US launches strikes against Venezuela, captures Maduro

[TIDE-HSV]

They hoisted the Russian flag, painted it on the side of the ship and changed the name of the ship while under hot pursuit...

 

[Bazza]

There was a Ruskie sub and some other Rooskie vessels in the vicinity too, apparently.

 

[Bazza]

The US deployed its once neglected Growler jets to roar and scramble Venezuela’s defense system, leaving Caracas blind and unable to protect its now-captured leader Nicolas Maduro, according to a new report.

The Boeing EA-18G Growler jets were among the more than 150 US warplanes deployed to assist in the raid on Maduro’s military compound on Jan. 3, with the aircraft playing a key role in crippling Venezuela’s response time, the Wall Street Journal reported.

 

[jthomas666]

You cannot make this crap up...

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-08/us-spy-chief-gabbard-excluded-from-maduro-plan-over-past-views?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc2Nzg5NDA4NywiZXhwIjoxNzY4NDk4ODg3LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUOEVRN0VLSzNOWUowMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJFNUE4NEE2MjI2QjE0NkRFQjVGN0M2OTY0MERGMEFGNyJ9.UQAr-BP6Gdu0IKF76pYP9knGYfaLXrTcuHHzSBsr7cA&leadSource=uverify%20wall

The White House excluded Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard from months of planning to oust Nicolas Maduro because her previous opposition to military action in Venezuela cast doubt on her willingness to support the operation, people familiar with the matter said.

The move to cut Gabbard out of the meetings was so well-known that some White House aides joked that the acronym of her title, DNI, stood for “Do Not Invite,” according to three of the people. They asked not to be identified discussing private conversations. A White House official denied there was any such joke.

 

[arthurdawg]

You cannot make this crap up...

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-01-08/us-spy-chief-gabbard-excluded-from-maduro-plan-over-past-views?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc2Nzg5NDA4NywiZXhwIjoxNzY4NDk4ODg3LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUOEVRN0VLSzNOWUowMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJFNUE4NEE2MjI2QjE0NkRFQjVGN0M2OTY0MERGMEFGNyJ9.UQAr-BP6Gdu0IKF76pYP9knGYfaLXrTcuHHzSBsr7cA&leadSource=uverify%20wall

Quite a show... And they are clowns...

Put it all together and you get a clown show...

 

[crimsonaudio]

The U.S. is now chasing 4 sanctioned oil tankers that have re-flagged as Russian vessels and are trying to escape from Venezuela.They have also renamed themselves:
- Veronica > Galileo
- Malak > Sintez
- Diane hi > Expander
- Unknown vessel

https://twitter.com/x/status/2009459044269084729

 

[crimsonaudio]

Hahahahahaha

https://twitter.com/x/status/2009685731250421876

 

[crimsonaudio]

I'm never deleting X, LOL

https://twitter.com/x/status/2009715202984702394

 

[rolltide_21]

Maduro had some killer dunks in his arrest picture. I see he’s trying to relate to the Gen Z kids. I kinda expect him to drop a 6-7 at his hearing….or a seis-seite

 

[Tidewater]

I saw this unconfirmed report (Twitter is the only place I have seen this, so caveat lector):

Maduro Security Guard: On the day of the operation, we didn't hear anything coming. We were on guard, but suddenly all our radar systems shut down without any explanation. The next thing we saw were drones, a lot of drones, flying over our positions. We didn't know how to react.

Interviewer: So what happened next? How was the main attack?

Security Guard: After those drones appeared, some helicopters arrived, but there were very few. I think barely eight helicopters. From those helicopters, soldiers came down, but a very small number. Maybe twenty men. But those men were technologically very advanced. They didn't look like anything we've fought against before.

Interviewer: And then the battle began?

Security Guard: Yes, but it was a massacre. We were hundreds, but we had no chance. They were shooting with such precision and speed... it seemed like each soldier was firing 300 rounds per minute. We couldn't do anything.

Interviewer: And your own weapons? Didn't they help?

Security Guard: No help at all. Because it wasn't just the weapons. At one point, they launched something—I don't know how to describe it... it was like a very intense sound wave. Suddenly I felt like my head was exploding from the inside. We all started bleeding from the nose. Some were vomiting blood. We fell to the ground, unable to move.


This could be a fake news story or it could be legit. I just do not know. No reputable news source that I trust has picked it up.

 

[crimsonaudio]

I saw this unconfirmed report (Twitter is the only place I have seen this, so caveat lector):

Maduro Security Guard: On the day of the operation, we didn't hear anything coming. We were on guard, but suddenly all our radar systems shut down without any explanation. The next thing we saw were drones, a lot of drones, flying over our positions. We didn't know how to react.

Interviewer: So what happened next? How was the main attack?

Security Guard: After those drones appeared, some helicopters arrived, but there were very few. I think barely eight helicopters. From those helicopters, soldiers came down, but a very small number. Maybe twenty men. But those men were technologically very advanced. They didn't look like anything we've fought against before.

Interviewer: And then the battle began?

Security Guard: Yes, but it was a massacre. We were hundreds, but we had no chance. They were shooting with such precision and speed... it seemed like each soldier was firing 300 rounds per minute. We couldn't do anything.

Interviewer: And your own weapons? Didn't they help?

Security Guard: No help at all. Because it wasn't just the weapons. At one point, they launched something—I don't know how to describe it... it was like a very intense sound wave. Suddenly I felt like my head was exploding from the inside. We all started bleeding from the nose. Some were vomiting blood. We fell to the ground, unable to move.


This could be a fake news story or it could be legit. I just do not know. No reputable news source that I trust has picked it up.

Reads like propaganda.

 

[JDCrimson]

Sounds a bit like that Havana Syndrome I have read about in the past...

 

[Tidewater]

Reads like propaganda.

Leavitt has directed attention to it on Twitter.
That is not exactly a rining endorsement of the story's veracity.

 

[Con]

Leavitt has directed attention to it on Twitter.
That is not exactly a rining endorsement of the story's veracity.

It has really peaked my interest.

 

[Tidewater]

The fact that the original Tweet did not link back to a source gives me pause.

It is too easy to make stuff up and post it on Twitter.

 

[crimsonaudio]

Both Russia and China are feeling this. You just hate to see it...

 

[crimsonaudio]

This could be a fake news story or it could be legit. I just do not know. No reputable news source that I trust has picked it up.

Reputable? Debatable… but…

BREAKING: CNN reports that the Department of Homeland Security has bought a device suspected to causing Havana Syndrome and that the Department of Defense has spent a year testing it.

The device has Russian components in it and was bought by the DHS for millions of dollars

https://twitter.com/x/status/2010971206149713920

 

[Tidewater]

Yeah, I've heard of that.
The Twitter story I linked addressed two different issues:
The fact that the US appears to have used some kind of sonic weapons (possible; you never know what DARP is cooking up) and
the US inserted 20 operators to fight against hundreds and some guy on the more numerous side felt they had no chance.

 

[crimsonaudio]

the US inserted 20 operators to fight against hundreds and some guy on the more numerous side felt they had no chance.

You know far more about this than I, but that part doesn't surprise me, assuming they were DEVGRU or Delta operators. Especially if they were using Anduril helmets / comms (I've heard a few whispers about the possibility they were).

 

[Tidewater]

It is just amazing what well-trained, motivated, and well-equipped soldiers can do if they set their minds to it.