The Tudor Dixon Podcast: Maduro Raid, Covert Ops & Expert Breakdown with David Rutherford

Air Date: January 21, 2026
Guests: David Rutherford (Former Navy SEAL, CIA contractor, host of The David Rutherford Show)
Host: Tudor Dixon

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the dramatic covert operation that saw Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro snatched from his bedroom with no casualties — a mission that has sparked widespread wonder. Tudor Dixon seeks an expert perspective from former Navy SEAL and CIA contractor David Rutherford, unpacking the technologies, tactics, and geopolitical implications behind such a high-stakes mission. The conversation then broadens to discuss the intersection of Latin American politics, human trafficking, voting security, and the risks facing American society from within and without.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Mysterious Venezuela Raid: First-Person Account

• Tudor Dixon introduces the episode with a vivid recounting of an alleged firsthand account from a Venezuelan guard:
  • A swarm of drones appears, power and communications cut out (via EMP or similar tech).
  • Helicopters arrive under the cover of darkness, men in unrecognizable gear fast-rope down.
  • A “sound wave” incapacitates guards with symptoms like nosebleeds and vomiting.
  • U.S. elite forces extract Maduro from his bed without casualties.
  • [02:00-04:13]

Notable Quote

“I read this and I was like, this is sci-fi stuff. Like this cannot be. But I think it's so, so cool. And I kind of hope it is true.”
— Tudor Dixon [02:26]

2. Expert Analysis: Technology and Tactics

A. Precision, Innovation, & the People Involved

• Rutherford shares awe for the operation, citing his background with Navy SEALs, Blackwater, and the CIA.
• Affirms the US “Tier One” units (DEVGRU, Delta) are unmatched globally.
  • [04:13-05:17]

Notable Quote

“Hands down, anybody...the coolest op I’ve ever seen...There’s nobody that can compete with DEVGRU and Delta...the elite of the elite.”
— David Rutherford [04:13]

B. Drone Swarms, EMP, and Battlefield Blindness

• Drone swarms likely used to disable electronics and alarms via electromagnetic pulse (EMP), paralyzing all defenses and comms.
• Possibility raised of internal assets or new tech like modern AWACS jamming all signals.
  • [05:17-07:56]

Notable Quote

“This electromagnetic pulse shuts all of that down...Just that alone changes the battlefield in ways nobody can fathom.”
— David Rutherford [05:24]

C. Advanced Warfighter Gear

• Discussion of fast-roping with heavy gear; elite US special operations train constantly for these environments.
• Headgear evolved: mention of Palmer Luckey’s Anduril helmets with adjustable, in-sight heads-up displays, akin to “Call of Duty.”
  • [09:57-10:28]
• Reports of exoskeleton “Iron Man suits” in development since early 2000s; uncertainty about their actual use in this raid.
  • [11:00-12:52]

Notable Quotes

“What he did was basically recreate the heads-up display that you have in Call of Duty… and that is crazy.”
— David Rutherford [10:05]

“They didn’t look human...they’re wearing exoskeletons...multi-billion dollar system in development, the Iron Man suit...”
— David Rutherford [10:54-11:00]

D. Directed Energy "Sound Wave" Weapons

• Rutherford explains the use and evolution of directed energy and sound-based weapons for crowd control and disorientation.
• Technology likely miniaturized (chest rigs, drones, helicopter-mounted) for rapid deployment.
  • [12:52-14:01]
• Effects can be incapacitating, cause bleeding, and even death; reference to “Havana Syndrome” as plausible evidence.
  • [14:01-17:09]

Notable Quotes

“Now they have these devices which...incapacitate you...bleeding from your nose and your ears...”
— David Rutherford [14:01]

“Remember the Havana Syndrome story?...They became critically ill from the exposure...”
— David Rutherford [16:20]

3. Geopolitical Fallout and Voting Security

A. Cuban-Venezuelan Intelligence Ties

• Cuban intelligence entrenched within Maduro’s regime; reflects worrying regional power structures.
  • [17:09-18:12]

B. Election Manipulation Machinery

• Deep dive into Smartmatic’s roots: Venezuela’s manipulation of voting software, international spread, alleged ties to China, Russia, Soros/Open Society Foundation.
• Claims that Venezuela sold software flipping “72 elections around the world.”
  • [18:12-22:05]

Notable Quote

“Smartmatic has flipped 72 elections around the world...Venezuela has sold that business to all these major people around the world.”
— David Rutherford [20:44]

4. Human Trafficking & Systemic Crime

• The criminal cartel nexus: drugs, people, minerals, oil—human trafficking emphasized for its profitable, ongoing exploitation.
  • [23:52-25:38]

Notable Quote

“You make more money on a human slave than you do on a single brick...because a human you can continuously sell for years and years.”
— David Rutherford [21:44]

5. The U.S. Security and Political Landscape

A. U.S. Policy Shifts & South America

• Post-GWOT resource redirection allowed adversaries (China, Russia, Iran) to gain footholds in Latin America.
  • [26:13-29:04]

B. Immigration as Security Threat

• Massive illegal immigration may have enabled criminal or intelligence operatives from hostile nations to enter the U.S.
  • [29:04-30:06]

Notable Quote

“Venezuela emptied their prisons.”
— David Rutherford [29:04]

6. Cultural Division, Lawlessness & Social Fabric

• Discussion on progressive radicalization: universities as ideological breeding grounds; references to “Weather Underground,” KGB defectors warning about cultural demoralization.
  • [30:55-32:46]
• Concern over normalization of illegal protest, lack of law enforcement against radical activists, especially when targeting churches or conservative gatherings.
  • [33:43-35:16]

Notable Quote

“They're going to go into a church in the wrong church, and they're going to get attacked by the parishioners, and then it’s going to be this big story...that’s what they want.”
— David Rutherford [34:03]

7. Warning about Rising Violence

• Rutherford predicts increased violence — “mama bear” protective response especially when faith-based communities are targeted.
  • [36:22-38:51]

Notable Quotes

“The worst thing you could ever do is disturb a violent man who doesn't want to be violent anymore.”
— David Rutherford [37:30]

“What the line of Violence...how do you justify holding the line?...I think people are sick of the radicalization of protesting...”
— David Rutherford [38:51]

8. Accountability, Despair in Politics, and Call to Action

• Frustration with lack of prosecution for elite wrongdoers; cultural despondency among conservatives who feel under siege.
• Barriers to good people entering politics: personal and familial risk from political reprisals.
  • [45:01-51:30]
• Call for vigilance as “churches become battlegrounds and homes could be next.”
  • [51:30-52:52]

Notable Quotes

“For me, it all stems back to voting blocks and the ability to overwhelm the current existing system...good people don't want to run for office...now they're coming into your churches, so that's going to be your homes.”
— David Rutherford [49:20-50:37]

“I think we've crossed the line. I think this is going to exponentially tonight, violence coming from our side. And I'll tell you, this man and Tudor...you're going to go into a church one of these days and you're going to have 10 GWOT guys in there all carrying...it's going to be ugly. That's, that's what's happening. I say that's what they want.”
— David Rutherford [51:30-52:52]

Memorable Moments & Quotes With Timestamps

• “Oh my God, they’re ninjas, man. It was like flying ninjas came out of the sky.”
  — David Rutherford [04:13]

• “This was the coolest op I’ve ever seen...the drone swarm that we used.”
  — David Rutherford [04:13]

• “What...does a drone swarm do?”
  — Tudor Dixon [05:17]

• “This EMP shuts all of that [defensive] down...your ability to communicate...if those don’t work, then you’re in trouble.”
  — David Rutherford [05:24-07:56]

• “We're seeing in the movies is now truly happening 100%.”
  — Tudor Dixon [10:28]

• “You make more money on a human slave than you do on a single brick...a human you can continuously sell for years.”
  — David Rutherford [21:44]

• “Venezuela has sold [election software] to major people around the world.”
  — David Rutherford [20:44]

• “The minute President Trump is in office, they're willing to let China and Russia take all of South America.”
  — Tudor Dixon [25:38]

• “The worst thing you could ever do is disturb a violent man who doesn't want to be violent anymore.”
  — David Rutherford [37:30]

• “Now they're coming into your churches, so that's going to be your homes.”
  — David Rutherford [50:37]

Structure & Tone

• The conversation is forthright, dire, and leavened with military detail and occasional wry asides.
• Rutherford draws heavily from operational experience, blending technical explainers with personal anecdotes.
• The tone is urgent, sometimes alarmist, but deeply rooted in concern for national security and the American way of life.

Segment Timeline

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 – 02:00 | Ads, show open | | 02:00 – 04:13 | Venezuela raid, firsthand account recap | | 04:13 – 07:56 | Rutherford: reaction, technologies (drones, EMP, AWACS, assets) | | 07:56 – 10:28 | Fast-roping, advanced helmets, heads-up displays | | 10:28 – 13:51 | Exoskeletons, Iron Man suit development, directed energy weapons | | 13:51 – 17:09 | Sound-wave/crowd control weapons, “Havana Syndrome” analogies | | 17:09 – 22:05 | Cuba/Venezuela ties, Smartmatic and global election manipulation | | 23:52 – 25:38 | Human trafficking: scale and impact | | 26:13 – 30:06 | U.S. policy, South America, immigration, infiltration risks | | 30:55 – 35:16 | Radicalization, protest, law enforcement breakdown | | 36:22 – 38:51 | Societal violence, defense of faith communities | | 45:01 – 51:30 | Political accountability, public apathy, barriers to leadership | | 51:30 – 52:52 | Predictions on violence, community response, call for vigilance | | 52:52 – close | Wrap-up, guest thanks, show outro |

Conclusion

This episode provides a riveting expert analysis of the sensational Venezuela raid, peering into the latest in military covert tech and psychological tools, while connecting the event to broader themes—global criminal networks, vulnerabilities in democracy, and America’s fraying social contract. David Rutherford’s candid breakdown warns of rising tensions and emerging social dangers if current trends persist.

Listen to the full episode on iHeartRadio or your favorite podcast platform.