The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show

Episode: David Rutherford Show — The Venezuela Operation Just Changed The World Order
Date: January 7, 2026
Guest Host: David Rutherford (Former Navy SEAL, CIA contractor)

Episode Overview

In this special episode, former Navy SEAL and CIA contractor David Rutherford provides an in-depth analysis of the recent U.S. special operations mission in Venezuela to capture President Nicolás Maduro. Rutherford unpacks the operation’s significance, details its execution, and discusses its geopolitical implications, especially regarding U.S. influence in South America and the global balance of power. Throughout, Rutherford delivers a mix of strategic insight, personal perspective, and historical context in his signature direct and energetic style.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Setting the Stage: What Happened in Venezuela?

[02:14]

• Rutherford asserts there’s a “categorical shift in the global hegemony and power structure of the world” unfolding, centered on the recent U.S. operation in Venezuela.
• He emphasizes that the mission was not a last-minute tactic:

  “This did not just come up a couple weeks ago, and they're like, hey, let's go take Maduro. Like, this is a tactical thing that most likely [has been in planning] since the day after Trump gained office. ... These are strategic operations that are integrated into a much broader geopolitical strategy.” (David Rutherford, 03:30)

2. Inside the Operation: Scope, Execution, and Secrecy

[04:25]

• Rutherford calls it one of the “top five military operations” in U.S. history; he describes the multi-agency and multi-branch coordination required, including JSOC, SOCOM, Navy, Army, Air Force, CIA, FBI, DIA, and others.
• The operation involved extensive planning, precise execution, and minimal casualties:

  “To be able to coordinate that many units in that precise of an operation with so few casualties, it's next to flawless.” (04:11)

• Sophisticated rehearsals were held, including a mockup of Maduro’s safehouse reportedly built somewhere in the U.S. (possibly Fort Benning).
• Noteworthy is the total lack of leaks prior to the operation and a clarification about rumors: Rutherford dismisses conspiracy claims such as,

  “Hakeem Jeffries tried to warn Maduro,” and “a list of senators getting paid off.” (08:55)

3. Comparison to Other Historic Operations

[11:34]

• Rutherford compares Venezuela to the Bin Laden raid:

  “Now you have to understand again, you have a tremendous amount of assets ... But this one, you were going to snatch the president of Venezuela. ... That's big balls right there. That's incredibly big balls.” (13:23)

4. Why Venezuela? Historical and Strategic Context

[18:14]

• Venezuela’s importance stems from two factors:
  1. Control over vital oil reserves: It holds the largest reserves in the world; oil remains a core global resource.
  2. Geopolitical battleground: Historically pivotal for countering communist expansion in the Western Hemisphere (Monroe Doctrine).
• Overview of Venezuela's history:
  • Post-WWII: U.S. partnered with Venezuela mainly for oil and anti-communist interests.
  • 1970s—2000s: Increasing Venezuelan socialism/communism, culminating in Hugo Chávez’s rise, his nationalization of the oil sector, and the entrenchment of corruption.
  • Chávez’s dictatorship paved the way for Maduro, with both regimes heavily tied to drug trafficking and foreign backing (Russia, China, Iran, Cuba).
  • U.S. history of working with/against drug lords and military coups in Latin America is discussed frankly.

Notable Quote

“The world runs on petroleum. ... Look at your watch, look at this microphone, look at this desk, look at your car, anything. It's a derivative petroleum. So that plays a major role in these relationships.”
(David Rutherford, 19:27)

5. The Role of Drugs & Corruption in Power Dynamics

[25:00]

• The Venezuelan government, especially the military ("Cartel de los Soles"), has become a major drug trafficking organization.
• CIA and U.S. have historically engaged with drug networks for strategic objectives—sometimes controversially:

  "So what do you do? You use the illegal drug trade. But what does that mean? You have to work with drug criminals ... most drug dealers are capitalists. They're not idealists."
  (David Rutherford, 26:47)

6. Election Manipulation and Global Influence Networks

[32:00]

• Rutherford highlights the use of Venezuelan-origin electronic voting machines (Smartmatic/Sequoia) and their alleged global influence.
• Describes how Venezuela monetized electoral technology as part of its power projection and integration with resource trading/corruption networks.

7. The Geopolitical Aftershock: Disrupting the Status Quo

[36:57]

• The strike is framed as a blow to both local Venezuelan and larger globalist power structures (European Union, China, Russia, WEF).
• Expresses the broader impact:

  "There is a power shift taking place globally through nationalistic eyes being led by Donald J. Trump. ... And there's a lot of anti-war people that are like, 'Hey man, this is not what we voted for, this is regime change,' whatever. But if you notice we didn't invade, we're not in there, we didn't install anybody, we didn't do anything. We're just letting to see what happened." (David Rutherford, 41:45)

• Suggests possible outcomes: negotiations with a captured Maduro, intelligence-gathering, watching for ripple effects in international crime, politics, and economy.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On U.S. Special Forces:

  “These guys are the best in the world ... they train 350 days out of the year, 323 days out of the year, nonstop, perfecting their ability to work together.” (David Rutherford, 10:52)

• On the stakes of the operation:

  “When you move the head of that snake, all of that goes into disruption and all those networks start flashing and making, getting crazy.” (David Rutherford, 39:18)

• On observing global implications:

  “So our intelligence is paying attention to what's taking place, right. Our spies all around the world are saying, alright, what's going to take place now? What's happening? Who does this affect? What players in the new world order are freaking out about this?” (David Rutherford, 40:02)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:14-04:25: Operation overview and U.S. strategic posture
• 04:25-11:34: Execution details, secrecy, and planning depth
• 11:34-14:10: Comparisons with other historic special ops
• 18:14-25:00: Venezuela’s oil, strategic context, and rise of socialism
• 25:00-32:00: Drug trafficking, CIA’s involvement, and formation of the Cartel de los Soles
• 32:00-36:57: Electronic voting, corruption, and global influence
• 36:57-46:00: Geopolitics, fallout, and the future of the region

Tone & Style

• Rutherford’s delivery is conversational, sometimes irreverent, and always direct. He mixes strategic seriousness with humor and military bravado, as in:

  “For lack of a better term, that's balls. That's big balls right there. That's incredibly big balls.” (13:23)

• He does not shy from conspiracy-tinged speculation but attempts to ground claims in historical precedent or his experience.
• He addresses both supporters and critics of U.S. intervention, acknowledging wider debates while maintaining a pro-American, anti-globalist stance.

Takeaways

• The U.S. operation in Venezuela was masterfully executed, signifying both a tactical victory and a larger shift in world order.
• Venezuela is a key node in Latin America for oil, drug trafficking, and political influence—a major stepping stone for both U.S. and adversarial global ambitions.
• The disruption of Maduro’s regime is already sending shockwaves through corrupt networks tied to oil, narcotics, and control over elections.
• The situation remains fluid; global actors—from intelligence operatives to foreign governments—are recalculating in response.

For Listeners Who Haven’t Tuned In

This episode provides a dense, vivid briefing on why Venezuela suddenly matters—militarily, economically, and geopolitically. David Rutherford stitches together recent events, deep historical context, and behind-the-scenes perspectives from someone with elite operational experience. If you want a big-picture take on the region’s future, America’s role in "the global chess game," and why special operations are as much about psychology and geopolitics as tactics, this is an essential listen.

Host: David Rutherford
Podcast: The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show (iHeartPodcasts)
Episode: David Rutherford Show: The Venezuela Operation Just Changed The World Order
Date: January 7, 2026