DOJ admits that Maduro drug cartel Trump cited to justify Venezuela strike doesn’t actually exist
Source: statenislandadvance
DOJ admits that Maduro drug cartel Trump cited to justify Venezuela strike doesn’t actually exist
Source: statenislandadvance
25 Comments
This administration’s Department of Justice is a disgrace.
Sort of incredible that the Trump admin and the GOP in general were beating the war drums over this cartel for weeks and there no media pushback on the fact that *it did not exist*. US MSM is utterly useless and complicit.
Does the DOJ seriously think we all still believe one word that comes out of Trump’s mouth?
Almost everyone knew this war was purely for oil. No one with a working brain believed Trump.
Maduro is going to be let go.
Imperialist sons of bitches.
Impeach. Remove. Now.
It’s now the Don JR drug cartel and is double plus good.
I’m surprised they are even letting this go to court. They bomb boats filled with drugs yet performed a daring mission to bring an indicted individual to court?
So there are no drugs of mass intoxication? Imagine that.
This is like the government’s version of the dog ate my homework except the homework was justifying regime change.
So let me get this straight: Trump keeps hyping up this made-up cartel as pretext of actual military ops, and now the DOJ basically goes ‘lol jk’?
Donald Trump has received many millions of dollars in support from the oil and gas industry over multiple election cycles, with especially heavy backing in his 2024 comeback campaign. These donations come both as direct contributions and much larger sums routed through super PACs and outside spending groups.[1][2][3][4]
## 2024 election cycle
– Climate Power estimates that oil and gas–linked donors spent about **96 million dollars** in “direct donations” to support Trump’s 2024 presidential bid and his super PACs from January 2023 through November 2024.[1]
– The same analysis reports nearly **80 million dollars** in pro‑Trump and pro‑Republican advertising funded by fossil‑fuel interests during that cycle.[1]
– A New York Times review found that individuals and entities tied specifically to oil and gas interests gave **more than 75 million dollars** to Trump‑aligned PACs in the 2024 race, with major checks from executives at firms such as Continental Resources, Energy Transfer, Hilcorp and others.[2]
## Direct industry contributions
– OpenSecrets’ industry breakdown for 2023–2024 lists Trump as the **top federal recipient** of contributions from the oil and gas industry, with about **2.1 million dollars** reported in direct, regulated contributions (campaign plus leadership PAC), which excludes most super‑PAC money.[5][3]
– OpenSecrets’ broader “Top Industries” breakdown for Trump’s 2024 campaign also shows oil and gas among his largest donor industries, reflecting a strong partisan tilt of that sector toward Republicans.[3][6]
## Super PAC and dark‑money support
– Trump’s main super PAC, MAGA Inc., has raised nearly **200 million dollars** in one recent reporting period, with a substantial share of large checks coming from donors connected to fossil fuels and related energy infrastructure.[4]
– Reporting indicates that Trump privately urged oil executives at Mar‑a‑Lago in 2024 to collectively raise **1 billion dollars** for his campaign, framing it as a “deal” compared with the taxes and environmental regulations he pledged to roll back.[7][8][2]
## What “oil company donations” means in practice
– Much of this money does not come as corporate checks from oil companies directly to Trump’s campaign, which federal law restricts, but rather from **company executives, owners, and associated PACs** who work in oil, gas, and related services.[9][2][3]
– Industry spending also includes **lobbying and issue‑advocacy ads** that are not counted as direct campaign donations but are aimed at influencing elections and policy in Trump’s favor.[3][1]
Sources
[1] NEW REPORT: Oil and Gas Industry Spent $450 Million to Influence … https://climatepower.us/news/new-report-oil-and-gas-industry-spent-450-million-to-influence-trump-and-the-119th-congress/
[2] Oil Interests Gave More Than $75 Million to Trump PACs, New … https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/01/climate/oil-gas-donations-trump.html
[3] Oil & Gas Summary – OpenSecrets https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus?ind=E01
[4] Unprecedented Big Money Surge for Super PAC Tied to Trump https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/unprecedented-big-money-surge-super-pac-tied-trump
[5] Oil & Gas Recipients – OpenSecrets https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/recips?ind=E01++
[6] Top Industries, federal election data for Donald Trump, 2024 cycle https://www.opensecrets.org/2024-presidential-race/donald-trump/industries?id=N00023864
[7] Fossil Fuel Industry Donors See Major Returns in Trump’s Policies https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/fossil-fuel-industry-donors-see-major-returns-trumps-policies
[8] Candidate Trump Promised Oil Executives a Windfall. Now, They’re … https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/30/climate/trump-campaign-funding-oil-industry-tax-breaks.html
[9] Oil & Gas PACs contributions to candidates, 2023-2024 – OpenSecrets https://www.opensecrets.org/political-action-committees-pacs/industry-detail/E01/2024
[10] Trump’s super PAC builds $300 million cash stockpile, fueling … – CNN https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/02/politics/trump-super-pac-maga-inc-fundraising
If that’s the case, who did our military summarily execute in international waters?
Assuming Maduro is guilty.
How do we get to point of rebuilding oil infrastructure and seizing billions worth of crude ?
Surprise!
The MSM should be asking Rubio how much of a drop we can expect in drug traffic now that the Venezuelan kingpin is in our custody
In the early 2000’s, like say….2001….this kind of propaganda COULD have worked, but now, we exist in the age of persistent and omnipresent social media. The lies cannot work. Well….clearly they do work, some of the time on some people, but already, their lies are falling apart. Where are the Epstein files?
Oh look, the Trump administration has used the wrong shade of red on the lipstick for this pig.
Weapons of mass destruction
JFC what a dangerously inept group of grifting greedy a-holes:
>But Latin America experts have countered that “Cartel de los Soles” is actually a slang phrase coined in the 1990s by the Venezuelan media to describe government officials who accept narco money as bribes.
A revised DOJ document issued after Maduro’s capture now claims Maduro only supported the drug-money patronage system, along with his predecessor and mentor, President Hugo Chávez.
…
>“I think the new indictment gets it right, but the designations are still far from reality,” Dickinson said. “Designations don’t have to be proved in court, and that’s the difference. Clearly, they knew they could not prove it in court.”
The guy has repeatedly said – even when winners like Linsdey Graham tried and failed to keep him on narrative/messaging control – that oil contracts were even discussed before deposing Maduro.
They had this grift all planned and ready to go and, as per usual, used their MSM puppets to promulgate a false pretext for this action.
What I don’t understand is – unless I’ve missed the news – where are the ICJ/ICC on all this? Are they underway drafting a petition for a warrant for all complicit parties – Trump included, being the trump card and all – in this administration?
[This Daily Show clip from last night ](https://youtu.be/HDSzUfMZRHE?si=RJknTZ32TclQEQ1W)elucidates in the often hilarious way Jon Stewart does how much this parallels and to an extent copies the whole Operation Iraqi Freedom from the early aughts: it’s about the oil!
Oh. So it was just killing fishers and abducting the head of a country?
Trump lies about everything
Remember the story about Haitians eating dogs and cats in Ohio? Trump repeated this during a presidential campaign debate before JD Vance goes on meet the press and admits they made it up to get a desired reaction.
These are the people running the country now. And in charge of the military.
I mean, it took months for ’em to admit the WMDs weren’t real.
I’ll consider this improvement?
He’s not a prisoner of the US. He is a VIP guest of Trump. This sham case is meant to fall apart. If it doesn’t, Trump will pardon him. It wont be long before Maduro & his wife will be having drinks at Maralago.
This is all a show to get Maduro safe so he can sell out his country to Trump & billionaires.
Trump will pardon Maduro in 3 years and MAGA will blame Biden for bombing Venezuela.