Venezuela - President Nicolas Maduro & his wife "captured and flown out of country" by U.S. Army Delta Force during "large scale attack" - Jan 3, 2026

[TootsieFootsie]

'Era of lawlessness': UN blasts Trump over Venezuelan raids

www.9news.com.au

Associated Press

'Era of lawlessness': UN blasts Trump over Venezuelan raids​

 

[PrairieWind]

'Era of lawlessness': UN blasts Trump over Venezuelan raids

www.9news.com.au

Associated Press

'Era of lawlessness': UN blasts Trump over Venezuelan raids​

Will there be some strongly worded letters coming out?

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

It seems Maduro was aware his arrest was imminent. imo

Maduro expresses readiness for talks with US on drug trafficking and oil investments

The Trump administration has deemed the Venezuelan government to be a foreign terrorist organization.

krcgtv.com

 

[otto]

Has international law stopped the invasion of Ukraine?

Does anyone expect Russia to honour international law?
Does anyone expect the United States to honour international law?

Neocolonialism: Russian invasion of Ukraine
Neocolonialism: US military assault of Venezuela

~ in my humble opinion ~​

 

[PrairieWind]

Does anyone expect Russia to honour international law?
Does anyone expect the United States to honour international law?

Neocolonialism: Russian invasion of Ukraine
Neocolonialism: US military assault of Venezuela

~ in my humble opinion ~​

Is international law doing anything to stop either?

 

[bearfossils]

Donald Trump Admits Oil Companies Knew About Venezuela Operation Before Congress

President Donald Trump has confirmed that he spoke with major US oil companies before and after the United States launched its military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a move that was not disclosed to Congress ahead of time.

Trump said oil firms 'want to go in and they're going to do a great job' in rebuilding Venezuela’s energy infrastructure. For critics, it means that corporate interests played a huge role in planning the mission.

However, the decision to keep lawmakers in the dark has raised eyebrows, with some arguing it undermines constitutional oversight and prioritises the oil industry over the democratic process.

 

[NuttMegg]

Donald Trump Admits Oil Companies Knew About Venezuela Operation Before Congress

Trump ppl also shared with wapo and nyt ahead of time. Seems like they shared with everyone they wanted to curry favor with but not the legislators they were lawfully required to tell, er, ask permission. IMO

NYT and WaPo held reporting about Maduro raid, drawing rare praise from Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Rubio publicly thanked the press Sunday for keeping quiet about the secret operation until US forces were safely out of Venezuela.

nypost.com

 

[otto]

Donald Trump Admits Oil Companies Knew About Venezuela Operation Before Congress

The president of the united states made a unilateral decision, in this case to use military force to seize control of foreign oil?

I hope no one is surprised. This isn't the first time.

~ in my humble opinion ~​

 

[justtrish]

Donald Trump Admits Oil Companies Knew About Venezuela Operation Before Congress

Also important to note is this quote:

In comments to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump acknowledged that he had spoken with US oil companies before and after the operation, without specifying details.

Seems reasonable to talk generalities with the oil companies as this has been in the news for months with the drug boats and also President Trump calling for Maduro to turn himself in and to resign. It's not shocking to think the President would speak to oil companies to get their thoughts on what would happen if Maduro was gone from power. Doesn't mean he told them details of the operation or that there was a specific operation planned. IMO

Trump gave Venezuelan dictator Maduro stern ultimatum — leave now or else: report

President Trump told Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro he and his family would be allowed safe passage out of the country — but warned him they all had to leave immediately, according to a bombshe…

nypost.com

 

[Snoopster]

Is international law doing anything to stop either?

Just because the US is breaking international laws doesn't mean that there shouldn't be international laws. Most countries have abided by them and continue trying to abide by them.

If a murderer goes free, does that mean we shouldn't have laws against murder?

Dwight Eisenhower must be turning over in his grave. JMO. He saw the importance of the US being a participant and leader in establishing the international laws that are in place. They are designed to lessen the chance of nuclear proliferation and the chance that large countries will simply take over weaker countries to grab their resources. Also JMO.

I prefer a world with laws. And it stuns me that the richest country in the world has now decided to ignore them and simply take what they want.

And to use the argument of 'the fentanyl crisis', like Vance is saying, is simply not believable. Most fentanyl comes through China and Mexico. The cartels in Venezuela deal primarily in cocaine. It's like when Trump used the 'fentanyl crisis' as a reason for the tariffs on Canada, when very little fentanyl in the US comes from Canada.

It's an excuse to gain the resources of other countries. MOO.

 

[NuttMegg]

Will there be some strongly worded letters coming out?

Maybe. But imo there will be more danger to expats throughout the world. With all these angry and frightened citizens taking it out on foreigners. In this case, come to think of it, the foreigners subjected to payback and discrimination will be Americans.

 

[justtrish]

Trump ppl also shared with wapo and nyt ahead of time. Seems like they shared with everyone they wanted to curry favor with but not the legislators they were lawfully required to tell, er, ask permission. IMO

NYT and WaPo held reporting about Maduro raid, drawing rare praise from Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Rubio publicly thanked the press Sunday for keeping quiet about the secret operation until US forces were safely out of Venezuela.

nypost.com

Where does this say the Trump's people tipped them off?

It says they praised them for holding off on reporting on it.

If aircraft from 20 bases took off and were heading to the area, it's not impossible to think that people saw this happening and questioned what was going on. People live and work on and near military bases (I'm one of them) and notice when something is going on that is out of the ordinary. Family members of those servicemembers had some info that a mission was underway. We don't usually have specifics and sometimes all we know is our loved one is leaving or is gone, but we know and we are told about OPSEC and PERSEC over and over because leaking any info could put people at risk. 150 aircraft heading in one direction likely got noticed somewhere. When US bombers flew from a base in Missouri to Iran and back people noticed the bombers leaving the area and were questioning what was going on long before Iran was hit.

IMO

 

[bearfossils]

Speaking with them is more important than informing Congress? Also, where is the evidence of those boats being “drug boats” or any proof that they were used to transport narcotics?

The materials the U.S. released—public statements and selective video—demonstrate that vessels were engaged and destroyed, but do not publicly show independent forensic or interdiction evidence proving loads of narcotics, documented transfers, or incontrovertible links to designated trafficking networks. Journalistic and analytic accounts emphasize the difference between an operational claim (the U.S. labeled them narco‑boats) and demonstrable proof available for external verification; those accounts conclude that the public record lacks the concrete, traceable evidence that would move the status from allegation to confirmation.

 

[otto]

Just because the US is breaking international laws doesn't mean that there shouldn't be international laws. Most countries have abided by them and continue trying to abide by them.

If a murderer goes free, does that mean we shouldn't have laws against murder?

Dwight Eisenhower must be turning over in his grave. JMO. He saw the importance of the US being a participant and leader in establishing the international laws that are in place. They are designed to lessen the chance of nuclear proliferation and the chance that large countries will simply take over weaker countries to grab their resources. Also JMO.

I prefer a world with laws. And it stuns me that the richest country in the world has now decided to ignore them and simply take what they want.

And to use the argument of 'the fentanyl crisis', like Vance is saying, is simply not believable. Most fentanyl comes through China and Mexico. The cartels in Venezuela deal primarily in cocaine. It's like when Trump used the 'fentanyl crisis' as a reason for the tariffs on Canada, when very little fentanyl in the US comes from Canada.

It's an excuse to gain the resources of other countries. MOO.

Does anyone believe that stopping a drug supply ends drug abuse? There is no research to support this US government belief.

We all know the argument about guns and gun sellers. The seller of the gun is not responsible for actions taken by the purchaser of the gun. Similarly, the seller of the drugs is not responsible for actions taken by the purchaser of drugs.

Wait - in the US, the seller of drugs is responsible for actions taken by the purchaser of drugs. In the US, drug abuse is solved by blaming foreign countries, kidnapping foreign leaders, blowing up boats in the Pacific Ocean, and imposing tariffs.

~ in my humble opinion ~​

 

[SouthAussie]

Donald Trump Admits Oil Companies Knew About Venezuela Operation Before Congress

Unsurprising. imo

Eg:
“Kelcy Warren is not necessarily ideological,” he said. “He may be in sync with Trump on some other issues, but his support for Donald Trump is largely because of what Trump proposed to do [for] the energy sector.”

By appointing fossil fuel-friendly officials to top positions, such as the former energy CEO Chris Wright to head the energy department and the pro-oil and -gas Doug Burgum to the interior department, Trump has also “showed his allegiance to companies like Energy Transfer Partners”

Trump promised riches from ‘liquid gold’ in the US. Now fossil fuel donors are benefiting

How Kelcy Warren, one of Trump’s biggest industry backers, and his pipeline firm are likely to flourish in his second term

www.theguardian.com

 

[bestill]

Where does this say the Trump's people tipped them off?

It says they praised them for holding off on reporting on it.

If aircraft from 20 bases took off and were heading to the area, it's not impossible to think that people saw this happening and questioned what was going on. People live and work on and near military bases (I'm one of them) and notice when something is going on that is out of the ordinary. Family members of those servicemembers had some info that a mission was underway. We don't usually have specifics and sometimes all we know is our loved one is leaving or is gone, but we know and we are told about OPSEC and PERSEC over and over because leaking any info could put people at risk. 150 aircraft heading in one direction likely got noticed somewhere. When US bombers flew from a base in Missouri to Iran and back people noticed the bombers leaving the area and were questioning what was going on long before Iran was hit.

IMO

Blowing my mind the negative response on this site to the American military arresting Maduro who was indicted in March 2020 on charges of narcoterrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and weapons charges, had a reward for his capture, who was illegitimately in office and had been warned that this was coming. In recent conversations POTUS had tried to negotiate with Maduro, he could have been spending the rest of his life living well in another country but he thought Trump was bluffing - so yeah, I'm good with FAFO in this situation.

And so are many others - Tears, relief and questions about what comes next: Venezuelans in U.S. celebrate Maduro capture

All JMO

 

[NuttMegg]

Where does this say the Trump's people tipped them off?

It says they praised them for holding off on reporting on it.

If aircraft from 20 bases took off and were heading to the area, it's not impossible to think that people saw this happening and questioned what was going on. People live and work on and near military bases (I'm one of them) and notice when something is going on that is out of the ordinary. Family members of those servicemembers had some info that a mission was underway. We don't usually have specifics and sometimes all we know is our loved one is leaving or is gone, but we know and we are told about OPSEC and PERSEC over and over because leaking any info could put people at risk. 150 aircraft heading in one direction likely got noticed somewhere. When US bombers flew from a base in Missouri to Iran and back people noticed the bombers leaving the area and were questioning what was going on long before Iran was hit.

IMO

It was a scoop by Semafor. No one would be bragging about it, and Sec State would not have thanked them for not endangering troops because they heard a rumor of some planes taking off. And how do we know Trump people told them? Because Trump people ran the show. I can't inagine the oil barons calling the 2 largest newspaper to give away Trump secrets about a mission that they were to earn massive income from. Imo

"The New York Times and Washington Post learned of a secret US raid on Venezuela soon before it was scheduled to begin Friday"

News organizations held off on reporting Venezuela raid

The American news organizations held their stories over concerns about endangering US troops.

www.semafor.com

 

[SouthAussie]

Does anyone else remember Iraq blowing up oil wells (700 of them) to stop the US from getting the oil?
It was one of my first thoughts about potential Venezuelan guerilla tactics.


But as Iraqi forces pulled out, in a final vengeful act they deliberately set more than 700 oilwells ablaze ....

The oilwells burned uncontrollably. The smoke plume above them initially stretched for 800 miles. A staggering 11m barrels of crude oil poured into the Persian Gulf, creating a slick nine miles long. Nearly 300 oil lakes formed on the surface of the desert, polluting the soils.

An international coalition of firefighters battled the fires for months until the last well was finally capped on 6 November 1991 and Kuwait celebrated under clear skies.

‘Gushing oil and roaring fires’: 30 years on Kuwait is still scarred by catastrophic pollution

Oilwells set alight by Iraqi forces in 1991 were put out within months, but insidious pollution still mars the desert

www.theguardian.com

 

[NuttMegg]

Does anyone believe that stopping a drug supply ends drug abuse? There is no research to support this US government belief.

We all know the argument about guns and gun sellers. The seller of the gun is not responsible for actions taken by the purchaser of the gun. Similarly, the seller of the drugs is not responsible for actions taken by the purchaser of drugs.

Wait - in the US, the seller of drugs is responsible for actions taken by the purchaser of drugs. In the US, drug abuse is solved by blaming foreign countries, kidnapping foreign leaders, blowing up boats in the Pacific Ocean, and imposing tariffs.

~ in my humble opinion ~​

It is so bizarre. With the precision used to find Maduro, somehow we can't find

1) where the fentanyl is crossing the border.
2) which Americans are in charge of distribution to a multitude of warehouses
3) which Americans package and sell it

Nope, too hard. The whole drug problem is external.

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2008279875283452286