Podcast Summary: Drop Site News – "The Plot Against Maduro: Venezuela on the Edge"

Date: January 7, 2026
Hosts: Jeremy Scahill, Ryan Grim
Guests: Carlos Ron (former Venezuelan Deputy Foreign Minister), Jack Murphy (investigative journalist, former US Army Ranger)
Podcast: www.dropsitenews.com

Overview

This episode delivers groundbreaking independent reporting on the crisis in Venezuela after the audacious US-led raid that abducted President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, bringing them to New York to face narco-terrorism charges. Jeremy Scahill and Ryan Grim unpack the political and military developments, joined by ex-Venezuelan diplomat Carlos Ron for a view from Caracas, and by Jack Murphy, whose investigative reporting reveals fresh details of the US operation. The discussion ranges from ground reactions in Venezuela to the geopolitics steering US actions in Latin America and the secrecy and narratives around such military interventions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Backdrop: US Raid and Maduro’s Abduction (01:33–09:20)

• Jeremy Scahill introduces the episode's urgency: Maduro, forcibly taken from Venezuela by US special forces, now faces legal action in New York.
• This operation marks a radical US intervention in Latin America, orchestrated under Trump’s second administration, with Marco Rubio shaping regional policy.
• The US has moved away from its former anti-interventionist rhetoric into overt regime change, reminiscent of Cold War actions.

Quote:

"What we're seeing now is...a pulling of the strings from the early days of the CIA that extended through the dirty wars in Latin America and Central America of the 80s...combining the worst parts of MAGA policy with the worst parts of imperial US History."
— Jeremy Scahill (04:53)

2. US Latin America Policy Shift and Internal Infrastructure (06:01–09:20)

• Ryan Grim analyzes Marco Rubio’s transformation: outwardly less of a neocon, but unchanged in his hardline views on Cuba and Venezuela.
• Grim elaborates on how US policy is "sandboxed" to allow Rubio to execute his regime change vision, while special attention is being paid violently to Latin America as the US’s sphere of influence wanes elsewhere.

Quote:

"You saw him have effectively no role when it came to Russia, Ukraine...He was sandboxed in to the one area that, where he is happiest to play...to roll back the Cuban revolution. And they see Venezuela as the key that unlocks that door."
— Ryan Grim (06:19)

3. Voices from Caracas: National Unity and Government Response (09:20–13:38)

• Carlos Ron describes a shockwave through Venezuela but emphasizes societal unity—no governmental collapse or opposition push, widespread public outrage, and unwavering institutional continuity.
• The government’s priority is stabilizing the country and reopening dialogue with the US for peace and to prevent further attacks.

Quote:

"We have a president that has been technically kidnapped by the United States...but there has been a continuity of the Bolivar Revolution in charge…this has served...to actually bring together the Venezuelan population."
— Carlos Ron (10:17)

4. The US Narrative and Internal “Whisper Campaigns” (16:27–26:39)

• Scahill outlines the US justification: Maduro is a “narco-terrorist,” and his abduction was lawful, yet Trump’s own words undermine this, suggesting the US now "runs Venezuela."
• The show discusses rumors of possible government insiders colluding with the US—Ron firmly rebuffs this, detailing the revolutionary credentials of acting president Delcy Rodríguez and highlighting US efforts to fracture the government base via disinformation.

Quote:

"All this buildup of accusations against President Maduro are really an excuse to make this look as a law enforcement operation, not as what it is. That is an act of war."
— Carlos Ron (21:58)

5. Inside the Raid: Special Operations Breakdown (w/ Jack Murphy) (26:39–36:27)

How the Raid Was Orchestrated (Jack Murphy, 29:10–36:27)

• Preparation for the raid began in fall 2025 after key defections in Venezuela helped the CIA form a local source network.
• The raid was planned and rehearsed at Fort Bragg, executed by Delta Force and Ranger Regiment, with SEAL Team 6 pursuing secondary targets.
• The operation involved terrain-masked helicopter insertion, electronic jamming, cyberattacks to cut communications and power, and a swift extraction.
• US operators reportedly caught Maduro trying to seal himself in a panic room.

Quote:

"As President Trump told us during the press conference, the operators, the American soldiers, actually caught him trying to close the door on a panic room and that's when him and his wife were both detained."
— Jack Murphy (31:23)

• Despite extensive resistance, US forces sustained minor injuries, while substantial security casualties occurred among Venezuelan and Cuban guards.
• The operation’s success is attributed to surprise, extensive groundwork, and technical sabotage.

Quote:

"We took control of the comm system that the Venezuelan military uses. As this operation unfolded, the lights flickered out in this area, which was probably some sort of cyber operation..."
— Jack Murphy (35:23)

6. Legal and Political Quagmires (43:25–46:34)

• The operation blended military and law enforcement roles: JSOC forces executed the raid, then FBI Hostage Rescue Team members made the arrest, subsequently handing over Maduro to DEA custody.
• Murphy and Scahill note the use of the 2001 AUMF as legal cover: "bonkers," given original intent.

7. Echoes of Dirty Wars and the Monroe Doctrine (46:34–51:39)

• Parallels are drawn to earlier US interventionism: the Monroe Doctrine is explicitly revived as the Trump administration corrals Latin American resources to maintain competitive advantage amid Chinese and Russian advances.

Quote:

"We will do whatever we have to do to keep your...resources and the assets of Latin America at the disposal of the United States and not...to any other foreign power."
— Carlos Ron (47:16)

8. Venezuela’s Oil and Its Geopolitical Weight (51:39–54:34)

• Discussion on whether Venezuela’s strategic oil reserves are as substantial as claimed. Ron asserts that reserves are internationally verified, and emphasizes the significance of Venezuela’s heavy crude for US refineries.

9. Competing Narratives, Propaganda, and Aftermath (54:34–58:40)

• Scahill and Murphy highlight the flood of misinformation from both official and unofficial US sources.
• Official leaks, political spin, and Hollywood depictions (“watch out for the Hollywood narrative”) have historically distorted public understanding of such operations.

Quote:

"It's an interesting phenomena with Americans that...what happens in the movies is more real than reality. You can show them reality, tell them about reality, but they're like, well, I saw it in this movie, how it really happened, so I would look for that."
— Jack Murphy (57:51)

10. Challenging Future for Venezuelan Sovereignty (59:01–62:52)

• The show closes with the predicament now faced by the Bolivarian government: negotiating peace, stability, and possibly oil deals with the US amid continuing threats and instability.
• Ron stresses Venezuela’s leadership intends to maintain its revolutionary convictions, and that despite the president’s abduction, the government’s core remains in place.

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• On US Policy:

  • "He [Trump] has essentially outsourced his Latin America policy to Marco Rubio, who is a fanatical right winger..."
    — Jeremy Scahill (03:53)

• On Government Unity Post-Raid:

  • "There's a continuity in these institutions of Venezuela. There's a continuity in the armed forces and in the streets."
    — Carlos Ron (11:01)

• On the Raid’s Execution:

  • "The assault force came in and it sounds like they isolated the target building quite quick...they had to have achieved tactical surprise to be able to get on him that quickly."
    — Jack Murphy (31:17; 33:30)

• On Historical Context:

  • "Trump administration says, look, before we do this, we need to secure our region. This is something that you see in the national security strategy...again, mentioning by name, the Monroe Doctrine."
    — Carlos Ron (47:28)

• On Information War:

  • "Watch out for the Hollywood narrative. You know, after the Bin Laden raid, the CIA was ordered to collaborate with Hollywood...with Americans, you know, what happens in the movies is more real than reality."
    — Jack Murphy (57:31)

Important Timestamps

• 01:33 — Episode overview and introduction of Venezuela crisis.
• 04:53 — US foreign policy, shift from anti-intervention to overt action.
• 09:20 — Carlos Ron joins live from Caracas.
• 10:17 — Venezuelan reaction: unity in the face of abduction.
• 21:58 — Ron refutes rumors of internal betrayal, frames the abduction as war.
• 29:10 — Jack Murphy details US Special Operations’ raid planning.
• 31:22 — Murphy: "Caught Maduro in the panic room."
• 35:23 — US cyber-sabotage during the raid.
• 43:25 — JSOC and FBI joint arrest mechanics.
• 47:16 — Monroe Doctrine and US intent for hemispheric dominance.
• 57:31 — Murphy warns about narrative manipulation after the raid.

Tone and Language

Throughout, discussion is frank, critical, and deeply analytical, blending the first-hand urgency of live reporting with historical perspective. There’s a strong spirit of skepticism toward both official US narratives and propaganda, an emphasis on facts from the ground, and empathy for those caught in the crisis.

For Follow-up and Further Reading

• Jack Murphy’s article on The High Side (note: behind a paywall)
• Dropsite’s Latin America desk coverage
• Social media presence of Dropsite correspondents, especially Jose Luis Granado Ceja (Twitter: @GranadoCeja)

Summary prepared for listeners and readers who want a deep, trustworthy understanding of the Venezuela crisis as reported by Drop Site News.