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 ...
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Somewhere I read that China is using Venezuela, and other nations as a drug shipper to the US. Whatever I read said the Mexican cartels run EVERYTHING and that even China (its version of the Mafia) bows to them. Maybe I read it on FR.
With the southern border essentially closed to land invasion, perhaps Venezuela is the go through from China to get their illegal drugs into the USA.
Could we also make more of campaign to tell Americans to stop taking fentanyl, etc.?
.
Such high-speed boats don’t operate without Venezuelan government approval.
Communist government officials take their jobs seriously.
They might be carrying some drugs but not for the US according to Sky and not the deadly stuff the Mexicans are shipping
SKY UK is as bad as the BBC.
I wouldnt be using AI as a sourc on this remember it can be highly manipulated
Just know the facts
Do you disagree with anything AI stated there? It has sources for its facts, in this case.
I happen to know RandFan from another forum and RF is a straight up Conservative and Trump supporter. He like myself is a little more objective than most is not a strict follower of the “mandatory” Herd mentality.
“Last week I had 2 threads praising him over Israeli peace process”
Is 1,700 murderers for 20 hostages a good deal?
https://www.southcom.mil/EnhancedCounterNarcoticsOps/
U.S. Southern Command’s enhanced presence will support ongoing whole-of-government and internationally supported operations to reduce the availability of illicit drugs and save lives in the United States and throughout the region. The intent is to reduce the flow of illicit drugs, degrade transnational criminal organizations, and increase interoperability with our partner nations and interagency partners. The operation supports our objectives to degrade the capabilities of drug trafficking organizations, save lives, and directly support the National Drug Control Strategy.
From same link:
OVERVIEW
Mission:
On April 1, 2020, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) began enhanced counternarcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere to disrupt the flow of drugs in support of Presidential national security objectives.
Location:
Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean.
Resources:
Additional U.S. capabilities include:
Navy destroyers and helicopters
Coast Guard cutters and helicopters
Navy littoral combat ships
Customs and Border Protection maritime patrol aircraft
Navy P-8 patrol aircraft
Air Force E-3 AWACS aircraft (ISR) and E-8 JSTARS aircraft (ISR)
Security Forces Assistance Brigade (SFAB) Company (advise and assist)
Ally & partner contributions:
22 nations provide intelligence and operations support as part of Joint Interagency Task Force – South (JIATF-South)
Key partners in this fight: Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama, as well as European partners France, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom — will provide capabilities. 50% of interdictions last year involved partners.
U.S. whole of government efforts continue with interagency assets from Customs and Border Protection, DEA and others.
These enhanced counter-narcotics operations constitute an increase in Naval destroyers, combat ships, aircraft and helicopters, and Coast Guard cutters. Additional assets double capabilities in the region.
This Op started during the Wuhan Coup Flu.
This Op is now enhanced because the border of the US is closed, Venezuela is still an active National Emergency issue with active Executive orders that date back to Obama...
Narcoterrorists are on the endangered species list these days.
I wouldnt’ trust AI as a source for news. It summarizes that’s all
Please AWAKEN to the fact that you can’t believe what you read in the media. How does Sky News know where these boats end up? Have they physically tracked them from the time they leave Venezuela to where they finally end up? Saying they’re not coming to the US without providing hard evidence is nothing more than speculation at best, made up horse$hit at the worst.
You do you. I guess you’re not going to answer.
I’m a bit confused as to why you are so focused on where the narcotics are going. Maybe one boatload really was headed for Europe.
But there is no guarantee where the second one would go. Why not to the United States, if there was more profit to be gained there?
In a way, it’s like how the Somali pirates are dealt with. Navies of different nations are acting together to fight the scourge. It doesn’t really matter which pirate is attacking which ship.
Why dont you watch his 30 minute report I haven’t managed yet
But this is closer to the truth than what the US govt’ is telling you
They have their own reasons. CIA and Deep state elements are possibly and could be agitating for a regime change
And Sky News can't lie or bull$hit because...
There’s a chinese saying that goes something like “ you strangle the chicken to frighten the monkeys”
venezuela is easy. they are very ripe for being taken down.
There’s already a legitimate government in waiting ready to take their place.
Well you’d never know that from his years of posting here. Is it something he tries to hide?
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