Macrodosing: US Captures Venezuelan President Maduro | Jan 6, 2026

Overview

This episode of Macrodosing (released January 6, 2026) dives into the bombshell story of the US military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and what it means for the US, Venezuela, and international relations. The conversation pivots to the fallout and comparisons to the Iraq war, complexities of foreign intervention, possible consequences for US policy, and the current state of Venezuela. The crew also dissects viral news about alleged welfare fraud in Minnesota, debates on modern streaming culture, the third Avatar film, and more.

Hosted by Arian Foster and his cohosts Big T, Cook, and others, the episode features a mix of serious policy discussion, skepticism, humor, and signature tangents—maintaining that Macrodosing brain-tickling blend of the analytical and the irreverent.

Main Discussion: US Captures Maduro in Venezuela

[05:29] Setting the Stage: What Happened?

• Big T steers the crew to the week’s biggest story: the US arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, bringing them to the US for trial on drug and weapons charges.
• [05:46] Arian Foster recaps what’s publicly known:
  • CIA had Maduro under surveillance for months.
  • Limited military strikes in Venezuela led up to a major US military air operation late Saturday night.
  • Delta Force helicopters, with F-22s, F-35s, Growlers, AWACS radar planes, and more, supported the extraction.
  • “No aircraft were shot down, I don’t think anybody died from the United States …a couple dozen, maybe more, people that died in Venezuela…most of them…his guard or in the military.” – Arian Foster [07:18]
  • Highlights the “flawless” military logistics and use of stealth/air superiority.

[13:40] Skepticism: How Did It Go Down So Easily?

• Foster raises doubts about the ease of the operation: “I don’t understand how they just walked in and arrested he and his wife… He had a safe room …giant steel doors…”
• Theorizes a possible inside job or negotiated surrender, perhaps involving Maduro’s Vice President.
• Foster: “Maybe he’s a very sound sleeper.” [13:40]
• Big T: “I slept through an earthquake one time…” [13:41]

[15:39] Show of Force for Iran?

• Discussion on the US government’s unusually open post-mission briefing.
• Big T: “It’s like using a trick play and you want to put it on tape…you want your opponent to have to prepare for that.” [15:27]
• Foster suggests the US wants “Iran to see” its capabilities as a form of deterrence.

[17:05] Iraq Parallels and Policy Concerns

• Cook calls out the “glaring parallels” to the Iraq war—power vacuum, military dominance, questionable post-war plan.
• Foster: “We did everything on a 10x speed for Venezuela that we did with Iraq…Bush and Cheney [had] a year of PR…here it was like a week…‘they stole some of our oil.’” [17:37]
• Concern for what happens now in Venezuela—militias, instability, refugee crisis.
• Foster: “We break it, we bought it…we’re responsible for, like it or not.” [30:58]
• Noted that Venezuela is “very close to the United States”—potentially magnifying consequences.

Key Quote:

“If Venezuela did not have oil, there is a 0.0% chance that we were doing this.”
– Arian Foster [23:39]

[25:21] Checks & Balances, War Powers

• Question on legality and the bypassing of Congress.
• Cook: “My argument is I don’t want to set the precedent that we can bypass Congress for an act of war… checks and balances in a democracy.” [33:40]
• The group debates what defines an act of war and if the process for international interventions is being eroded.
• Big T repeatedly states whether the action is “good” or “bad” depends on what happens next.

Notable Dialogues:

• Big T: “…for the last several years, everyone has agreed this guy is…a terrorist dictator…now that Trump has gone and gotten his ass out of bed and taken him, like now that’s bad…”
• Foster: “There’s a middle ground…don’t give the dictator money. And also…invading a sovereign country and stealing their leader…is a bad thing.” [22:41]

[29:59] Long-Term Blowback and Historical Lessons

• Drawing lessons from US involvement in El Salvador, Iraq, and elsewhere: “There’s refugees, there’s power vacuums, there’s bad people that end up taking power.” – Arian Foster [29:53]
• Concerns about increased refugee migration due to destabilization, rise of militias, and lasting anti-American sentiment.

Segment Timestamps and Highlights

[03:31] Lighter Moments – Arian’s Golf Report

• Cook is late due to a golf game: “I shot an 83, which I’m not mad at…my game is trending upwards…” [03:31]
• Crew discusses California weather, Super Bowl week plans.

[38:39] Military Tech Talk

• B2 bomber stealth flyovers at sporting events, new B-21, aviation geekery.
• Cook: “Those are the coldest looking planes, in my opinion.” [39:51]

[42:38] Pivot: Domestic Focus – Viral Minnesota Daycare Fraud Video

• Background: Minnesota governor Tim Walz resigns amid welfare fraud scandal; viral video alleges daycare fraud.
• Crew investigates the facts:
  • Some federal and state probes ongoing, but video lacks direct evidence.
  • Foster: “If you’re stealing welfare money, you are the lowest of the low and you should be sent to prison.” [87:52]
• Cook and Foster raise warning flags about viral outrage aimed at Somali/Muslim immigrant communities, right-wing media amplification, and lack of transparency/transparency in pseudo-journalism.

Notable Exchanges

• Foster: “He’s not a journalist…He is known as a journalist. People think that he’s a journalist…which is part of the problem.” [106:04]
• Cook: “Why not present that to be the case in the documentary rather than make it look like, oh, there’s nobody here?” [99:55]
• Big T: “Do you think a real journalist would uncover fraud?” Foster: “Anything that dabbles in government contracts, you will find evidence of fraud.” [101:11]

[56:07] Streaming Culture, Social Media, and Unhealthy Trends

• Rant about popular streamers engaging in dangerous or outlandish antics for attention.
• Cook: “It’s a cancer to us…I think all of them should get slapped.” [54:30]
• Discussion of ‘looksmaxxing’ (surgery trend for jawlines), online meme and beauty cults.
• Foster: “They’re giving themselves body dysmorphia…it’s super unhealthy.” [58:50]
• Anecdotes about living without Internet for a few days—“internet detox” with kids.

[65:06] Diddy Documentary & Music Industry Gossip

• Foster shares his reaction after watching the Diddy docuseries; floats the conspiracy theory that “he killed Biggie” [64:08], which the crew debates.
• Cook: “I find it hard to believe he would kill Biggie…I do think Diddy dirty as shit though.” [66:38]
• Deep dives into Diddy’s alleged abuses and the weirdness of his inner circle.
• Cook: “That is a direct result of…you ain’t never had nobody around you tell you no.” [71:44]

[119:16] Avatar 3 Review (Spoilers at [123:22])

• Cook (lifelong Avatar fan) and guest Jeff Lowe break down the new film:
  • Gorgeous visuals, strong world-building, but “dogshit” writing.
  • “If you were to write a script from ChatGPT, it would come out like that.” [124:32]
  • Frustration at missed opportunities for deeper themes: “There’s no substance to any dialogue.”
  • “I appreciate the series…but if they don’t up the dialogue it’s just going to be like a Kanye album…I’ll listen out of respect…” [130:51]
  • Jeff Lowe: “James Cameron’s not a great dialogue writer…this was easily his worst.”
  • Ongoing discussion of world-building vs character/dialogue.

[140:16] Pop Culture: Stranger Things Final Season

• The hosts and Jeff Lowe break down the divisive Stranger Things finale (minor spoilers).
• General agreement: entertaining, crowd-pleasing, but “a safe ending” lacking the ambition/risk of shows like Game of Thrones or The Sopranos.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Air Power:
  “This is your tax dollars since, like, 1995…like, 30 cents out of every dollar went towards this operation…” – Arian Foster [08:32]

• On Plan for Venezuela:
  “I don’t want to set the precedent that we can bypass Congress for an act of war.” – Cook [33:40]
  “There’s a lot of legal gray areas that I think we’re getting into.” – Arian Foster [33:40]

• On Iraq Parallels:
  “The difference now is like…We’re fucking up this country, and they’re very close to us.” – Arian Foster [32:46]

• On Media and Fraud:
  “He’s not a journalist…he is known as a journalist…” – Arian Foster [106:04]
  “Anything that dabbles in government contracts, you will find evidence of fraud.” – Arian Foster [101:19]

• On US Intervention:
  “Every president has done it…it’s not, in my opinion, a good idea.” – Arian Foster [114:52]

Structure and Additional Segments

• [43:39] – Diddy docuseries theories and music industry anecdotes.
• [66:42] – “Diddy dirty as shit though…”
• [73:54] – Minnesota daycare fraud scandal breakdown.
• [123:17] – Avatar 3 (spoiler section).
• [140:16] – Stranger Things final season postmortem.

Final Thoughts (Summary)

The episode provides an in-depth, highly opinionated, and multifaceted discussion on the US' capture of Maduro—highlighting the military, legal, and ethical issues, strong skepticism about US motives in oil-rich nations, and real concern for long-term fallout. The crew consistently calls out the media environment that shapes public perception, urges critical thinking, and returns to the need for checks and balances in US interventions. There’s also a clear through line: Power vacuums beget chaos, and history tends to repeat when the US forcibly fills them.

The show’s characteristic asides, humor, and pop culture pivots keep the tone lively and authentic to the personalities involved—making it as much an episode about media literacy, skepticism, and societal self-reflection as about headline geopolitics.

Table of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | Key Speaker(s) | |-------------|--------------------------------------------|---------------------------| | 05:29 | Venezuela/Maduro Operation Breakdown | Arian, Big T, Cook | | 13:40 | Inside Job or Surrender Speculation | Arian, Big T | | 15:39 | US Military Messaging to Iran | Arian, Big T | | 17:05 | Iraq Parallels & Policy | Cook, Arian | | 25:21 | Checks & Balances in Military Action | Cook, Big T, Arian | | 29:59 | Intervention Fallout & Refugee Flow | Arian, Cook | | 38:39 | Aviation/Air Force Chat | All | | 42:38 | Welfare Fraud Scandal in Minnesota | Arian, Big T, Cook | | 56:07 | Streaming/Internet Culture Discussion | All | | 65:06 | Diddy Doc/User Conspiracies | Arian, Cook | | 119:16 | Avatar 3 Film Review | Cook, Jeff Lowe | | 140:16 | Stranger Things Final Season (spoilers) | Big T, Jeff Lowe |

For Listeners Who Missed It

• The Maduro operation is explored in depth—militarily, legally, and ethically.
• The show is skeptical of the legality and morality, compares it to Iraq, and warns of unintended consequences.
• The team calls for Congressional oversight and stresses “no new forever wars.”
• Entertaining tangents on military tech, welfare fraud, Internet culture, and pop culture keep the show lively.
• The episode is essential Macrodosing: brain tickling debates, contrarian hot takes, and a world-weary sense of humor about the circus of US power.

End of Summary