May 1, 2026

Cartel Wars

Machado posits Venezuela elections could be held by November– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser February 5, 2026 0

Blurb:

Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is angling for her country to hold “real” elections by as early as November.

Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, a holdover from former dictator Nicolas Maduro’s government, is technically leading the state and has been fairly cooperative with the Trump administration to enact reforms in the meantime.

“We believe that a real transferring process with manual voting … could be done in nine to 10 months,” Machado told Politico Playbook’s Dasha Burns this week. “We have a legitimate leadership with huge popular support, and our armed forces are also supportive of a transition to democracy.”

Washington presses Venezuela interim leader on post-Maduro 'transition'– www.france24.com

pgnewser February 3, 2026 0

Blurb:

Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez consolidated her new government on Monday by appointing key ministers and meeting Washington’s new charge d’affaires, Laura Dogu, in Caracas to discuss US plans for “stabilisation, economic recovery, reconciliation and transition.” Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said talks focused on bridging historical differences between the two countries.
from www.france24.com

Rubio set to warn of future military action if Venezuela’s new leaders stray from US goals– www.channelnewsasia.com

pgnewser January 28, 2026 0

Blurb:

While keeping pressure on those whom the Trump administration dubs “narcotraffickers” without providing evidence, US officials also are working to normalise ties with Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodriguez.

Nonetheless, Rubio will make clear in his testimony that she has little choice but to comply with Trump’s demands.

“Rodriguez is well aware of the fate of Maduro; it is our belief that her own self-interest aligns with advancing our key objectives,” Rubio will say, noting that they include opening Venezuela’s energy sector to US companies, providing preferential access to production, using oil revenue to purchase American goods, and ending subsidised oil exports to Cuba.

Gunmen Kill 11, Injure 6 At Soccer Field In Mexico– dailycaller.com

pgnewser January 27, 2026 0

Blurb:

Armed attackers stormed a soccer field in central Mexico on Sunday, killing 11 people and wounding six others in a shooting authorities called part of a broader crime wave gripping the region.

The gunmen pulled up in at least three vehicles around 5:30 p.m. local time at a field in the Loma de Flores neighborhood of Salamanca, Guanajuato state, according to Mexican outlet Milenio. Investigators collected over 100 shell casings from high-caliber firearms at the scene.

Ten victims died at the scene and one later died at a hospital, Salamanca Mayor César Prieto Gallardo said. A woman and a minor child were among the six injured, with six still under medical observation, according to Mexican outlet Infobae, citing the Guanajuato Attorney General’s Office.

‘Not Allowed To Talk About It’: Trump Says US Deployed ‘Discombobulator’ Weapon During Maduro Raid– dailycaller.com

pgnewser January 27, 2026 0

Blurb:

President Donald Trump revealed the U.S. military used a secret weapon he calls “The Discombobulator” during the January raid that captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro.

Trump made the disclosure in an interview with the New York Post from the Oval Office. He said the weapon disabled enemy equipment during the Jan. 3 operation in Caracas.

“The Discombobulator. I’m not allowed to talk about it,” Trump told the outlet. The president said Venezuelan forces armed with Russian and Chinese rockets failed to mount any defense.

How CIA Director John Ratcliffe Has Revitalized Spy Agency in President’s First Year Back– www.breitbart.com

pgnewser January 27, 2026 0

Blurb:

CIA Director John Ratcliffe has emerged as President Donald Trump’s “quiet hammer,” a source close to the White House told Breitbart News for an in-depth profile of the world’s premier spy agency in the first year back in office for Trump.

This source specifically pointed to how Trump sent Ratcliffe down to Venezuela just 12 days after the daring mission in which U.S. forces captured now-ousted leader Nicolas Maduro. Ratcliffe met with acting Venezuelan president Delcy Rodriguez, Trump’s highest-ranking and first Cabinet-level official to visit the nation since Maduro’s capture.

“Ratcliffe has become Trump’s quiet hammer,” this source close to the White House said. “He goes in, accomplishes whatever mission the President gave him, then disappears back into the shadows. The Agency seems to have adopted the same approach, so Trump actually deserves credit for turning the CIA into an instrument of America First power.”

Mexico Extradites 37 More High Ranking Cartel Members to U.S.

pgnewser January 21, 2026 0

Despite the tough rhetoric coming from Mexico lately, the Sheinbaum administration itself seems more than willing to placate an America at war with the drug cartels. Mexico’s Security Minister Omar Garcia Harfuch announced the extradition of 37 high ranking and dangerous cartel members that “represented a real threat to the country’s (Mexico) security.” This bring the total number of extradited cartel members to 92.

Blurb:

Mexico’s security minister said Tuesday that it had sent another 37 members of Mexican drug cartels to the United States, as the Trump administration ratchets up pressure on governments to crack down on criminal networks it says are smuggling drugs across the border.
from www.washingtontimes.com

Mexico’s security minister said Tuesday that it had sent another 37 members of Mexican drug cartels to the United States, as the Trump administration ratchets up pressure on governments to crack down on criminal networks it says are smuggling drugs across the border.

Mexican Security Minister Omar García Harfuch wrote in a social media post on X that the people transferred were “high impact criminals” that “represented a real threat to the country’s security.”

It is the third time in less than one year that Mexico has sent detained cartel members to the U.S. as the country attempts to offset mounting threats by U.S. President Donald Trump. García Harfuch said the government has sent 92 people in total.

Trump seizes SEVENTH tanker in Caribbean as footage shows special forces on boat after it ‘took oil from Venezuela’– www.thesun.co.uk

pgnewser January 21, 2026 0

Blurb:

AMERICAN forces have seized a seventh oil tanker linked to Venezuela as President Donald Trump ramps up his campaign to choke off illicit crude exports from the country.

US Southern Command said the Motor Vessel Sagitta was boarded and taken under control “without incident” in the Caribbean after operating in defiance of Trump’s quarantine on sanctioned ships.

In Venezuela, Big Oil Collides with a Hotter Planet– www.scientificamerican.com

pgnewser January 20, 2026 0

Blurb:

Kendra Pierre-Louis: For Scientific American’s Science Quickly, I’m Kendra Pierre-Louis, in for Rachel Feltman.

Over the past couple of weeks oil—specifically, Venezuelan oil—has been all over the headlines.

It started late on January 2, when President Donald Trump ordered U.S. military forces to enter Venezuela and capture the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro, which they did early the next morning. Last week the country’s interior minister said the action killed 100 people.

U.S. Navy Seizes Sixth Venezuelan Oil Tanker in Caribbean as Trump Escalates Crackdown– slaynews.com

pgnewser January 20, 2026 0

Blurb:

The U.S. military has seized another fugitive oil tanker linked to Venezuela in the Caribbean, marking the sixth vessel captured as the Trump administration intensifies its campaign against illicit oil trafficking.

U.S. Southern Command announced Thursday that American forces intercepted the Motor/Tanker Veronica during a pre-dawn operation carried out by Marines and sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear.

“In another pre-dawn action, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, launched from USS Gerald R. Ford and apprehended Motor/Tanker Veronica without incident,” the command said in a statement.

FBI Raids House of Washington Post Reporter in Pentagon Leak Probe; Suspected Leaker ‘Behind Bars’ › American Greatness– amgreatness.com

pgnewser January 15, 2026 0

Blurb:

The FBI searched the home of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson Wednesday morning,  as part of a classified document leak investigation.
Agents reportedly executed a search warrant at her residence in suburban Alexandria, Va., seizing her phone, a Garmin watch, and two laptops (a personal computer and a Washington Post-issued device).

Natanson was reportedly told she is not the target of the investigation.

The suspected leaker, Aurelio Perez-Lugones, is a Maryland-based government system administrator with top-secret clearance. The Justice Department alleges in its complaint that he took home classified material, including documents found in his lunchbox and basement.

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced in a statement on X that Perez-Lugones “is currently behind bars.”

Leavitt holds White House press briefing after Trump meets with Venezuelan opposition leader– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser January 15, 2026 0

Blurb:

Leavitt’s briefing comes as President Donald Trump meets with the Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado at 12:30 p.m. at the White House. Trump has backed interim Venezuelan president Delcy Rodriguez following the United States’s ouster of former dictator Nicolas Maduro, instead of immediately supporting a regime change led by Machado.

Also on the foreign policy front, Leavitt is likely to face questions from reporters on the administration’s goals in Iran and Greenland. The briefing may also cover Trump’s newly announced “Great Healthcare Plan,” which he outlined for Congress.

Venezuelan Leader Plucked from China’s Protection –

pgnewser January 14, 2026 1

Despite the security provided President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela by his two strongest allies, Russia and China, U.S. forces were able to quickly enter the country and within less than 3 hours return with Maduro and his wife to the U.S. Reports of advanced military tech being used to easily overcome Venezuelan forces equipped in mid-range Chinese and Russian military tech have not been confirmed.

The move sends a powerful message to China and Russia’s allies that their protection might be no protection at all. Currently, Maduro is facing “evolving charges.” His VP has taken over and, as of now, appears to be willing to cooperate with the U.S. The role of Exxon in developing the oil earmarked for America (for resale on the market) is in doubt after the CEO went afoul of President Trump.

Blurb:

Shed no tears for Nicolas Maduro – the Left’s anger at Donald Trump is remarkable – ww.express.co.uk

An early contender for photograph of the year has to be this image of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with his hands bound, wearing ear defenders and giant dark glasses denying him any form of vision. Let’s be clear: shed no tears for this dictatorial tyrant. He stole an election, condemned his country to eye-watering inflation of over 200% and imprisoned opponents or allowed them to be “vanished.” What is remarkable is the contrived anger from the Liberal Left, who have worshiped crooked Marxist Maduro for years.

We live in a world – more for worse than better – of ‘strong men,’ as evidenced by the likes of Maduro along with the likes of Putin, Jong Un and Xi. Therefore, why is it so wrong for another ‘strong man’ to try and stand up to one of them and remove a callous dictator?

Trump Suggests Military Action Against Mexican Drug Cartels Is Imminent– trendingpoliticsnews.com

pgnewser January 14, 2026 0

Blurb:

President Donald Trump suggested during an interview with Fox News’ Sean Hannity that military action against Mexican drug cartels could be coming within the next several weeks.

Trump pointed to recent U.S. military action in the lead-up to the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, which included more than two-dozen maritime strikes on Venezuelan and Colombian drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific.

“We’ve knocked out 97% of the drugs coming in by water, and we are going to start now hitting land, with regard to the cartels. The cartels are running Mexico, it’s very sad to watch and see what’s happened to that country,” the president said. Trump also pointed to the cost of drug-trafficking in the United States, which has led to more than 100,000 overdose deaths on a yearly basis.

Trump Arrests Maduro, and The Axis of Evil is Crumbling › American Greatness– amgreatness.com

pgnewser January 14, 2026 0

Blurb:

In the early hours of Jan. 3, 2026, President Trump directed a smooth, targeted operation to arrest Nicolás Maduro for numerous drug-related crimes.

The usual suspects (the regressive left, the Democrat party, Thomas Massie, and Sloppy Steve Bannon) are complaining that Trump took an illegal action, an act of war that requires Congress’s approval.

But here’s the truth: The United States military enforced a DOJ indictment, and the United States government has done this before.

The United States has resisted evil leaders with similar boldness.

In 2005, President George W. Bush talked about an “Axis of Evil” waging terror and rampaging war around the world: Iraq, Iran, and North Korea. Twenty years later, that Axis of Evil has expanded, including China, Russia, and Venezuela.

China Fumes at Trump’s Iran Tariffs After Losing Access to Venezuelan Oil– www.breitbart.com

pgnewser January 14, 2026 0

Blurb:

The Chinese Foreign Ministry and the Communist Party’s state propaganda arms railed on Tuesday against President Donald Trump’s imposition of a 25-percent tariff on countries that do business with Iran.

The president announced the policy after two weeks of protests in the country calling for an end to the brutal Islamist regime, which has responded with widespread violence that, some estimates suggest, has killed as many as 3,000 people. The “supreme leader” of Iran, 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has since said in public remarks that it is the democratically elected Trump administration, and not his regime, that is on the verge of collapse, and Khamenei’s underlings have insisted that the regime has the country “under control.”

Trump has since called on Iranian protesters to “TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS” and suggested the White House would support them.

Trump Warns ExxonMobil Could Be Shut Out Of Venezuela Following CEO’s Remarks– wltreport.com

pgnewser January 14, 2026 0

Blurb:

ExxonMobil may see itself shut out of Venezuela.

President Trump hinted that ExxonMobil may find itself blocked from making investments in Venezuela after the CEO claimed the country was “inevitable.”

On Friday, the CEO of ExxonMobil, while at the White House, expressed doubts about whether investing in Venezuela will yield good returns for his company due to the current laws in the country.

In response to the CEO’s comments, Trump said Exxon Mobil is “playing cute.”

Venezuela To Turn Over 30-50 Million Barrels Of Crude To U.S.– legalinsurrection.com

pgnewser January 11, 2026 0

Blurb:

 

Donald Trump has announced that the “interim” authorities in Venezuela will be providing the U,S. with 30-50 million barrels of oil that will be sold at market prices and controlled by Trump:

I am pleased to announce that the Interim Authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America. This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States! I have asked Energy Secretary Chris Wright to execute this plan, immediately. It will be taken by storage ships, and brought directly to unloading docks in the United States. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

With Cuban ally Maduro ousted, Trump warns Havana to make a ‘deal’ before it’s too late– timesofindia.indiatimes.com

pgnewser January 11, 2026 0

Blurb:

President Donald Trump on Sunday fired off another warning to the government of Cuba as the close ally of Venezuela braces for potential widespread unrest after Nicolas Maduro was deposed as Venezuela’s leader. Cuba, a major beneficiary of Venezuelan oil, has now been cut off from those shipments as U.S. forces continue to seize tankers in an effort to control the production, refining and global distribution of the country’s oil products. Trump said on social media that Cuba long lived off Venezuelan oil and money and had offered security in return, “BUT NOT ANYMORE!” “THERE WILL BE NO MORE OIL OR MONEY GOING TO CUBA – ZERO!” Trump said in the post as he spent the weekend at his home in southern Florida.

Trump to meet Venezuela’s Machado and says it would be ‘great honor’ to take her Nobel Prize– www.independent.co.uk

pgnewser January 11, 2026 0

Blurb:

Trump lays out Venezuela oil strategy, says he plans to meet with Machado next week in Washington– www.cbsnews.com

pgnewser January 11, 2026 0

Blurb:

President Trump said on Truth Social Wednesday that Venezuela will use the money that it draws from a recent oil sale deal with the U.S. on “ONLY American Made Products.”

Those purchases could include agricultural products, medicines, medical devices and equipment needed to fix the country’s beleaguered electrical grid, Mr. Trump wrote.

“In other words, Venezuela is committing to doing business with the United States of America as their principal partner – A wise choice, and a very good thing for the people of Venezuela, and the United States,” the president continued.

Since Maduro’s capture, Mr. Trump has focused on Venezuela’s oil industry, pressing U.S. companies to enter the country — a move he has suggested could help rebuild the oil-rich nation’s crumbling infrastructure.

‘Unlawful actions’: Russia accuses US of forceful seizure of vessel; calls it maritime law breach– timesofindia.indiatimes.com

pgnewser January 11, 2026 0

Blurb:

Russia’s foreign ministry has accused the United States of “unlawful actions” after US forces seized the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera in international waters. Moscow said the seizure violates international maritime law and risks further escalating already strained Russia–US relations.In an official statement issued on Thursday, Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov called on Washington to respect established principles of international maritime law and immediately halt actions against the Marinera and other civilian vessels operating on the high seas. This comes after US forces seized the tanker on January 7.

Venezuela slow-walks prisoner releases with 11 freed while over 800 remain locked up– fortune.com

pgnewser January 11, 2026 0

Blurb:

 

As Venezuelan detainee Diógenes Angulo left a prison in San Francisco de Yare after a year and five months behind bars, his family appeared to be in shock.

He was detained two days before the 2024 presidential election after he posted a video of an opposition demonstration in Barinas, the home state of the late President Hugo Chávez.

As he emerged from the jail in San Francisco de Yare, approximately an hour’s drive south of the capital Caracas, he learned that former President Nicolás Maduro had been captured by U.S. forces Jan. 3 in a nighttime raid in the capital.

Angulo told The Associated Press that his faith gave him the strength to keep going during his detention.

Urgent ‘do not travel’ warning issued & Americans told to leave Venezuela immediately as gangs ‘hunting for Trump fans’– www.thesun.co.uk

pgnewser January 11, 2026 0

Blurb:

AMERICANS in Venezuela should “leave the country immediately” as armed militias hunt for Trump fans, authorities have urged.

Although international flights have resumed, US officials have advised citizens to “depart immediately” after the streets of Caracas have been taken over by Maduro supporters in solidarity of their toppled tyrant.

Americans have been brutally urged to leave VenezuelaCredit: Reuters
The streets of Caracas have been taken over by Maduro supporters in solidarity of their toppled tyrantCredit: Reuters

Motorbike gangs and armed security forces have wreaked havoc across the city in the aftermath of the brazen capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by US forces.

Operation Absolute Resolve Created Momentum; Policy Must Follow– www.breitbart.com

pgnewser January 11, 2026 0

Blurb:

On January 3, 2026, U.S. armed forces and law enforcement extracted Nicolás Maduro from Venezuela. I join President Trump in praising the men and women who led “Operation Absolute Resolve” and brought Maduro back to the United States to stand trial—all without the loss of American life.

Maduro is an indicted narco-terrorist who poisoned over 100,000 Americans. His “rap” sheet also includes involvement with transnational criminal organizations and befriending our foreign enemies like China, Iran, and Russia.

President Trump wants to fight this corruption, as do I. Operation Absolute Resolve made real progress on that front. Now people are asking, “How do we move forward?” My bill, the Americas Act, gives us that path forward.

The U.S. needs a clear plan for the Western Hemisphere that supports U.S. manufacturing, ends corruption, and counters foreign powers trying to muscle their way into our neighborhood. Look at Venezuela. Under Maduro, China was moving in fast, locking in influence while the country fell apart. If we don’t get a unified strategy together, we risk letting the Chinese Communist Party shape the future of our hemisphere instead of us.