Posted on 01/25/2019 11:25:47 AM PST by gandalftb
Russian state structures are running drugs too. About a year ago - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/23/russian-embassy-cocaine-buenos-aires-police-arrests
“A former Russian diplomatic official and an Argentinian police officer are among those arrested in connection with a large cocaine seizure at the Russian embassy in Buenos Aires that prompted a year-long investigation into an international drug ring, officials have said.
The Argentinian security minister, Patricia Bullrich, said the 389 kilos (860 pounds) of cocaine were hidden inside luggage seized in December 2016.”
#10. I’ll take former KGB, now FSB, for $1,000, Alex!
Cossacks. Interesting! The Soviets ousted the Old Czar, installed a new “Commisszar”, and now use Cossacks again to do their dirty work. Nothing changes in Russia except the leaderhip.
More about the Russian Wagner Group in this thread http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3632066/posts?page=81#81
But it is not a private military group as that is illegal in Russia. This implies that the suggestion
https://www.obozrevatel.com/russia/rossijskie-naemniki-prikryivayut-dolzhnostnogo-prestupnika-putina-po-vsemu-miru.htm that the Wagner Group is part of the Russian state is correct.
Here is an article in English by Warsaw Institute think tank - https://warsawinstitute.org/putins-invisible-army/
Poles are watching Russia very carefully.
“...I would hope they have an evacuation plan...”
Well, frankly, they’re supporting the commie pr*ck, so, if they happen take a 7.62 round in the face or head while doing so, I won’t cry.
Support commies, you get what you deserve, pretty much.
All in all, Russia stands to lose about €11 billion if there is regime change in Venezuela. But this sum pales in comparison to the possible impact of Venezuela’s enormous oil reserves on global markets. Experts believe that Venezuela has more oil than any other country in the world, including Saudi Arabia. However, after 20 years of mismanagement under Hugo Chavez and later Maduro, the oil industry has deteriorated dramatically and plays only a minor role on the world stage.
A new government could install more capable leaders in the oil sector, who could in turn revive Venezuela’s oil industry and exports. Also, western — most likely American — companies could be allowed back into the country. This development could create a completely new playing field for global oil deliveries and bring down oil prices. This would be a worst-case scenario for Russia, whose economy relies heavily on oil and gas exports, and keeping the price of oil at the higher end of the scale.
https://www.dw.com/en/whats-at-stake-for-russia-in-venezuela/a-47250675
Oil price https://www.bloomberg.com/energy
IOW, we need a new regime in Venezuela, and pronto. :^)
You don’t bring in mercs if you still trust your own people.
GRU made a similar mistake with the passports as for the operators in the Salisbury novichok attack:
Just run the passport numbers 65 39544 NN, NN= 00,01 - 99 to find the usual suspects.
more here and another number series:
https://ssu.gov.ua/en/news/1/category/21/view/5632
Right on!
Regardless of mistakes made, Wagner goes all the way to the top. The head of it is a longtime GRU/FSB Putin friend, with numerous other Kremlin insiders.
As a whole, Wagner is a “Night” in Putin’s army and chess game.
They are under Russian/Kremlin/FSB command, officially trained, organized, and take orders from regulars, paid on schedule by a specific proxy, and provide a loose “plausible deniability” to the Kremlin itself. Unconfirmed estimates place their number at possibly 170,000. This could be either over, or understated.
They now have a presence in almost every country along the Southern Mediterranean, across Africa, Southeast and Eastern Europe, throughout the Middle East, and all over Latin America. By design, they are opaque, and attempt to deploy and carry out orders without causing alarm, until they can form a “grid”, or “net”.
These guys have suffered very bloody humiliating defeat, but also served, or facilitated the successful takeover of Crimea and eastern Ukraine. They have also been known to be involved in arms, armor, drugs, and people smuggling, and to be involved in training locals, and to construct facilities for cellular and even area campaigns.
Interestingly, Wagner’s leader, and the current head of the FSB, and Putin, photographed themselves here in the states at Brooklyn’s Brighton Beach years ago.
What a time we live in...
Yes.
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