administration of seeking regime change.
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-e319c0da link copied
2:38 AM
Trump administration accuses Maduro, Venezuelan groups of narcoterrorism
The U.S. has asserted that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is complicit with armed criminal gangs smuggling drugs into the U.S. — allegations that Maduro has rejected.
The Trump administration has officially designated two groups as international terrorist organizations that it says are linked to the Maduro regime: the Cartel de los Soles and the gang Tren de Aragua, which are accused of international drug trafficking and violent attacks.
Some experts have questioned the designations. Analysts say the Cartel de los Soles is not a singular organization, but instead refers to elements within the Venezuelan government accused of colluding with drug cartels.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CBS News' "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" in May that the administration believes Tren de Aragua is used as a tool of the regime — contradicting an assessment by the National Intelligence Council.
"There's no doubt in our mind, and in my mind, and in the FBI's assessment that this is a group that the regime in Venezuela uses, not just to try to destabilize the United States, but to project power," Rubio said.
Maduro and several of his top lieutenants were charged in U.S. federal court in 2020 with narco-terrorism and drug trafficking, which he denied. "Maduro very deliberately deployed cocaine as a weapon" to harm the U.S., prosecutors alleged.
Over the summer, the Trump administration doubled the reward for Maduro's arrest to $50 million.
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-e3a6fccf link copied
2:38 AM
Strikes come after months of U.S. military buildup in region
Over the past few months, the U.S. has ratcheted up the pressure on the Maduro regime in Venezuela in multiple ways, including an extensive military buildup in the region, live fire exercises and deadly strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
There are currently about 15,000 U.S. troops in the region. Some 11 naval vessels were in the Caribbean Sea as of Dec. 30, Navy officials told CBS News, including the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's most advanced aircraft carrier.
The U.S. naval buildup in the Caribbean also includes five guided missile destroyers, two guided missile cruisers, an amphibious assault ship and two amphibious transport dock ships, officials said.
There are also several dozen U.S. fighter jets stationed in Puerto Rico. And this month, the U.S. moved aircraft to the region that are designed to carry special forces, including CV-22 Ospreys and C-17 cargo planes, a source familiar with the matter told CBS News.
By James LaPorta, Eleanor Watson
- https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/#post-update-b90669bc link copied
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GAME, SET, MATCH!
witness the desperate act of an empowered criminal, traitor, and child molester risking american lives to deflect attention away from his direct involvement in the obstruction of the release of the epstein files that implicate him ...
All to supposedly go after a drug trafficking President while having just pardoned a different drug trafficking President. Only in the MAGAverse does that kind of shit make sense.
GAME, SET, MATCH!
With any luck Trump will be kidnapped and taken to the Hague to stand trial for crimes against humanity.
It's going to be a long 3 years for some.
Hurting your feelings don't count as "crimes against humanity".
Venezuelas long national nightmare is over. Now comes the hard part of building that country back to what it was before the socialists effectively destroyed it.
Shortly after the U.S. launched strikes in Venezuela, Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona wrote on X: "This war is illegal."
The senator, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who was deployed in Iraq, called it the "Second unjustified war in my life time."
Well, he's entitled to his opinion . . .
It seems that the Maduro regime, Narco terrorists, drug lords, Putin and Democrats are all outraged
Maduro no longer has his finger in the air.
And the world, within a matter of weeks is a better place.
[✘]
Everyone of them should be put on trial for treason.
Executed? Who? What for? Because of photoshopped pictures off the Internet? Political opposition is not treason...
For giving comfort to America's enemies, all because they hate Trump.
half the country hates trump.
complete nonsense
In no way do progressives = half the country.
An absolute fact.
like trump gives to putin ...
That getting kind of old.
like most of the inconvenient truths that maga has a hard time accepting ...
Truth does not flow from Hillary Clinton. She told a lie that still lives among us.
... just one? what about the criminal, traitor, and child molesting oracle of bullshit in DC, your hero? how many has he told that you're apparently okay with?
It should be obvious that this is a fake, but here is ChatGPT’s analysis of the image itself.
Partisan dishonesty.
It is irrational to complain about any politician lying while one is supporting and defending Trump.
Or, as i took it, a joke, mocking democrats
There was no caption. No claim of a joke or that it was a fake.
It was clearly a partisan attack on the Democrats (joke or not). And it was clearly dishonest (as I noted).
Sharing a known false image is the same as lying.
“There was no caption. No claim of a joke or that it was a fake.”
The same can be said about pictures put up by some on the left that are negative toward conservatives, but there is no calling it out.
”It was clearly a partisan attack on the Democrats (joke or not).”
The same can be said about pictures put up by some on the left that are negative toward conservatives, but there is no calling it out.
”And it was clearly dishonest”
the same can be said about pictures put up by some on the left that are negative toward conservatives, but there is no calling it out.
Offer something other than the tired old "but what about them .... ?" bullshit.
It does not matter that other people engage in partisan crap, that does not make this any less dishonest or any less partisan.
“It does not matter that other people engage in partisan crap,”
i’ll give ya that. What does stand out is calling it out when one side does it but not when the other side does it. Not a good, non-partisan look at all.
Hmm, I wonder if that counts for the people that supported defended Joe now complaining about Trump lying.
A bit of satire saying anything Trump does some folks are against. It seems some folks take everything as an afront to their beliefs. I can't imagine why.
That’s how i took it.
As I would guess most non partisans would.
I thought it was so obvious it didn't need the claim. You can make fun of some democrats without being dishonest or partisan, as long as you have a sense of humor.
Only if there is an intent to deceive. This photo was so over the top not accurate that only people that wanted it to be a lie found it as a lie.
That is alot of ChatGPT to say what was so obvious
Nothing is non partisan around here anymore. Seeds that have nothing to do with politics are dragged down by hyper partisans...
You are implying that I defended lies by Joe Biden. That is a lie.
Instead of dealing with the subject matter, you post a partisan-inspired fake photo.
In a direct reply to your faked image:
Apparently it was not 'so obvious' to everyone.
Not at all.
I can't speak for Vic.
And yet, it had Vic calling for their heads because he apparently thinks it's real.
Which says a lot.
Unlike some others I can't speak for Vic.
You shouldn't have fooled him that way. It wasn't very kind. It gave him an opening to let his hatred of anything opposed to Trump stick his foot right in his mouth. And he took it.
You thought it was real?
And of course, like a good little authoritarian, you call for legal proceedings to be brought against anybody who blasphemes against your god.
And unlike Vic, I am entirely prepared to take a ticket for my comments, without whining to Perrie, like some schoolyard bully who got his comeuppance and can't stand it.
Do you think your comments are worthy of a ticket?
like the maga trash that still supports the felonious child molesting traitor in DC after 01/01/26 ...
You could have left it there but you didn’t.
Which says a lot.
No Sandy, that picture was a parody of STATEMENTS that those people have made. I base my charges against them on those statements.
Because you know you won't get a ticket.
Since you brought Perrie into this, how is she doing? She seldom even checks in anymore. I hope all is well.
Btw I think you were the one who got the comeuppance. Stop crying over NT's loss. We have to deal with an echo chamber and far less members. Accept it.
I thought it was so obvious it didn't need the claim.
It certainly fooled the biggest moron on this site.
Anyone with any sense knew that.
Nice try but wrong again
The meme you posted points to the ultimate reality of our predicament. Whatever Trump does will have a stink of righteous suspicion placed on it , simply because he is a completely corrupt individual. No one with a working brain and a somewhat extensive following of the news of the day will ever give Trump the benefit of the doubt again, ever. His obvious corruption attaches to all his actions, especially when there is money involved.
And I quote:
"Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez ( AOC ) slammed the U.S. operation that captured Venezuela's authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, saying it is not aimed at countering drug-trafficking.
"It's not about drugs. If it was, Trump wouldn't have pardoned one of the largest narco traffickers in the world last month. It's about oil and regime change. And they need a trial now to pretend that it isn't. Especially to distract from Epstein + skyrocketing healthcare costs," she claimed in a social media publication."
AOC slams operation to capture Maduro: 'It's about oil and regime change'
It was a misrepresentation of their positions; literally putting claims in their mouths that none of them have made (and will likely never make). I see no evidence that any elected official (including Democrats) has even hinted that Nicolas Maduro should be released. A criticism of what Trump did to remove him from power is very different from a desire to see him free and unpunished.
However, we do know of one elected official who not only wanted a convicted drug kingpin freed but also used his authority to free him.
Explain the release of Juan Orlando Hernández, a drug kingpin, by Trump granting a pardon on his 45 year sentence. Pay attention to what Trump is doing. Pay attention to the trashing of the rule of law, both domestic and international, and the violation of the CotUS.
I never said that they said Maduro should be freed, although there are protests in leftwing precincts with signs demanding exactly that. What I said was that they were against Trump taking action against Maduro.
Clearly, they were against Trump.
This is the quote that is the subject of all the bickering in this thread.
Did you believe the photo was real or not? If you did not believe it was real, why did you say the people in it should be put on trial for treason? I'm not sure "Free Maduro" constitutes treason , but lets say it does. Apparently then you thought the photo was real.
The person who posted it very likely knew it was AI. I knew it was AI as soon as I saw it.
... so they should be "put on trial for treason" ???
Pay attention to what Trump does and also pay attention to what you write.
No, that is also untrue. Much of what is coming from the lefties here is that Trump was wrong to take action. We even have one member compare him to Hitler.
Did you believe the photo was real or not?
Obviously, it was a meme, but a good one. Only a leftist would stomp his/her feet like a child chanting it's "fake,"
If you did not believe it was real, why did you say the people in it should be put on trial for treason?
For those who can't read THEY HAVE MADE QUESTIONABLE STATEMENTS REGARDING OUR PRESIDENT!
I knew it was AI as soon as I saw it.
Good for you.
Yup and Joe Biden as well.
The Trump toad, flunky, and lackey Jim Jordan was on a tv interview show this morning , and he was asked about the pardon Trump gave to this convicted drug runner who is said to have trafficked 400 tons of cocaine to the US. Jordan said Trump has the authority to issue pardons to anyone he wants , and then said Biden pardoned the J6 committee members.
Why did Trump pardon Juan Orlando Hernandez ? Follow the money.
A fine example of entirely irrational doubling down.
Yes, but truth isn't nearly as satisfying as a lie that justifies one's unjustifiable hate.
Trump got a bribe?
Prove it!
As TiG said : pay attention to what you write.
Democrats Condemn Trump’s Venezuela Strikes, Maduro Capture - Newsweek
So, should anybody who opposed Obama during his time in office have also been tried for treason?
That's the country you'd have us live in, one where political opposition is a crime punishable by death?
How anti-American.
Who the hell opposed him?
He killed about 500 people and bragged:
"According to the new book “ Double Down ,” in which journalists Mark Halperin and John Heilemann chronicle the 2012 presidential election, President Barack Obama told his aides that he’s “really good at killing people” while discussing drone strikes."
Obama Said He's 'Really Good at Killing People' - Business Insider
Who opposed him?
Why do you think he pardoned Hernandez ?
The New York Times and others have reported numerous civilians killed in the attack on Venezuela. Was their killing justified in order to arrest Maduro?
If it had been Trump who killed people with drones instead of Obama you would be talking about how great it was.
I don't know why progressives insist on making it an issue, but it is hard for me to speculate. So, like a critical thinker once advised me, I'll wait for the facts to roll in.
JR said to 'follow the money'. That does mean only a bribe. Typically, this kind of crap does not involve bribes but rather quid pro quo—an indirect benefit.
You are asking him to prove a bribe (which you offer as the only possible way money could be involved); that is a slimy tactic.
Is that what the lying times calls drug runners and security forces? Those killings were absolutely justified.
If it had been Trump who killed people with drones instead of Obama you would be talking about how great it was.
Did I say that I opposed the Obama strikes? I want to remind you that Obama killed a US citizen in one of those strikes.
A slimy tactic would be to assign a devious reasons for everything this President does. Neither you nor John has any evidence that the pardon was part of a quid pro quo.
How about the idea that a President who faced false charges over & over again might just sympathize with anyone who wasn't treated fairly? I don't know if that is Trump's reason, but I suspect it could be.
LOL. It points to the fact that Trump doesnt care about drug runners. Hernandez was CONVICTED in the US court of trafficking drugs to the US. Trumps announced rationale for the pardon was that the man was treated unfairly by the Biden administration JUST LIKE HE (TRUMP) was.
So, it wasn't a quid pro quo?
So, the GOP was always in 100% agreement with Obama?
Your question is delusional.
⚖️ Criminal Cases
1. New York “Hush Money” Case (State)
Outcome: Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records on May 30, 2024.
Status after conviction: Sentencing was repeatedly delayed; Trump sought to overturn the conviction citing the Supreme Court’s presidential‑immunity ruling.
As of the latest reporting: The conviction still stands pending judicial rulings on immunity and dismissal motions.
2. Georgia Election Interference Case (State)
Outcome: Dismissed.
A judge dismissed the entire Georgia RICO/election‑interference case against Trump and co‑defendants, ending the last of the four criminal cases filed against him.
3. Federal Election Interference Case (D.C.)
Outcome: Effectively halted or postponed.
After Trump’s reelection, the case was paused or rendered inactive due to presidential immunity issues and DOJ policy constraints on prosecuting a sitting president.
4. Federal Classified Documents Case (Florida)
Outcome: Paused or stalled.
Proceedings were delayed significantly, and after Trump returned to the White House, the case was no longer moving forward in any meaningful way.
🏛️ Civil Cases
1. New York Civil Fraud Case
Outcome: Trump was found liable for widespread financial fraud (inflating asset values).
Penalties: Large financial penalties and restrictions were imposed, though appeals were ongoing. (This case is referenced in the AP tracker but not fully detailed in the snippets).
2. E. Jean Carroll Defamation & Battery Cases
(Not directly in your search snippets, but widely reported and part of the “major cases” referenced in the clearinghouse.)
Outcome: Trump was found liable in both cases.
Penalties: Over $80 million combined in damages across the two trials.
Status: Trump appealed.
Point out which of these cases were shown to contain false accusations about Trump.
He either was found guilty or liable every time, or the cases were stalled out of existence by Trump and the right wing SC.
The idea is that when it comes to foreign policy, we either stand behind the President, or we offer up principled differences. The left which controls your party refuses to do that. They attacked the President's motives.
All bogus bullshit.
I don't even know if a NY jury will convict Maduro based on the hate they have for Trump.
All of them.
He either was found guilty or liable every time
E. Jean Carroll told a friend he did it and that was good enough. If I was suing Trump in NYC that is all I would need as well. Just look at the judges that were supposedly randomly picked. What little you got is likely to be overturned. All of it done in coordination with Biden's AG during an election.
It staggers the mind what an uproar a meme can make. Almost makes one wonder if they have a guilty conscience about something.
They want everyone to know it's only a meme.
Yet at the same time as Venezuelans are rejoicing, there are protestors in US cities carrying those very same signs.
There is most definitely one piece of glaring evidence. Hernandez was convicted and sentenced to 45 years for drug trafficking. Trump pardoned him, and his reason was that he believed his trial was unfair:
Trump offers no evidence of wrongdoing and defies US jurisprudence by overturning a conviction, and then provides his cliche rhetorical bullshit as an explanation.
Provide a real reason why this trial was unfair. Explain the pardon, Vic, in hard facts and logic. Give us a reason not to suspect that Trump has an ulterior motive for this seemingly irrational pardon.
And there you have it. Yet again, no matter what Trump does your claim is that it is all ' fake news ' and ' false claims '. Denial, at a ridiculous level, plain as day.
Trump is the only PotUS in our history to attempt to steal a US presidential election with lies, coercion, incitement, and fraud. The evidence is overwhelming with much of it available to the public.
On the classified documents case, Trump deliberately attempted to keep classified documents and did NOT cooperate in their safe return. If he had just cooperated he would have been fine, but he took actions to obfuscate and delay federal authorities from returning classified documents to a properly safe location.
Shows how deep the hatred for Trump can go. Venezuelans should not be rejoicing since it was Trump that is helping them. The sad thing is the congress would not have gone along with it because it was coming from Trump. Some may have gone as far as leak the plans to try and stop him.
That flat out ignores reality. Congress is controlled by the GOP and they have routinely supported Trump with very few exceptions.
Republicans have 60 votes in the Senate? When did that happen?
Then why is the left whining about it even though it seems he may legally had the right to do what he did? You don't need to control anything to leak plans.
They need only a simple majority to authorize a U.S. strike on Venezuela. They could, for example, pass an Authorization for Use of Military Force.
Trump did not seek authorization from Congress. Thus, the question is about the constitutional validity of the move. Seems to me that this is a legit question.
Note how your comment is rooted in partisan crap 'the Left' instead of focusing on the actual issue.
Now, back to what I posted:
You wrote:
I responded with this:
I repeat, your comment flag out ignores reality.
Facts are it is the left whining about it. Safe assumption is that it is members on the left that would have voted against it since many are the ones doing the whining.
There is the reality
As the Constitution of the United States of America allows them to do, and as decency encourages them to do.
Your party has abandoned both.
I don't have a party.
“Some may have gone as far as leak the plans to try and stop him.”
you know it. Some dem, or dems, would’ve leaked the plans, giving maduro a heads up and putting our soldiers in danger.
They have every right to. Just as people have the right to question their motivations for going against it and declaring Trump should have gotten approval from them even though there may have been precedence in doing it.
Ask Chatgpt if an AUMF can be filibustered.
Back to what I posted since you are trying to hide from this:
I responded with this:
Why bother? Just give Pete Hegseth a phone.
Tell that to your pal calling for treason prosecutions.
Without mentioning names (Schiff). It is amazing how far some will go to make Trump look bad.
Why are you ignoring or not responding to .84 or .87?
They have every right to have an opinion and some have every right to think they should either stand behind the President, or we offer up principled differences. They have not done either.
Trump has lost every case that went to verdict. That says it all about whether or not he has been treated fairly.
Last i checked hegseth isn’t a member of congress, which is the body we’re talking about. And i’d bet hegseth does have a phone and plans were not leaked. I’d also bet a member, or members of the radical left in congress would’ve turned this operation into a shitshow.
Not only schiff, swallwell, the squad, i don’t think any of them can be trusted when it comes to trump.
I am here. I am having issues with my dad, but I am always checking in. I'm just not participating, partly because of my dad, and partly because I know someone will complain that I am biased because of my opinions.
Well, it's a good thing people who can't abide differences of opinion or the Bill of Rights aren't in a position to call for illegal and un-American prosections.
Sure, sure. Worry about hypothetical leaks, but defend the actual idiotic drunk leaker because he's Republican.
Sure sure, ignore the hair on fire hatred for trump some left wing lunatics in congress have and instead focus on something that didn’t happen.
ONE. And they were hanging out with known terrorists. FAFO.
You are entitled just like the rest of us.
My opinion will piss off Everyone, so I will keep it to myself, LOL.
I think I know your political opinions pretty well after all these years.
I do know you are neither more liberal or more conservative.
Some here probably object to you occasionally criticizing Trump publicly, as if there was something unfair about being critical of Trump. I think their perspective is what is ruining our country.
IMO you should be able to give whatever opinion you like without being accused of :bias".
You accuse those of a political persuasion other than your own of things they have not done.
You ignore the same things when they're actually done by those of your political persuasion.
And you have the temerity to accuse others of focusing on something that didn't happen.
Hilarious and predictable.
Are you familiar with politicians?
maga!
I'm familiar with un-American comments by some NTers who can't abide freedom of speech from the opposite side of the political aisle, and call it treason. I'm glad they're not in a position to act on those unpatriotic impulses.
Unless people agree there is some "good side" to Trump they are accused of being biased or TDS.
This opinion has been disastrous for our country , as the media plays into it.
I hope things work out with that.
I'm just not participating, partly because of my dad, and partly because I know someone will complain that I am biased because of my opinions.
There is a man on You tube who goes around sampling restaurants by the name of Tim Lee (a very gentle man.) When he was once accused of bias, he said "Well, you can't win them all!"
That may be the right attitude to take. I do get it though, and like you and many others, I am not here very much anymore.
Past performance sometimes is indicative of future behavior.
IMO as long as you are pissing everyone off you are doing fine. That being said IMO take care of dad, that is the most important thing.
Vic, I am here. I have no idea what you are talking about. And if others are not, that is their choice. Please stop making this about something else.
You are welcome to your opinions. Others are welcome to their opinions about your opinions. You are welcome to your opinions about others opinions of your opinions that you are welcome to. See where I am headed with this?
Oh come on.
I am familiar with some un American NTers that can't abide freedom of speech from the opposite side of the political aisle and then flag a comment they don't like and then the comment gets a ticket .
And yet some took issue with my reminder about Hegseth, who ACTUALLY, not HYPOTHETICALLY, leaked military plans.
Actually it is unbridled TDS that has been disastrous for the country. And the media plays into it.
And I am familiar with the fact that you all signed up to abide by the CoC when you became members, and tickets are given out in accordance with that. Those who frequently don't abide by the CoC will naturally tend to find themselves being ticketed more often.
You have a point? That somehow makes others doing it OK?
If only that were the case.
You've yet to prove that those others HAVE done it. You pile on with accusing them of such, with no evidence, while ignoring leaks from the idiots among Trump's "best people".
If you don't believe so, the RA is right here. Take it up with her.
You are kidding.
You are evading.
You are ignoring an obvious reality. I will stop here before I get a ticket.
Trump has been charged , criminally or civilly, in six cases. Do you know how many of them he was shown or proven innocent in? That number would be ZERO.
TDS is just a right wing talking point. He should be in prison right now.
Still can't post links to support Democrats leaking military plans, eh?
But we know Hegseth did.
But somehow, I'm ignoring reality.
I submit that it's you who is ignoring reality, while making false accusations. Be careful, somebody might think they're true again, and pile on to demand that those you accuse be tried for treason based on falsehoods.
Explain Chris Murphy and every other Democrat who called for getting rid of Maduro until Trump did it and then suddenly opposed it?
If Trump cured cancer TDS sufferers like Murphy would oppose it.
[✘]
Thankfully, the southern district can pull potential jurists from outside of the city, in particular, to the west where there are friendly to Trump, and sane, Americans.
If they could only pull from NYC, no way they would convict....only because of their hatred for Trump. That city is a lost cause.
Just curious......Talking about receiving tickets in a non meta article normally merits a Meta ticket.
Should the same apply to those talking about GIVING tickets in a non meta article?
Asking for a friend
Probably. Flag it. I don't care.
But I'll be interested to see if you flag just my comments, or your pals', too.
And if you think your own comment to which I'm replying should be flagged.
Do you think your own comment should be ticketed?
I don't need to flag anything. Since you admitted your post is probably a violation, a good mod would delete it, and admit the mistake.
"Do you think your own comment should be ticketed?"
Delete it. I don't care. Will only show the double standard if one goes and not the other.
Mods may or may not be reading.
You've been here long enough to know that I can't ticket comments in threads where I've participated.
I stated way upthread that I'll take any tickets I receive in this thread like an adult. I'm not the one whining about either getting tickets, or anybody else not getting tickets.
Seems the law doesn't agree with you. TDS?
I was referring to you.
" I'm not the one whining about either getting tickets, or anybody else not getting tickets."
Neither am I. I simply asked a question
Read for comprehension, please.
Especially this sentence:
Next you'll be trying to sell me a bridge.
Trump needs no help doing that.
We take nothing for granted these days.
Something else I would get a ticket for saying, but I digress...
Here is the actual comment I was referring to when I stated I was referring to you, to wit..
"Since you admitted your post is probably a violation, a good mod would delete it, and admit the mistake."
Nowhere does it say I suggest you ticket yourself. I said a good mod would simply delete the post and admit to making a mistake. Show me where I recommended you ticket yourself.
Why would I do that? [removed][✘]
[..][removed][✘]
Let me translate..
First [one..] [removed] [✘] resort to violence when they do not get their way
Second one... Something most leftists hate and believes could "offend" someone in this country.
Third one...What many on the left start when someone says something they disagree with.,
Fourth one.....A pretty good summation as to what goes through many leftists minds at any given time.
I see you are dodging the question.
Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah also expressed skepticism, saying in a post on X: "I look forward to learning what, if anything, might constitutionally justify this action in the absence of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force."
And he's also entitled to his opinion!
Of course he is.
He can now relax. Tell him it's over.
Next time I speak to him I will definitely mention that!
May also remind him of when we went into Panama to arrest Manuel Noriega. This seems to fall into the same category as that attack/arrest. The courts held up the legality of that one, they should hold this in the same light. Also don't remember Congress threatening to impeach Bush for that attack.
The outcry over this is falling on familiar partisan lines.
One thing i can think of off the top of my head that would answer this ,
presidential war powers act passed in the 70s , ironically after a presidential veto.
Schumer is going to try it again. He said it this morning while Stephanopoulos was spoon feeding him questions.
Make sure the right person takes over and it will be a great sucess
Juan Orlando Hernández would be a good choice ... /s
Obama called him an "excellent partner."
Ah, that's why Trump pardoned him. @!@
"The quality of mercy is not strained. Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes." ... (The Merchant of Venice, Act IV, Scene I)
Trump announced that Maduro's totally corrupt Vice-President will be the new leader and she has been sworn in as the President. He said he doesn't think the opposition leader who won 70% of the vote in the last election is capable of leading. I'm sure it's going to be a great success.
He also said that she is ready to help the US. Otherwise she too would be gone.
So, a corrupt dictator who will help Trump steal Venezuela's oil is A-OK. Got it.
That oil belongs to the American oil companies who found and developed it. It was taken from them. The Venezuelan people will get a share of it right after the infrastructure is rebuilt. The counntry will have a chance now foe stability and freedom and hopefully we can soon get that naval force to the straits of Taiwan where it can do some more good.
That oil belongs to the Venezuelan people who get to decide what to do with it, not an invading army. As for Taiwan, Trump has zero interest in the welfare of the people of Taiwan or their democracy. He believes in a tri-polar international arrangement where the western hemisphere is solely in America's sphere of influence, Europe is Russia's and Asia is China's. Undoubtely, as Trump makes that more and more clear, you will give him your full and complete support.
The people of Venezuela haven't made any decisions. They lived under a dictator.
As for Taiwan, Trump has zero interest in the welfare of the people of Taiwan or their democracy.
Why do you think that?
He believes in a tri-polar international arrangement where the western hemisphere is solely in America's sphere of influence, Europe is Russia's and Asia is China's.
He belives in the Monroe Doctrine. I do too.
Undoubtely, as Trump makes that more and more clear, you will give him your full and complete support.
At his service.
as he always does
That oil belongs to the Venezuelan people who g
No, it belong to the property owners of the land it sits under. That’s how property rights work.,
And they will continue to. Trump just appointed their new dictator. It's no wonder he dislikes the opposition leader who actually won their last election. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2025. He must despise her.
Because Trump has zero interest in the preservation of any democracy, especially ours.
You can be 100% certain that Trump has never heard of the Monroe Doctrine and doesn't have a clue as to what it is. I wonder if you really do.
Like every loyal and obedient cultist.
I thought she was the vice president?
Because Trump has zero interest in the preservation of any democracy, especially ours.
That is not an answer.
You can be 100% certain that Trump has never heard of the Monroe Doctrine and doesn't have a clue as to what it is. I wonder if you really do.
Maybe we'll get a resident expert to explain it to us, just like we were told what "Socialism" means. For those intesested, it might be better to ask those who know from experiencing such things. Check with the Cubans who fled to Miami. They know.
Like every loyal and obedient cultist.
I should flag that, but when my opponents have to resort to that, I know I'm winning.
With your expertise in Venezuelan property law, how does your statement comport with the fact that the Venezuelan constitution and laws vest all oil and gas resources in the nation, and that Venezuelan landowners do not have subsurface rights to oil?
aka making Trump money.
Really? And just what good will that do, other than increase taunting China and causing animoslty perhaps even war between nations? How about if China were to place its new aircraft carrier in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico (America?). That might not have the same result as the Cuban Missile Crisis did.
After today a lot of people would think twice about Trump warnings.
I think Trump would love to simply install the woman who really is the people's choice. However the government was decapitated and much of the Maduro regime still survived. I suspect the vice president offered a deal in which she would act as Trump's proxy and allowing him have the oil fields and whatever else he wants as long as she can be president. At this early stage it might be temporarily useful. I'm hoping he can have the legitimate person installed as president eventually.
where is the honor ?
Above the Constitution?
Yesterday the Gulf of America
Today America
Tomorrow Venezuala
Then Gaza
Then Greenland Panama and Canada
Then Taiwan
Then the World
Seig Heil
Ironic
Attempted deflection.
Actually I forgot to put Cuba on the list. It would not surprise me to see Trump go after Venezuala's best friend next. Then Mexico. It is becoming obvious that American hegemony over the Western Hemisphere is Trump's goal, AND the whole shot against Venezuala is just a step towards creating a crisis as a deflection due to the fact that the Epstein files massive redactions is a coverup that Trump cannot allow to be exposed, besides a deflection away from the economic and other negative facts on the ground in America that are apt to cause huge losses for Republicans in Congress.
Lol. This is some paranoid conspiracy crap. The "redactions" are almost all public knowledge because of an editing error anyway. They were so tame progressives had to resort to promoting fake pictures and forged letters to get Trump.
deflection away from the economic
4.3% growth last Quarter. Trump would love for that to get more coverage.
From what?
I think the economy will get worse rather than better, but what I should have said instead of the economy was the polls.
From whatever you were thinking of when you posted it.
And she better do what she's told or else!
Sorry, I'm unable to open facebook.
Pretty sure her name is Maria Corina Machado. The lady who won the Nobel Peace Prize which Trump coveted. Trump has a long history of holding childish grudges.
Attacking Venezuela is NOT America First. Being the policeman in the Middle East is not America First. Now there is even open talk of US troops in Ukraine. Trump has turned into Hillary Clinton. Lock up the jackass! Get him out of there!
If this is how the military is going to be misused then it is time to cut defense spending by a large amount. Without a military, we wouldn't have these rogue Presidents trying to prove their manliness. Abolish the Marine Corps and we'll have fewer decades-long wars.
Trump is unstable. Trump has gone rogue. And Trump no longer serves the interests of America. Get him out of there!
A brief action
The same may happen in Iran.
We aren't supposed to be interfering in an Iranian civil war. That's a quagmire that the US should be avoiding. Being the policeman in the Middle East does not serve American interests.
If that be the case-- which quagmires, specifically, do you think we should get involved in?
Muslims vs Christians in Nigeria?
India-Pakistan? Israel-Hamas? Russia-Ukraine? Mexican drug lords? Cambodia-Thailand? Venezuela?
(And of course if one is looking for quagmires, there are many to chose from . . . many more around the globe . . . )
None. Zip. Zilch. Nada.
How are those problems for the United States to resolve? Where's the damned United Nations? Where's the rest of the damned world? We fought Muslim terrorists for 20 years and COULD NOT WIN. If these countries are not willing to fight for themselves then why should we fight on their behalf?
The internal divisions of the United States have proven to be a quagmire, haven't they? Isn't the United States locked into an internal ideological war? The United States is not gong to be the moral authority for the universe if we don't address our own problems. We have Muslims colonizing cities in the United States. We have an anti-Semite running New York City now. The academic institutions in the United States persecute Christians. We don't need to go to Africa, Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, or South America to find an ideological war to fight. If we cannot live peacefully with each other then how the hell does the United States force others to live peacefully?
Trump promised that we would take care of ourselves, first. America First. What's wrong with that?
You should have told that to Jimmy Carter when he left the Shah fall.
Jimmy Carter is the excuse for Trump? Really?
Reagan didn't seem to have a problem dealing under the table with the Iranian mullahs to support his Central American imperialism. And what did the United States get out of that deal?
He was the reason Iran fell to the radical Islamists.
Think of all that happened since and don't you wish that it never happened?
What he did was no different, though less costly and deadly, than what Bush did with Noriega.
Donald Trump was NOT elected to be the second coming of neoliberal/neocon mendacity. Trump was not elected to be Ronald Reagan. G. H. W. Bush, or George W. Bush. Trump was not elected to be Hillary Clinton. Trump was elected to prevent the United States doing the same stupid shit that mired the country in decades long wars.
Trump promised to put an end to military imperialism. Trump promised that the United States would no longer be doing this global policeman crap. Trump lied. Trump is no longer serving the interests of America.
So that makes it OK?
Trump was elected President. His powers aren't limited by what you believe were the reasons he was elected.
Yes, if this turns into a decades long war it will be a massive mistake. I think it much more likely the country is turned over to the man who actually won the last election and that'll be pretty much the end of American military involvement.
Do you think George H.W. Bush was unstable and went rogue?
So, Trump lied just to get elected. How status quo.
The cartels are too stupid to replace Maduro? If the United States is not prepared to be involved in Venezuela for the long term then what has Trump accomplished?
Trump has committed to maintaining a battle fleet in the region throughout his remaining time in office. A withdrawal now would allow the go fast boats to run wild. And those boats can carry things worse than drugs. There is no way to avoid a long, drawn out war commitment. Even popular elections in Venezuela won't take power away from the drug cartels and oil oligarchs. Like it or not, Trump really has dragged the United States into another pointless quagmire.
And far more succesful than what JFK tried at the Bay of Pigs.
A difficult feat you'll have to admit!
I imagine with a smile how much better America would be with Hillary as POTUS instead of the fascist Trump.
He has never served the interests of America. You are a johnny come lately to being a sincere Trump critic. You papered over his preposterous and monstrous and unAmerican faults for years. Where were you when we needed you?
Busy with post/neo-contrarianism, an odd philosophy of wash your hands if your feet are dirty or wash your feet if your hands are dirty.
Well, that's just partisan bullshit. Democrats whined about Trump withdrawing from the status quo of neoliberal/neocon military imperialism during Trump's first term. Democrats were actively attempting to drag the United States into foreign conflicts as a political means of attacking Trump. We know Trump was serving American interests during his first term because Democrats were defending global imperialism.
It must be hard to hold on to liberal credentials in the era of the radical left.
Bill maher and even James carville do a pretty good job
I'm not a Republican liar. Democrats and Republican liars have been defending global imperialism since Hillary Clinton danced on Muammar al-Qaddafi's grave. Thank God for Barack Obama and his magic missiles.
Nerm was also a paid anthropogenic global warming denier.
Hmmmmm … missed that topic in this seed ……
I agree with this part except for the 'no longer' phrase. Trump never served the interests of our nation.
We finally agree on something (except for abolishing the Marine Corp). Trump is starting wars all over the world and the Marines just might come in handy.
One of the most disturbing and bizarre moments in American history.
Please explain the Bay of Pigs disaster or the real settlement of the Cuban missile crisis.
Trump is just another imperial idiot that has sold out the United States. Did Trump explain why this is a good thing for the United States? He sure talked up the benefit to Venezuelans. This is NOT America first. Color me disappointed.
Trump can't even do a press conference without sounding like a moron. What the hell is he talking about now? 20 minutes of rambling bullshit is not a good look.
Not a proud moment for America. Certainly not a move that makes Republicans look good.
We had a country within our hemisphere who was aiding our enemies. The leader was wanted by the Southern District of New York. A government that confiscated US oil and sent drugs and thugs into the US.
It all ended this morning.
What the hell does the United States offer? Why the hell does Venezuelan oil belong to the United States? Can't we produce our own oil? Since the United States no longer tries to compete with our enemies, the only thing the country can offer is an open border. We can't produce our own energy, our own food, our own clothing, our own vehicles without losing support of these third rate economies run by people who understand the weakness of the United States. The United States no longer sells what's needed to sustain democracy, we sell out our own democracy for fair weather friendships.
Why is the United States held hostage by Venezuelan oil production? Why is the US border so porous that Venezuelan drugs flood our streets? Removing Maduro doesn't strengthen the United States. We're still as dependent on foreign suppliers. We're still vulnerable to foreign smugglers dumping poison our our streets.
I’m not even that mad about this. I just want this to be a group decision. Congress should be ordering this, not the president.
Congress dosen't order such actions. That is for the Commander-in-Chief.
They’re supposed to.
No war was declared
I refuse to believe that either you or the people in government are that dumb. You know better. We have committed acts of war, and we have done so without congressional authorization. This was not what the Framers of the Constitution envisioned, and you know it - or you should.
Your comment and this government behavior is dishonest. It’s like Trump saying if we stopped testing for Covid, we’d have less cases. There is no excuse for such blatant dishonesty.
And don’t think I reserve this criticism for the Trump administration. Virtually every administration over the last six decades or so has engaged in this bullshit, and it’s wrong.
Congress would never agree to "running" Venezuela.
They can't agree on much of anything. That will change now that red states have caught up to redistricting.
"Venezuela has a documented history of seizing foreign oil assets that included U.S. companies, most notably during the Chávez-era nationalizations and subsequent expropriations in the 2000s, though contemporary episodes more often involve U.S. seizures of Venezuelan shipments and legal fights over compensation rather than fresh Venezuelan seizures of U.S.-flagged cargo."
U.S. companies never owned oil or land in Venezuela.
Trumps favorite country, Saudi Arabia, nationalized the oil industry in that country at roughly the same time Venezuela did.
That is false.
[deleted][✘]
Doing their jobs. Which doesn’t include crackpot left wing fantasies.
Trump as POTUS is the worst enemy America has ever had. How is it that he is still alive?
Another "tough guy" falls to Trump.
Hey, he’s got a water. What’s the problem?
He learned that taking power is not enough.
(6) Brown Eyed Susan on X: "https://t.co/8XrTARvrn2" / X
Trump learned everything he knows from the mafia fascists that he grew up with. Trump has never been anything but a criminal.
Now all you have to do is prove it. Maybe you'll have better luck than the Democrats have had the past 10 years of investigating.
I have mixed feeling about this.
It is very good that Manduro is out of power and a seemingly decent leader like Machado might now be able to take the helm and hopefully help restore Venezuela.
It is bad that the USA has almost certainly broken international law and that the PotUS improperly acted without the approval of Congress. This could be another situation where Trump violated the CotUS (remains to be seen).
It will be interesting watching how this unfolds from a legal perspective.
I think it depends on certain specifics. If all we end up doing is 1)arrest someone both the US and Venezuela agree is a criminal, 2) install the duly elected president of the country, and 3) leave Venezuela if the legitimate Venezuelan president wants that…then I don’t think we have violated either international law or the Constitution.
Otherwise, all we have done is invade and conquer another country, like Ancient Rome.
But trump says he deserves a peace prize... LOL
And the lady who won the Nobel Peace Prize (Maria Corina Machido) should be President of Venezuela.
Screw Trump and his fascist criminal sycophants who have no idea of the rule of law.
All Trump wants is the oil for his 2025 Heritage Foundation fascists who only care for their own wealth.
So we can prosecute presidents from other countries in the US, but we can't prosecute the president of the US... Sure, that makes sense.../s
maga!
So are you saying that true patriots with deer rifles could make a difference?
Good thing he wasn't president. Or did you miss that?
First you have to have to something to prosecute him for. Your hurt feelings don't meet the burden of proof requirements.
Waggin the dog covered wagon, circled in a 360 degree while firing at the squad a dee, cause Trump will do anything to escape the evidence Bod,a dee, butt, his phat asz ain't gonna wiggle, even though he's a worm, cause the Repubs are beginning to squirm, as fastly approaching be the mid a la term, where i predict many wil burn, as they should, as his followers have straggled a bit, and soon a much greater split, from the one who's words swallowed, certainly should have been spit, asz they are finally beginning to understand, Trump is a pos
this whole post from a former Venezuelan Olympian about how terrible things have become under socialism is worth reading but the end is profound:
Democrats under Biden: Here's a 25 million dollar bounty to arrest the country destroying dictator the evil Trump loves....
Democrats under Trump: How dare Trump arrest the leader of a sovereign country! Imperialism!
Yeah man, you can’t make shit up that crazy and yet ….. it is true.
Hilarious!
A reward for the arrest of a criminal ...
.. is different from unilaterally invading Venezuela to capture its head of state (even if the individual is falsely holding onto power).
A person can, without contradiction, hold that Maduro is a criminal who should be arrested while holding that the USA should not violate international law by using invasive military force to capture the functioning head of state (even if the head of state is illegally holding onto power).
Trump has just proven the probability of what I posted in number 5.2.18 above.
‘We Need It’: Trump Signals US is Coming for Greenland Next
3 hours ago · President Donald Trump suggested the next U.S. takeover target might be Greenland, telling The Atlantic’s Michael Scherer on Sunday that “we need it for defense.” Trump called Scherer to …
As I said: TODAY AMERICA.....THEN GREENLAND..... THEN THE WORLD
Impossible. DJT is incapable of growing facial hair. That’s for real men.
Somewhere between civil war colonel and apprentice wizard length.
Every gray hair bought and paid for.
Maybe it's just a fake moustache that he pasted on in order to emulate his role model. At least he has similar ancestry.