Redacted News – Episode Summary

Episode Title: CIA Caught Inside Venezuela Trying to Kill Maduro, Russia Captures 86 cities since Sept
Hosts: Clayton & Natali Morris
Date: December 2, 2025
Key Guests: Colonel Douglas MacGregor, Judge Andrew Napolitano

Overview

This episode of Redacted News dives into major global developments that the hosts believe are systemically misreported or underplayed by mainstream outlets. The central themes include:

• Russia’s advances in Ukraine and the Western media narrative
• US and CIA activity in Venezuela, including regime change plots against Nicolas Maduro
• The US employing AI-driven kill chain technology in Gaza—how it works and potential for domestic deployment
• The legality and morality of recent military operations, focusing on alleged war crimes linked to high-level US officials

Throughout, the conversation is marked by skepticism of official narratives, a focus on sovereignty and legality, and a warning against government power overreach.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Russia’s Advances vs. Misinformation in Western Media

Timestamps: [04:43] – [17:52]

• Media Misinformation:

  • Clayton discusses media figures (e.g., General Jack Keane) presenting the narrative that Russia is stalling/losing in Ukraine.
    • "This is why so many people are misinformed." – Clayton [06:24]

• Russia’s Real Gains:

  • Report: Russia captured 86 settlements in five weeks, surrounding Ukrainian forces.
  • Colonel Douglas MacGregor:
    • Ukraine’s military is "at a terminal point," with enormous casualties, high desertion rates (~300,000 cases), and mass surrenders.
      • "The Russians have never had as a goal the conquest of Ukraine... They were only interested in the territory... populated with Russian speakers." – MacGregor [09:34]

• Europe’s Fragmenting Alliances:

  • NATO is "disintegrating" amid economic woes, public anger (notably in Germany), and the military-industrial complex benefitting at the expense of common people.
    • "People that are in power right now in NATO are really enemies of peace..." – MacGregor [13:53]

• Peace Prospects:

  • High-level US envoys in Moscow try for optics of peace but are unlikely to shift Russia’s bottom line, which remains clear and non-negotiable.
    • "Putin wants good optics... I don’t think there’s going to be any meat on it." – MacGregor [17:52]

2. The US, CIA, and Regime Change in Venezuela

Timestamps: [24:59] – [32:39]

• CIA/US Special Forces Plots:

  • Reports surface of recent failed US attempts to kill or capture Maduro.
  • CIA and Pentagon have a history of regime change efforts; their motives are primarily to secure Venezuelan resources (oil, lithium, minerals) and break alliances with Cuba and other regional actors.
    • "We have always wanted to replace the government in Venezuela with a government that would do what we want." – MacGregor [26:09]

• "Clown Show" Nature of the Operations:

  • Failures have become public, showing dysfunction in US covert manipulation.
  • US plans to stage an invasion with 15,000 troops as a ‘stabilization force’ are met with skepticism.
    • "These people [Venezuelans] are not going to roll over for us." – MacGregor [27:24]

• Drug Trade Narrative as Pretext:

  • Data shows less than 4% of global cocaine comes from Venezuela; most to Africa/Europe—not the US.
    • Fentanyl (major US overdose threat) comes predominantly via Mexico, raising questions about focus on Venezuela.
      • "This is not about drugs. This is about resources and oil." – MacGregor [31:18]

• Risk of Regional Blowback:

  • Intervention could unify Latin American countries against US incursion, not just “bring democracy” as sold to American audiences.

3. Military Chain of Command and War Crimes

Timestamps: [32:39] – [41:00], [62:55] – [78:41]

• Mechanics of Obeying/Refusing Orders:

  • Discussion on military ethics: what constitutes an illegal order, the difficulty and consequences for low-level soldiers in refusing, and the ultimate responsibility of commanding officers.
    • "The fish rots from the head. Don’t crush the poor people down at the bottom level... go after the people at the top who issued the illegal order." – MacGregor [38:59]

• Recent US Strike Allegations:

  • Secretary of War Pete Hegseth accused of ordering a kill strike on shipwrecked civilians (narco-boat incident off Venezuela).
  • Hegseth’s public statements are contradictory—he both claims to have personally observed all specifics and then cites the "fog of war."
    • "Now I saw everything. Now there’s the fog of war." – Clayton [64:42]

• Legal Analysis – Judge Napolitano:

  • Killing unarmed crew in international waters is, by law and treaty, piracy and a war crime.
  • “Narco terrorist” is a political label with no legal authority.
    • "It’s a war crime to attack the boats, period. And again, a war crime to kill the survivors..." – Judge Napolitano [66:00]
    • "If you really wanted to go after the drugs, you would of course be looking at multiple other countries... Don’t lie to us. We’re not idiots." – Clayton [75:17]
  • Responsibility climbs the chain: all who knowingly comply with illegal orders are prosecutable, with Judge predicting forced resignations and possible war crimes charges.

4. AI Surveillance and Kill Chains – Palantir in Gaza

Timestamps: [45:10] – [57:56]

• System Details:

  • US pays Palantir for AI-driven "kill chain" tech harnessing satellite, drone, phone, and social data to accelerate and "optimize" targeting.
  • Not just finding terrorists, the AI leverages vast personal data (including social media) to manufacture targets—guilt by association (e.g., family ties to Hamas).
    • "It’s an AI-powered kill chain... not just identifies targets, it manufactures them." – Natalie [45:14]

• Potential for Domestic Use:

  • Hosts warn that the “terrorist” label can be weaponized against Americans, as definitions of "domestic terrorist" expand. AI kill chain infrastructure, currently tested abroad, can be easily turned inward.
    • "If you don’t think this technology is going to be pointing at you... you are on drugs." – Natalie [45:12]

• No-Bid Contracts and Corporate-Government Collusion:

  • Palantir repeatedly receives no-bid contracts, reflecting its origins as a de facto government tech arm.
    • "That’s not a government contract. That’s an order." – Natalie [55:39]

• Audience and Host Reactions:

  • The segment features comparisons to science fiction dystopias (Terminator, 1984) and highlights erosion of Constitutional privacy and due process rights.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Russia and NATO:

  • "NATO is disintegrating. We’re trying to maintain this facade that such an alliance actually exists that is meaningful." – MacGregor [13:02]

• On Venezuela:

  • "It’s turning into a clown show. The fact that we’re here talking about it, it’s public knowledge, and that we know it’s failed is not a good thing." – MacGregor [26:04]
  • "This business of mentioning fentanyl, which comes overwhelmingly, almost 100% out of Mexico and kills hundreds of thousands of Americans, that's a different kettle of fish... This is not about drugs. This is about resources and oil." – MacGregor [31:18]

• On Kill Chains and Surveillance:

  • "It’s an AI powered kill chain. That’s what it is. They’re already running practice... It manufactures targets." – Natalie [45:12]

• On War Crimes:

  • "It’s a war crime to attack the boats, period... Even if they’re doing what he says they’re doing, which is transporting illegal drugs." – Judge Napolitano [66:00]
  • "You have a duty to rescue the shipwrecked even if you caused the shipwreck." – Judge Napolitano [73:55]

• On US Policy Drift:

  • "If you don’t care [about NATO], these people are capable of stupid actions... Putin made the statement... we can change from this special military operation... to war, real war." – MacGregor [19:29]

Important Timestamps

• Opening/Main Stories Teased: [02:21]
• Russia/Ukraine Narrative: [04:43]–[17:52]
• NATO & European Turmoil: [12:25]–[17:52]
• Venezuela & CIA Ops: [24:59]–[32:39]
• Military Ethics & Orders: [32:39]–[41:00]
• AI Surveillance in Gaza: [45:10]–[57:56]
• War Crime Allegations (Venezuela strike): [62:55]–[78:41]

Final Thoughts

The episode provides a critical lens on official US and NATO narratives, characterizing Western policy as self-serving, ethically questionable, and often illegal under international law. The hosts and guests urge vigilance against unchecked state power, the creep of military tech at home, and the manipulation of truth through both corporate/state media and bureaucracy. Listeners are left with a sense of urgency regarding not only foreign policy but also the potential domestic consequences of AI surveillance and expanding definitions of "threats" and "terrorism."