CITIZENS NEWS

U.S. intelligence contradicts Trump's claims of Venezuelan fentanyl trafficking

By bellecarter // 2025-10-27

• U.S. intelligence officials confirm Venezuela is not a major fentanyl producer, undermining Trump's claims that military strikes targeted drug traffickers shipping fentanyl to the United States.
• Critics argue the Trump administration is using drug trafficking allegations as a cover to escalate military action against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a longtime U.S. regime-change target.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio is reportedly driving aggressive U.S. policy toward Venezuela, redirecting USAID funds toward military preparations and pushing Trump to reject Maduro's oil-for-peace offer.
• The U.S. is ramping up military activity in Colombia and Guyana, including contracts for virtual combat training and naval deployments, while Venezuela mobilizes troops and accuses ExxonMobil of financing aggression.
• The U.S. has a decades-long history of undermining Venezuela's socialist government, raising concerns that current actions—lacking clear evidence—are repeating past regime-change failures under false pretenses.

Despite White House assertions, intelligence officials say Venezuela is not a major fentanyl producer—raising questions about the justification for military strikes. Recent U.S. military airstrikes targeting alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean have left at least 32 dead, with President Donald Trump claiming the boats were transporting fentanyl to American shores. However, U.S. intelligence assessments contradict these assertions, reporting that Venezuela produces little to no fentanyl destined for the U.S., according to a senior official familiar with the matter. The discrepancy raises concerns about whether the Trump administration is using drug trafficking allegations as a pretext for escalating military action against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's socialist government—a long-standing target of U.S. regime-change efforts. In a recent statement, Trump asserted that intercepted boats were laden with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid responsible for tens of thousands of U.S. overdose deaths annually. "Every boat kills 25,000 on average—some people say more. You see these boats, they're stacked up with bags of white powder that's mostly fentanyl and other drugs, too," Trump said. Yet intelligence officials told Drop Site News that Venezuela is not a significant fentanyl producer and many of the vessels targeted lacked the fuel capacity to reach U.S. waters. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) has also publicly stated that "zero fentanyl is produced in Venezuela." Despite this, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has framed Venezuelan drug trafficking as a national security threat comparable to Al-Qaeda. "Just as Al-Qaeda waged war on our homeland, these cartels are waging war on our border and our people," Hegseth declared. "There will be no refuge or forgiveness—only justice."

Rubio's push for regime change

Two White House sources identified Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the architect behind the administration's aggressive posture toward Venezuela. Rubio, a longtime advocate for Maduro's ouster, reportedly redirected millions in U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) funds—originally earmarked for "pro-democracy" initiatives—toward military preparations in Colombia and Guyana. Rubio's argument to Trump hinged on portraying Maduro as a narcoterrorist, citing a 2020 Department of Justice indictment linking the Venezuelan president to cocaine trafficking. With Trump unable to strike Mexican cartels due to political constraints, Rubio allegedly shifted focus to Venezuela—a move bolstered by the country's vast oil reserves. Maduro recently offered to cede Venezuela's oil resources to the U.S. in exchange for an end to hostilities. Trump acknowledged the proposal but rejected it, reportedly at Rubio's urging. "He offered everything. You know why? Because he doesn't want to fuck around with the United States," Trump said. Contract records reveal a surge in U.S. military activity in Colombia, a key staging ground for anti-Maduro operations. The State Department signed a $4.8 million deal with Arizona-based VirTra, Inc. for a "Colombia virtual shooting range," while the Coast Guard procured combat boats worth millions. Meanwhile, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez accused ExxonMobil of financing military aggression in Guyana, where Venezuela has a longstanding territorial dispute. "Guyana has opened the doors to the American, the U.S. invader and the military aggression against our region," Rodríguez said.

A long history of U.S. intervention

The U.S. has sought to undermine Venezuela's socialist government for decades, dating back to efforts against former President Hugo Chávez. Leaked diplomatic cables from 2006 outline a five-point strategy to weaken Chávez's rule, including dividing his political base and isolating Venezuela internationally. The National Endowment for Democracy (NED), a U.S.-funded nonprofit, has supported opposition media and activist campaigns in Venezuela, BrightU.AI's Enoch notes. However, critics argue that such initiatives blur the line between democracy promotion and covert regime change. As the Trump administration escalates military action in the Caribbean, the lack of evidence linking Venezuela to fentanyl trafficking raises questions about the true motives behind the strikes. With Rubio driving policy and billions in oil reserves at stake, critics warn that the U.S. may be repeating past mistakes—pursuing regime change under dubious pretenses. For now, the White House's narrative clashes with intelligence findings, leaving observers to wonder whether the war on drugs is being weaponized for geopolitical ends. Watch Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) destroying President Trump's "fentanyl transporting boats" narrative in this interview with Piers Morgan. This video is from the Cynthia's Pursuit of Truth channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: TheCradle.co DropSiteNews.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com

Donald Trump Venezuela national security drug cartels violence Rand Paul Marco Rubio White House big government deception chaos drug trafficking fentanyl dangerous conflict US Intelligence trafficking Nicolas Maduro intel report intelligence sources narcoterrorist