Venezuela is NOT just a narco state. It’s a TERROR HUB working with Iran, Russia, and China. Glenn Beck's head researcher, Jason Buttrill, joins to explain how he believes this has influenced President Trump's actions in the region.
Transcript
Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors
GLENN: Jason Buttrill. Welcome. Chief researcher of the program. Also, watches foreign affairs for us. And military tough.
What the hell is happening in Venezuela?
JASON: I think a lot of gamesmanship is happening in Venezuela right now, closing the -- you know, the air traffic control. Even saying -- or even hinting that they will closing that, it's pretty much just saying, that they don't want any of Maduro's people that are going to try to escape out of the country. People that are involved with the cartel. The sons. None of them are going to try to escape. And then eventually come back. So they can start the regime back up again. I don't think there's any way possible. That we're just about to start any kind of land operations inside of Venezuela.
I could be wrong.
I don't think -- it would be very unpopular.
And I think constitutionally, they could pull it off.
I think there's ways they could do that.
But I don't think he's -- he doesn't like to do that kind of thing.
I don't think he's about to start now.
But I think these negotiations are getting a lot more heated. I think they're actually starting to bear fruit, which is why some of the threats are getting a lot more vocal.
And I'm telling you, Glenn, we actually could see Maduro step down, be out of the country, and a new regime there without us having to do much at all, except striking some of these narco boats coming out of the country. It could happen! And it would be amazing.
STU: Okay. So let's start with the narco boats. Because I think that's what the Democrats are now trying to allude to.
These narco boats. They're not narcos. They're not running -- those are just average fishing people. They have nothing to do with it, and this is unconstitutional. And we're shooting them, even when they try to surrender. Do we know if any of those allegations are true?
JASON: Well, I think they're pretty danger sure on the intelligence, on what, who some of these people are, on some of these vessels. You remember back --
GLENN: Why won't they tell us?
JASON: On day one -- I think, that that would actually behoove them to give the full story. The America public is a lot more smart, a lot more educated on what's going on in a lot of these things. They're a lot more prone to research on their own and find out for themselves what's actually happening in Venezuela. We've talked about it a lot with the terrorism sponsorship, that happens there between Hezbollah. A multitude of very scary terrorist individuals have made that kind of their base. Through Iran. Through the entire network.
GLENN: Right.
JASON: I think it makes a whole lot of sense for them, to say, look, this is what is going on. But they decided to go another route.
And I really don't know. I know they are very, very justified in what they're doing with a lot of these votes. And they -- they talked about since day one, when they started designating multiple groups, not only in Venezuela but in Mexico. I think on day one of President Trump's administration.
It designated multiple cartels as terror organizations. And then a couple of more from Venezuela have followed on to that. So what you've basically done is declared any combatants.
GLENN: Okay. I want to get to the terror organizations here in a second. First, let's stick with the drug cartels.
Because that's what he's hanging his hat on.
And I don't think this is about the drug cartels. I really don't.
I think that that might have been the entry point.
Explain who the -- the league of the sons. Or the cartel of the sons.
Explain that. Because -- Cartel of the Suns. You think, you know, S-U-N, sun. It's not. It's S-O-N-S. Correct?
Sons. Sons of, whom?
JASON: No, it's actually the opposite. It's S-U-N. It's Cartel of the Sun.
GLENN: Oh, that's right. That's right. Because of the medallion or the general stars. That's right. That's right.
JASON: It's like a nickname. So they never actually declared themselves, we're the cartel of the suns. That was a nickname because so many people, high level within the military inside of Venezuela were part of this narco terror group, and they were getting kickbacks. It was alleged some of them were giving orders, specifically. All the way down the food chain.
But their generals. I think it's maybe colonel and up. Or maybe general and up.
I think it's general and up. Instead of stars, they have a little sun insignia.
So like three sons. Like a three-star general, so on and so forth. That's why they're given this nickname. Because they were part of this group, and they were part of the military.
Now, the head of that snake was Maduro.
So he gives that orders down to the generals. The generals give their orders down. So that's how they're able to classify the entire government in a sense as part of this cartel.
Part of this entire terror group. And that is where, Glenn, it gets kind of interesting. Where it looks like, constitutionally, what can they pull off.
What can they do as far as military action?
When the head of the snake, who is the head of this cartel allegedly is the one giving these orders, then that really kind of frees them up to do whatever they want.
STU: Right. Because this is -- this cartel is a terror cartel. Explain the island and everything else.
JASON: Yeah, so the cartel is more involved with drugs. But I say that. But, you know, these groups are absolutely in the true sense of the definition, terror organizations, the way they operate.
STU: Right. This is -- this is -- this is where they make their money.
GLENN: Right. And then, but it goes way beyond that, as you're talking about. There's margarita island. An island right off the coast of Venezuela.
Where Iran sends people to be trained there, to be stationed there.
Venezuelans come down from groups like Tren de Aragua and others to train there. Sometimes going from Margarita Island all the way back to Iran, to get more specialized training. Then they come back. Who knows where they go from there? Possibly the United States. Who knows!
They've held meetings. Secret meetings, inside Venezuela, with the top scariest of the scaries. Scariest terrorists to meet with Chavez. And then who knows later, potentially even Maduro.
This is a terror hub. This is also a terror hub, that is -- which I just described is working with Iran.
But also, Russia. Russia sends submarines to -- to guard -- they did this back in 2018. To show support. Military support for Maduro.
China is getting -- is funding a lot of their stuff through oil.
Russia is sending tankers to transport Chinese Venezuelan oil to China.
Glenn, it's all part of the network. And as you're talking about, this goes way beyond. Way beyond anything where you talk about nacro groups coming from Venezuela to the United States.
It is so much more integrated into that. And I agree with you. I think the Trump administration lays it out on the table. Saying, this is what is going on. Congress wouldn't even be able to talk to the Democrats.
They wouldn't even be able to counter any of it. It would be so obvious, they should just do it.
GLENN: I agree. Help me out on the -- on the story that came out this weekend, that said that Russia and China are kind of laying low here.
What does that tell you?
JASON: It tells you a lot for one. Russia has a multitude of problems that they're dealing with. They can't release Glenn's support. They don't have it. They don't even have the military power to complete what they want to complete with Ukraine.
Plus, they're trying to make moves towards this peace agreement.
Putin wants a way out of this war, just as much as Zelinsky does.
Both sides want it. Now the question is, how do they do it? And both make it look to their own people, that they're the ones that won the war. And won the negotiation.
I mean, everything that's been coming out with the Ukrainian peace deal. I see this as just regular negotiations. This is getting leaked.
And you'll see a lot more of this, as it goes on.
The important thing, they're actually working toward it. And China. China as well. They have their own problems.
Most of it trade. They won't screw with trump.
That was very obvious. When they tried to pull out their last minute. We're barring rare earth minerals from everyone else.
Then Trump said, oh, I don't think so. And made them pull back. They don't want to screw with the Trump administration right now.
So they're going very hands off.
To me, it looks like a master class with the Trump administration. They're doing everything it's supposed to do.
And it's all going in the direction, the grand design for where they want this to go.
Which is kind of like a rebirth of the Monroe Doctrine if you really think about it. they've rejected all foreign influence.
The most worst of our adversaries that are out there, that are just embedded in South America.
They are dealing with that.
We haven't been able to say that for how long, Glenn? A long time!
STU: I know. I know.
Okay. So let me go to the -- the next piece. Which is, he's just banned air travel. And said, the skies are off-limits for everybody. You say that's for, to stop anybody from escaping. Maduro was just presented with a, hey. You can get out now while you can.
And Maduro said, I want amnesty for me and my family. For any crimes.
And I want to retain control of the military.
I would imagine that Trump might have said. Might have said, yes to the amnesty thing. But you're not controlling the military after -- no. That doesn't go to you.
Do you think Maduro is close to caving here?
And if so, where does he go?
JASON: Yeah. I think he's very close to caving. He probably will go to Russia or China. One of those two.
He has quite the nest egg.
You can look up all the family members from either Maduro or Chavez. Going on. I mean, they're multi-millionaires, a lot of these kids and spouses and girlfriends.
GLENN: How is that possible? He was a bus driver!
JASON: I know, right!
GLENN: Socialism is neat, kids. Socialism is neat!
JASON: But, yeah. I think -- I think amnesty is probably the top of his list, and I'm sure that that would probably be offered up and given, in some form. Retaining power of the military is not on the table at all. Because what he'll end up doing is, he'll go away for five years.
He'll come back, or he'll pick a successor that will then take control of the Venezuelan military, and they will just rinse and repeat and take back control of the entire country. So that is not going to happen.
But his feet are definitely to the fire right now.
If they're even to the point of negotiating this part of the deal. So that's why I think it's very, very possible that we see something amazing on this front, very, very soon.
GLENN: Oh, that would be great.
Let me -- let me switch topics kind of. To Mark Kelly. I want to play something. Then I want to take a one-minute break.
And come back. As a military guy, what your thoughts are. This is what Mark Kelly. Again, this weekend, encouraging military to defy the orders of the president. Listen to this, cut one.
VOICE: People can tell the difference. Should be able to tell the difference between something that is unlawful. And something that is lawful.
If I was ever given an unlawful order, I would refuse. You know, if you have time, you can certainly go to the judge, advocates, generals, the lawyers, and have a discussion about it. If you don't have time, you just say simply, I'm not going to do that. That's against the law.
VOICE: It puts a lot of burden on the truth.
VOICE: It puts a tremendous amount of burden on officers in the military.
But that is their responsibility.
And they can figure out, you know, a reasonable person can tell something that is legal, and something that is illegal.
GLENN: This is such dangerous territory, and I would love to get your opinion on that in sixty seconds.
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Ten seconds.
(music)
All righty.
So, Jason, if they thought that something was going on, they should just say it. And they have come out and said, they've had reporters ask, well, is this because we've heard rumors. That he ordered people to be killed. Even as they were surrendering. And if that is true, that is against the law. That is not something we do.
We don't do that. But there's no evidence of that. There's just -- it's their word. And I think, you know, again, if that's true, they should say that. And they should present evidence.
But I think what they're doing is saying these things, and putting their soldiers in an impossible situation.
What they're really saying is, you know, we're going to get in, and when we have control of Congress, we're going after all of you. You followed what Donald Trump wants to do? We'll tell you what's legal and what's not legal.
You should define it now.
But this way, they don't have to. They can just use scare tactics. Is that too cynical?
VOICE: No. The United States' soldier does not need your opinion on this, Mr. Kelly. They do not need your opinion on this. They know exactly what a lawful order is.
And there are procedures that they are trained on, on how to go through saying, you know, go through the proper channels to address something like that.
What I see this as being is a political party. In whole, that are experiencing something they're not used to.
They're not used to having extreme partisans and political yes men at the top of the military food chain, people like Lloyd Austin.
They want someone like him back.
They want someone like Mark Milley back.
It's great you're suddenly worried about some of these guys.
Suddenly worried about the military.
Where were you when Mark Milley was calling his counterpart from China. Without orders from the president. Behind his back. Where were you on that?
So what that says to me here, is that you are more concerned about orders, not lawful. But what you can claim are going to be lawful.
And you can have a yes-man there, that will say that they are lawful.
But you do not have that anymore, and it terrifies you. That's what they're concerned about right here.
But the soldier does not need your soldier, marine, airman. They don't need your counsel here on what is lawful or not.
GLENN: So how is this being interpreted by the military?
What's happening? If you were -- you were part of this task force on Venezuela or anywhere in the world. And you heard this.
What would you think?
JASON: Probably a lot of eye rolls. That's how I would interpret this, if I was still in the military.
I don't think this is really bothering too many of them at all.
I think that the fact that some of these rumors as the senators said, if this were true.
They don't even know. They're talking about a hypothetical.
They're throwing out something they can fish around for another impeachment.
It's ridiculous.
It's embarrassing. It's come to this point.
GLENN: Let's say we -- if we had footage. Because we would have footage.
The plane dropped a bomb. And then you had survivors.
And they were going, hey, we're alive. And somebody shot them or killed them. We would have footage of that.
That footage came out. What would you say?
JASON: Well, yeah. If that's what the footage showed. They would definitely look for a lot more investigation. I've been in -- you know, in multiple different military operations.
Where it's never as it appeared, or it looked like on a report, higher up on the food -- you know, up the chain of command.
I would want to know all the details. This would be a huge investigation.
GLENN: Right. It should be.
Because if it was someone saying, shoot them anyway, that's wrong. And that person should go to jail.
JASON: Yeah. Yeah, we've seen no evidence to that at all.
GLENN: None. None. None.
That's the problem. We would be with you, if you would show us the evidence.
And we could do an investigation. We would show that did happen or that didn't happen. We would be with you. But, you know, you're being so irresponsible by saying this. This isn't just to the military and to the military people.
Those statements are going to our enemies in China and Russia and Ukraine and Iran, in Venezuela. They're hearing this too, and using it. And also viewing us as very weak! Not good.
Because the only time that ever happens is right before a revolution, quite honestly.
