Podcast Summary: Julian Dorey Podcast #375

Julian EXPLODES: CIA-backed Cartels, Paid Sell-Outs, China & Direct Energy Weapons | Jorge Ventura
Date: January 19, 2026
Host: Julian Dorey
Guest: Jorge Ventura (Independent Investigative Journalist)

Episode Overview

In this intense and wide-ranging conversation, Julian Dorey is joined by returning guest Jorge Ventura—now an independent journalist—to dissect recent seismic events in geopolitics, media, and American society. They cover the CIA-backed regime change in Venezuela, America's ongoing entanglement with Mexican cartels, the hidden hand of China in US drug flows, the infiltration of paid propaganda across social media, and the mounting threats of civil unrest at home.

The pair repeatedly stress the importance of independent, empathy-driven, on-the-ground reporting and call out the corruption, groupthink, and self-interest pervading both mainstream and independent media. In classic “JDP” fashion, the episode is filled with unfiltered analysis, rapid-fire news breakdowns, and candid moments wrestling with the future of journalism and democracy.

Key Themes and Discussion Points

1. The New Era: Going Independent (02:06–05:00)

• Ventura celebrates his departure from corporate news:

  • Shares excitement about launching “Ventura Reports” on YouTube.
  • “Media's changing...I kind of wanted to return back to my fill like that—unraw filter, on that ground reporting, super powerful.” (02:16)
  • “I'm one of the very few reporters where I got independents that follow me, I got Republicans...I got Democrats...So just excited for this new era, man.” (02:16)

• Dorey praises Ventura's dynamic range:

  • Emphasizes Jorge’s specialty reporting on border, South America, and cartels, but also commends his global reach and lack of editorial spin.

2. Ground Realities in Venezuela—Regime Change & CIA Involvement (04:55–14:53)

• Ventura details South Florida’s Venezuelan exile response:

  • Emotional stories of families, such as UFC fighter Alberto Montes, longing for reunification after years of dictatorship.
  • Ongoing fear, surveillance, and lack of celebration for those still in Venezuela.

• US Involvement in toppling Maduro:

  • Dorey strongly condemns Maduro as a dictator: “No disrespect, there's no like, pro-Maduro argument that is sound. Okay? The guy's a scumbag, he's a dictator, he's a communist.” (07:30)
  • Deep dive into whether America should (or can) ethically back regime change in foreign countries.
  • Ventura says the CIA was “on the ground in Venezuela as of April...infiltrated the inner circle.” (12:06)
  • Trump’s public praise of new interim President Delcy Rodriguez read and analyzed (11:19–12:01).
  • Speculation Rodriguez will “play ball” with the US/CIA as long as she remains president.

“CIA hit the ground in Venezuela in April...The only reason we know from April is because the CIA leaked it to the media.” (12:06 – Ventura)

• US motives—resources vs. justice:
  • Dorey calls out how drug interdiction narratives are often a fig leaf for oil-driven intervention:
    “They're sitting on the biggest oil reserves in the history of the world...That's one thing I'll say about Trump, he was like, 'You know, they got a lot of oil.' At least he's being honest after the fact.” (16:06)

3. The Cartel Playbook, US Policy & Manufactured Enemies (16:35–23:19)

• Rubio’s Foreign Policy Mastermind Role:

  • The “Marco Rubio playbook” includes manufacturing the “Cartel De Los Soles” narrative to facilitate regime change powers without Congressional approval.
  • DOJ quietly removed the “cartel” designation from Maduro’s indictment after admitting it was essentially a propaganda invention. (18:13–20:45)
  • Dorey breaks down the quiet legal realignment: “Apparently Cartel de Los Soles isn't a real organization at all. It's a slang term...as if someone tried Trump for leading Trump world as a criminal organization.” (19:23)

• Escalation: Mexico, Cuba, Nicaragua as Next Regime-Change Targets

  • US pressuring Mexico to allow CIA operations and prepping for growing conflict with major Mexican cartels.
  • Nicaragua (due to its Russia/China ties) and Cuba also discussed as future focal points in US foreign policy chess.

4. CIA, Cartels, and the Opacity of American Interests (26:53–29:21)

• The CIA and Cartel Nexus:
  • The show references prior guests who openly describe working with the CIA inside the cartels and US banks laundering cartel money.
  • “They're making this very, very morally treacherous trade off. They basically said, 'Okay, this exists...if we got people in there undercover...we can get intel on them and use them that way.'” (26:53 – Dorey)

5. Misinformation, Social Media Propaganda, and Paid Influencers (84:17–100:56)

• Infiltration of the Influencer Class:

  • Ventura exposes paid trips and propaganda, singling out conservative influencer Rob Smith’s paid “praise report” for Qatar:

    “This guy went to Qatar, bro. Did the whole, 'Oh, Qatar is a great country,' and stuff. And people were like roasting. It's like, dude, you're a gay black guy. They would like throw you off a roof.” (85:38 – Ventura)

  • Both hosts call out "independent journalists" who lie about their allegiances while taking foreign government checks or Pentagon access.

• Israel, China, Qatar and the “Ski Slope” of Selling Out:

  • Dorey is blistering:

    “If I'm going to sit here and rip Rachel Maddow for calling herself a journalist, how am I not gonna rip people like this just because they're in the independent side… I would love to be a fly on the wall the day that the slippery slope becomes a ski slope and they decide to jump over the cliff like this, right?” (91:15 – Dorey)

  • Condemnation for “influencers” visiting Gaza, Israel, etc., for cash and posting staged “food pallets” pictures (“doing propaganda with a smile” – 96:29).

  • Both agree: “If you like it so much, go move there.” (94:51 – Dorey)

6. Civil Unrest at Home, Pendulum Swings, and the ICE Raids (48:56–67:57)

• Recent shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis and ICE/CBP issues:
  • Ventura breaks down rapid response, agents’ backgrounds, media leak of a cell phone video, and how both sides immediately formed totalizing narratives.
  • Anxiety about mass influx of new undertrained, ideologically extreme agents:

    “These aren’t guys, like, 'Hey man, my whole life I just wanted to be a police officer...' These guys are like rejects in other parts of society. Criminal record. They're getting rushed through training.” (54:14 – Ventura)

  • Public unrest in Minneapolis escalating into something reminiscent of 2020, with protestors breaking into vehicles and stealing ICE documents and FBI rifles.

7. The Death Spiral of Political Optics and Media Integrity (72:25–83:26)

• Discussion on how “optics” and not substance drive support and outrage—across Democrat and Republican bases—and the dangers for independent media after being perceived as kingmakers (i.e., the “Podcast Bros” platforming Trump).
• Dorey: “If I were they, whoever they is...and I saw that a certain industry, an upstart industry like independent media, had an enormous effect on who the fucking President of the United States was...I would destroy it from the inside.” (80:37)
• Ventura explains why he never votes, upholding objectivity as a working journalist:

  “If I'm really going to be like the independent guy, hold both sides accountable—you can't vote. So I'm 30, never voted, never donated to any political party...” (83:26)

8. China’s Expanding Influence, Immigration, and Cartel Partnerships (137:01–166:08)

• Chinese-Mexican cartel collaboration:

  • Flooding of Chinese illegal immigrants via Mexico, surging in 2023 via Ecuador–Darien Gap–Cancún–Tijuana.
  • Massive increase in Chinese-run illegal marijuana grows (Oklahoma, Northern California, Maine).
  • Exploitation of porous US border and money laundering via US banks.
  • Dorey: “Apparently Cartel de Los Soles isn't a real organization at all. It's...as if someone tried Trump for leading Trump world as a criminal organization.” (19:23)

• Fentanyl still coming via ports of entry, often with help from compromised US agents:

  “90% of the fentanyl is still coming in through the port of entry...the number one is that they're just bribing the U.S. border patrol.” (157:50 – Ventura)

9. Future Threats: Direct Energy Weapons, CIA Tactics & What’s Next (172:56–179:15)

• Discussion on new “sonic”/Havana Syndrome weapons apparently used in Venezuela; speculation about their deployment in Mexico against cartels.
• Dorey shares graphic aftermath images of Venezuela hit:

  “I can't show this on the screen for obvious reasons, but I do not think that's B.S. Take a look...That's from the immediate aftermath.” (173:22)

• Ventura describes US HSI/ICE joint operations with Mexican military inside Sinaloa as a major escalation—“I've never seen” (170:08).
• Looming possibilities of full-scale US military or CIA operations in Mexico, and the uncertain effect this could have on migration/asylum policies.

10. The Human Factor: Empathy, Journalism & American Spirit (107:42–116:03)

• Ventura’s on-the-ground approach in tragedies like the Kerrville, Texas flooding—emphasizing respect for victims and real storytelling over sensationalism.
  • “I just wanted to treat those families with respect, telling their stories.” (110:24 – Ventura)
• Dorey and Ventura both highlight the overlooked resilience and unity of Americans in times of real crisis, and the ongoing need for journalism with heart and fairness.

Notable Quotes

• Dorey on paid influencers and propaganda:

  "If you like it so much, go move there." (94:51)
  "We have righteously shredded the mainstream media left-wing journalism machine... If I'm gonna sit here and rip Rachel Maddow... how am I not gonna rip people like this just because they're in the independent side?" (91:20)

• Ventura on CIA’s Venezuela regime change:

  "CIA hit the ground in Venezuela in April... The only reason we know from April is because the CIA leaked it to the media." (12:06)

• Dorey on cartel narratives:

  "Apparently Cartel de Los Soles isn't a real organization at all. It's... as if someone tried Trump for leading Trump world as a criminal organization." (19:23)

• Ventura on why he doesn’t vote:

  "If I'm really going to be like the independent guy, hold both sides accountable—you can't vote. So I'm 30, never voted, never donated to any political party..." (83:26)

• Dorey on media and civil unrest:

  "The pendulum shifts that we still not only subject ourselves to in society, but we make worse than ever when all the answers are there in front of us to show us why that's a bad idea." (64:12)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 02:06 — Ventura: Going independent, new era in journalism
• 04:55 — Venezuela: Exile stories, regime change, CIA’s role
• 11:19 — Trump’s message to interim President Dely Rodriguez
• 16:35 — Manufacturing cartel narratives, regime change legalities
• 23:19 — U.S. foreign focus turns to Nicaragua, Mexico, Cuba
• 26:53 — CIA-cartel ties & laundering, on-the-record admissions
• 48:56 — ICE shooting in Minneapolis, media optics, civil unrest
• 84:17 — Selling journalism: “Independent” influencers for sale
• 107:42 — On-the-ground coverage: Kerrville flood, empathy in reporting
• 137:01 — China’s role: Cartels, illegal immigration, drug trade
• 157:50 — Fentanyl at the border: U.S. corruption, port bribery
• 172:56 — Sonic/direct energy weapons, CIA escalation in Mexico
• 174:46 — Iran: Potential regime change, global implications

Memorable/Must-Hear Moments

• [07:30] — Dorey: “There's no like, pro-Maduro argument that is sound. The guy's a scumbag. He's a dictator. He's a communist.”
• [12:06] — Ventura confirms CIA’s recent ground presence in Venezuela.
• [19:23] — Dorey details how the Cartel de los Soles narrative was quietly removed from official indictments, exposing invented rationale for intervention.
• [54:14] — Ventura highlights underqualified ICE/CBP recruits: “These aren't guys...who just wanted to be a police officer...These guys are like rejects in other parts of society.”
• [64:12] — Dorey: “The pendulum shifts that we still not only subject ourselves to in society, but we make worse than ever...”
• [107:42] — Ventura’s moving recount of personal experience reporting at the Kerrville floods.
• [172:56] — Both discuss “sonic weapons” and new direct energy tactics used in regime change.

Tone and Language

True to the podcast’s tone, the conversation is passionate, unfiltered, and laced with pointed humor. Both Dorey and Ventura oscillate between sharp investigative journalism and personal candor—frequently punctuated by “dude,” “come on,” “bro,” and “fuck” for emphasis. The mutual respect and frustration with the status quo are palpable throughout.

In Conclusion

This marathon conversation offers an uncommonly candid behind-the-scenes look at the new front lines: not just in geopolitics and border conflicts, but in the information war for truth and public trust. Both host and guest urge vigilance against propaganda—regardless of its political source—while championing a journalism defined by empathy, independence, and the unvarnished pursuit of the facts.

Episode highlight:

“People are not their governments. And so I always separate the people from what their governments are doing.” (98:13 – Dorey)