What is the real reason we just took over Venezuela? Drugs? Regime change? I don’t think so. I think some level of stopping the drugs is true and certainly a great outcome.  But I believe a secondary outcome. Regime change? I don’t think President Trump has any interest in regime change.  He’s criticized it his whole life.  He wants to bring our troops home. So then why would he do something that clearly goes against everything President Trump has preached over the last 30 years? Because I don’t think this was about either of those two things. I think it’s about at least three big things that I can see, and probably even more that I’m not privy to. Here’s what I think this move was all about…. ONE: You may not know this, but dating back to the Bushes, Venezuela became a huge CIA hub. Literally a large chunk of what ails the world probably originated or had some times to our CIA in Venezuela. Caracas was a major CIA hub. Venezuela is the home of Election Fraud. Venezuela and the Bush family built a vast drug empire together. Venezuela helped build Hezbollah into what it is. It is not a coincidence that Maduro’s regime fell at the same time the Iranian regime… — Paul Fleuret (@RealAbs1776) January 3, 2026 So I think President Trump is systematically dismantling that and setting the Deep State back decades. TWO: It has long been rumored that a large part of the election rigging was “outsourced” to companies with operations in Venezuela. Here are the 14 minutes that got Lou Dobbs kicked off Fox News because he dared to cover it: Watch this 14 minute video of Sidney Powell and the great Lou Dobbs from December 2020 exposing Venezuela. We caught them all. The arrest of Maduro just kicked the DECLAS of the 2020 election results into high gear. Nothing Can Stop What Is HERE pic.twitter.com/vkPPIy8Raj — RealAF Patriot (@RealAF_Patriot) January 3, 2026 Sidney Powell told us too: .@SidneyPowell1 was correct then and this still statement stands the test of time. @realDonaldTrump would be wise to hone in on “stolen elections” during the interrogation of Maduro. https://t.co/j1tgWGUPtz — General Mike Flynn (@GenFlynn) January 3, 2026 Alex Jones is also right over the target with this: BREAKING: Alex Jones says the Venezuela operation is possibly a set up meant to lead to Maduro making a deal to expose “the election fraud & drug dealing that the Democrats, the Pelosis, the Clinton’s & the Bush’s are involved in” pic.twitter.com/kwoSemD050 — Melissa Tate (@TheRightMelissa) January 3, 2026 Ok, but that’s Lou Dobbs, Sidney Powell and Alex Jones, all people I like and trust, but largely discredited in the eyes of the “normies”. Ok, fair enough. How about President Trump himself telling you the same thing point blank? Remember President Trump just said that the truth about the stolen 2020 election is coming out in the next few months? A Venezuelan Military Intelligence whistleblower confirmed the CIA outsources election rigging technology like Smartmatic and Dominion from Venezuela. Imagine… pic.twitter.com/VOUUui5UzB — ĐⱤØ₲Ø (@KAGdrogo) January 3, 2026 Does Maduro flip? Does he expose it all to save his life? Folks, 2026 is going to be ON FIRE! The capture of Maduro will lead to much bigger arrests regarding the Biden election steal of 2020. The gates will open up to:Smartmatic. Hillary Clinton. Barack Obama. Comey. Brennan. Biden.Arrests this year. GAME OVER — David Nino Rodriguez (@ninoboxer) January 3, 2026 I predict that Maduro will reveal the names of American politicians he has been collaborating with to manipulate and rig U.S. and foreign elections.pic.twitter.com/812ubkHEE4 — Bruce (@FireNewz) January 3, 2026 THREE: cutting off Iran. You also may not realize this, but Iran has deep ties to Venezuela, with many of their drone factories and other assets in the country. We just took all of that over. Oh my God. I just realized something. Trump went after Maduro FIRST to make sure Khamenei & the terrorist Islamic Republic occupying Iran can’t escape to Venezuela when the Islamic Regime falls & Iran is freed. All of the IRGC’S assets, drone factories and military bases in… pic.twitter.com/ryb7wEBSXH — Goldie Ghamari | گلسا قمری (@gghamari) January 3, 2026 Grok confirms and provides significantly more detail on what we just confiscated: Iranian Strategic Presence in Venezuela Based on recent reports from U.S. sanctions announcements, defense analyses, and media coverage up to January 2026, Iran has maintained a limited but strategically significant presence in Venezuela through military cooperation dating back to the mid-2000s. This includes technology transfers, joint production, and proxy support under the Maduro regime.1 Information is often classified or obscured due to secrecy, but here is a breakdown of known assets: Factories and Production Facilities At least 1-2 drone factories or assembly plants, primarily centered in Maracay: CAVIM Facility: The main site is at the state-run Compañía Anónima Venezolana de Industrias Militares facility. Iran has assisted in drone production here since 2009, including fitting drones with bombs and missiles.2 This site experienced an explosion in 2011 linked to offensive drone development. EANSA Operations: Assembly and maintenance operations overlap with El Libertador Air Base, overseen by the Venezuelan firm EANSA. This firm handles Iranian Mohajer-series UAVs rebranded as ANSU-series.3 Iranians reportedly control access to these facilities, limiting Venezuelan staff. Missile Production: CAVIM has been linked to missile technologies, but details are sparse and unconfirmed beyond discussions for joint surface-to-surface missile development. Shahed Production: Recent U.S. strikes (post-Maduro capture) targeted Iranian factories producing Shahed-style kamikaze drones, suggesting at least one additional or overlapping site for this specific type. Military Bases El Libertador Air Base (Maracay): One confirmed base hosting Iranian Mohajer-6 and Mohajer-2 drones. Iranian specialists have been on-site for training and operations since 2009. This serves as both a storage and operational hub. Hezbollah Training Base: One base used by the Iranian proxy group for operations in South America; however, location details are not public. Alleged Missile Base: A 2010 agreement proposed a jointly operated site for medium-range missiles, but there is no confirmation it was built or is active. Other Assets Drones: Over a dozen Mohajer-2 (local name: Arpía), several Mohajer-6, and smaller numbers of ANSU-100/200 (armed variants) and Zamora V-1 (Shahed-style kamikaze drones). Total inventory is likely in the low dozens, with limited production (e.g., ~15 Arpía built by 2013). Naval Assets: Several fast-attack boats (Peykaap III/Zolfaghar class, delivered by 2023) equipped with CM-90 anti-ship missiles (export version of Iran’s Nasr).4 Proxy Networks: Hezbollah-linked operations around Margarita Island for fundraising, smuggling, and training. Economic/Financial: Approximately $20 billion in investments/loans, plus money laundering networks handling hundreds of millions (possibly billions) through Caracas. Estimated Total Impact My best estimate for the total number of major Iranian physical assets (factories, bases, and similar installations) in Venezuela is 4–6. This includes: 2–3 drone-related facilities (production/assembly in Maracay) 1–2 bases (El Libertador and Hezbollah) 1 possible missile site The count is approximate due to overlapping functions and limited public confirmation—many are concentrated in Maracay under IRGC influence. Following Maduro’s capture on January 3, 2026, U.S. forces have reportedly seized control of these, with some struck by CIA drones. Non-installation assets like drones and boats add another 20–30 items, but these are categorized as equipment rather than fixed sites.