Posted on 10/25/2025 5:16:13 PM PDT by RandFan
There are a few reasons to doubt the American government's stated aim of wiping out these so-called "narco terrorist" gangs threatening the US from Venezuela, even after one takes out of the equation the sort of equipment the military is deploying - which isn't what they would need for effective drug smuggling interdiction.
While the president acknowledges that the synthetic opioid fentanyl is a huge killer in the US (which it is) and is supplied by drug gangs (which it is), to blame Venezuela for fentanyl production is simply incorrect.
Mexican cartels produce fentanyl with precursors largely supplied from China, and it is from Mexico - America's neighbour - that the fentanyl is smuggled directly into the United States across its southern border.
Venezuela isn't involved in this fentanyl business in any meaningful way, and I know this because I have reported from the Sinaloa cartel's fentanyl production labs in Mexico.
The Mexican cartels are very proud of their business, and from my experience covering this story over the years, when the drugs cartels are proud of something, and it makes them a lot of money - which fentanyl does - they don't share the market with anyone, and certainly not with Venezuela.
President Trump is right that Venezuela is now a large supplier of other illegal drugs, especially cocaine, but they come from countries like Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia, which are the largest producers of the coca leaf in the world (the coca leaf is what cocaine is made from).
Venezuela, which borders Colombia, is largely a transit country to the Caribbean in the same way that Ecuador, which also borders Colombia, is a transit country to the Pacific.
Neither Venezuela nor Ecuador are significant drug producers.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.sky.com ...
You, RandFan, as a source, are “highly manipulated.”
It is authorized. The statutes on the books authorize it.
Congress can ask questions, all half dozen RINOs included, they can investigate, they can call witnesses to testify at committees and they can change the laws they have already made.
What they can’t do is stop the Executive from implementing the laws that they have already made. Good or bad they are the laws right now and entirely legal to enforce them.
That is perhaps what the true story is
well said
Why does your heart bleed for Venezuelan drug runners in boats and subs?
It’s only authorized to you who seeks to justify it and in a contorted way
if Biden was doing it you’d be outraged
It really doesn’t I just think it’s a bad policy for a number of reasons
This is a totally authorized attack. It can be extended to 60 days, as-is.
RandFan, you, Assie, and Rand Paul are obviously do not know what is lawful. You all also care incredibly more about foreign drug runners than anyone else in the world.
Utter nonsense. Basically a “I know you are but what am I?” response.
Since that’s all you’ve got ...
They wouldn’t have stood for ‘they spied on my campaign’, hoax impeachments, stolen elections, targeted lawfare, injunction insurrection.
And that’s just the long train of abuses and usurpations since an escalator ride.
No. You’re being partisan and supporting Trump.
Which is fine... But just realize it’s a bad policy and will HURT Trump and the GOP (since Trump is not up for election) in the long run. That is why I dont like it and many of his senators don’t either .
Choking the chicken is the same thing as spanking the monkey / ROTFL.
Utter nonsense. I cited statute law not opinion or policy.
I support what is right and/or lawful.
If Biden had ever done anything right or lawful I would have supported it (and you have nothing posted by me to say otherwise). But Biden didn’t go after narco-terrorists in any way. He used government planes to fly illegal aliens, including narco-terrorists, into the U.S. I didn’t oppose that for “partisan reasons” I opposed it because it was wrong and unlawful.
You’re projecting your own adolescent world view when you accuse me of that.
The drug gangs are a source of cash for the demorats I suspect. Otherwise, why do they prosper in blue cities and not so much in red.
Those citations do not override the constitution which separates powers and all that
this is really a convoluted argument your making
According to you:
“Congress has passed some laws abut drugs in the last 50 years so it’s OK for the admin. to do this”
What about the other 200 years ? Is this really an argument?
I basically said that Congress writes the laws and the Executive enforces them.
If you consider that convoluted and un-Constitutional we have nothing to talk about.
“They didn’t put the president in charge of declaring war it’s clear in the document.”
I somehow missed the Walter Cronkite broadcast of Congress declaring the Vietnam “police action” a war, but I do recollect sitting in Rhode Island restaurant hearing my mother’s displeasure about the 1967? war 10% surtax.
I just dont think this was their intention
We’ll see in the coming weeks. I maintain it’s a bad policy and sooner or later Congress will rein (sp) it in
“if Biden was doing it you’d be outraged”
I’m still delighted Obama was able to take out Bin Laden.
I’ll not kiss Hussein’s posterior ever, but if you wish to photograph me thanking him, feel free to set it up.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.