Venezuela, Power, And The Monroe Doctrine

A midnight raid in Caracas shocks the world, but the real story starts decades earlier. We pull back the curtain on the capture of Nicolás Maduro, why U.S. officials say the operation was justified, and how a once-shelved doctrine from 1823 suddenly feels urgent and new. This is a fast, unvarnished tour through legality, deterrence, and the hard math of energy and influence in the Western Hemisphere.

We walk through the charges that stacked up against Maduro—narco-terrorism, weapons offenses, and a cocaine pipeline tied to the Cartel of the Suns—and explain how escalating bounties and a changing security posture set the stage for a high-risk, high-precision mission. Then we trace the backlash: Moscow and Beijing decry the strike as an assault on sovereignty while quietly stressing over disrupted oil flows, stranded loans, and a shrinking space to project power near U.S. shores. The question isn’t only “Was this legal?” It’s “What strategic endgame does it serve—and can America sustain it?”

To make sense of the playbook, we revive the Monroe Doctrine’s origin story and the 1895 Venezuela boundary showdown that signaled a new American posture. Today’s reboot—dubbed by some the “Donro Doctrine”—argues that peace and prosperity begin with regional security: curbing fentanyl pipelines, restoring seized oil contracts, and warning adversaries off the hemisphere. We outline five concrete outcomes the White House is betting on, from relief for Venezuelans to a tighter vise on Russia and China’s energy options, while naming the risks of overreach, mission creep, and fragile transitions.

If you value clear, candid analysis without spin, hit follow, share this episode with a friend, and leave a short review telling us what you think America’s role in the hemisphere should be. Your take may shape our next conversation.

https://freespoke.com/premium

Promo Code com68 for 35% off

https://a.co/d/8Ax0Ujg

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:34

You are listening to Commission 68.

Somali Fraud Scandal And Independent Journalism

Breaking News: Maduro Captured

White House And War Department Reactions

SPEAKER_03 0:40

It is Thursday, January 8th in the greatest country on earth. I'm your host, Randy Millette, and this is Commission 68. Today we are talking about Venezuela, Maduro's capture, and the Monroe Doctrine. So let's go. I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year. I know for myself and my family we had a great Christmas. We ate good food. We got to spend time with family and friends. My kids got way too many presents. But we have started a new year, so welcome to 2026, and there is so much going on. In fact, there's so much going on that I had a hard time deciding what this episode was going to be about. Of course, we have Tim Walls, governor of Minnesota, and former vice presidential candidate under fire for the huge, huge Somali corruption scandal that unfolded in Minnesota. It looks like Somalis in the state were getting government funds and running daycares that didn't exist or didn't have any children. It was all a front. Most of this money was sent back to Somalia. A lot of it was used to fund terrorism and terrorist groups. So that story is still unfolding. And a huge shout out to uh Nick Shirley, who broke that story, an independent journalist. You know, the times have really changed, and more and more independent journalists are doing the work that the mainstream media used to and used to be relied upon to do. But like I covered in one of my last episodes, uh, the one I did with Daniel Quack on immigration, we talked about how the mainstream media um has really lost America's trust. So now we see the rise of independent journalism, and more and more people are turning to podcasts and ex and YouTube and independent journalists to get their news because they've completely lost faith in MSNBC and CNN and Fox News, even. And with that come pros and cons. The pros being that independent journalism has provided a check and balance against the media and fear of state-run media or media being influenced by whoever's in power. The con being that anyone with a microphone and a computer has a voice, and it's caused a lot of confusion and it's caused a lot of division within both parties. But nevertheless, the quest for truth continues. And if you are here and you are listening to me, that means that I have gained your trust. And for that, I sincerely thank you. And I ask you to please share the show, send it to a friend, send it to some people you know, post it on social media, help us grow. Because here at Commission 68, we are dedicated to bringing you the truth, bringing you insight, bringing you fresh perspectives, uh keeping it biblical, biblically based, and above all, trying to keep you informed. So, let's talk about Venezuela. I'm sure, like everyone else, you have already heard that on January 3, 2026, the United States military forces conducted a daring overnight raid in Caracas, Venezuela, capturing President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Celia Flores. The operation codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve involved approximately 200 U.S. special operations troops, primarily Delta Force, supported by airstrikes on Venezuelan air defenses and infrastructure. Now, I have to admit to you guys that I actually missed this when it happened. I'm somebody that consumes news almost constantly. And whenever things break like this, I'm usually the first to find out. In fact, we have a group text with guys I work with, and they call it the Millette Gazette because I'm constantly sharing news with guys that I work with. In the group text, as it breaks, because I'm the first to punch, I'm the first to find out. But in this case, on January 3rd, it was a Saturday. I had just gotten off of work. I was trying to get ahead of the game, and my wife and I were taking down a Christmas tree. Meanwhile, uh your president, President Trump, was conducting a regime change. Nevertheless, we all know now, and I want to talk about the legality of the operation, why it took place, and the history of Venezuela and the implications that it's going to have on geopolitics. Let's listen to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth's remarks on the overnight raid in Venezuela.

SPEAKER_02 5:14

Well, thank you, Mr. President. Um, finally a commander-in-chief, the world respects and the American people deserve. And as the President said, words can barely capture the bravery and the power and the precision of this historic operation. A massive joint military and law enforcement raid flawlessly executed by the greatest Americans our country has to offer. American warriors are second to none, the best in the world and the best of our country. What I, what all of us witnessed last night was sheer guts and grit, gallantry and glory of the American warrior. I'm simply humbled by such men, but such men. And I tip my hat to our chairman, Dan Raisin Cain, and all those Americans who stood watch last night. Our warriors are the elite of America, and again, President Trump has your back. No other country on planet Earth, and it's not even close, could pull this kind of operation off. And no other president has ever shown this kind of leadership, courage, and resolve. The most powerful combination the world has ever seen. As the President said, our adversaries remain on notice. America can project our will anywhere, anytime. The coordination, the stealth, the lethality, the precision, the very long arm of American justice all on full display in the middle of the night. Nicholas Maduro had his chance, just like Iran had their chance. Until they didn't and until he didn't. He f'd around and he found out. President Trump is deadly serious about stopping the flow of gangs and violence to our country. Deadly serious about stopping the flow of drugs and poison to our people, deadly serious about getting back the oil that was stolen from us, and deadly serious about re-establishing American deterrent and dominance in the Western Hemisphere. This is about the safety, security, freedom, and prosperity of the American people. This is America first. This is peace through strength. And the United States War Department is proud to help deliver it. Welcome to 2026. And under President Trump, America is back.

SPEAKER_03 7:44

Now a speech like that can have one of only two possible reactions. Either it fills you up with so much patriotism that you go clean all your rifles while listening to Toby Keith, or it makes you dye your hair purple and go shout at the sky and look for a safe place. But President Trump is a magician. And for his next trick, he's going to make Democrats defend a dictator. Listen to the esteemed Rachel Maddow.

SPEAKER_04 8:09

In your heart of hearts, when you when you think about what the United States just did, I think there are very few Americans right now who have any idea why the United States did this.

Global Backlash From Russia And China

SPEAKER_03 8:19

Well, Rachel, since you asked, Maduro had faced a long-standing U.S. indictment since 2020 on charges of narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and flooding the U.S. with cocaine via the Cartel of the Suns and related weapons offenses. In 2020, President Trump placed a$15 million bounty on Maduro's head for his capture. Under the Biden administration, that was raised to$25 million. And then in August of 2025, the second Trump administration, he increased the bounty to$50 million. But Rachel Maddow, who claims to speak for all Americans, doesn't understand why President Trump did this. And we wonder why America has lost faith in a mainstream media. Now the capture of Maduro has drawn widespread condemnation as a violation of international law from places like Russia and China, who demand Maduro's release, and even some U.S. allies criticize it at the UN Security Council. Now let's ask ourselves this question. Why would China and Russia have a problem with the arrest of a dictator in Venezuela? Well, this is obviously a huge geopolitical setback for both Russia and China, who have long been key allies and backers of the Maduro regime. Since the early 2000s, China has been Venezuela's largest creditor and major investor, pouring over$60 billion in loans and infrastructure projects, often secured by oil shipments. Maduro's ouser disrupts this debt diplomacy, putting billions at risk and potentially interrupting supplies of up to 1 million barrels per day of heavy crude oil, which accounts for about 4% of China's imports. In fact, Maduro hosted a Chinese delegation just hours before his capture, underscoring Beijing's close ties with Venezuela. Here's a clip summarizing the international reaction to the operation.

SPEAKER_00 10:12

Yeah, you're absolutely right, Ike. You know, as you can imagine, so many leaders of so many countries are following events quite closely and watching what is going on in Venezuela. And reaction has been flooding in, strong condemnation, as you said, from Russia, which has been one of Nicolas Maduro's longtime ally, the Russian foreign ministry, saying that the US has committed an act of armed aggression against Venezuela, which quote, causes deep concern and condemnation. The Russian ministry also adding that uh Caracas must be allowed to determine its own destiny without any destructive military intervention from the outside. So strong words. But as you said, from China as well. The Chinese foreign ministry says that uh they're deeply shocked and strongly condemn the US's quote, blatant use of force against a sovereign state and its attack on its president, urging the US to abide by international law as well. Ike.

Predicted Geopolitical Ripple Effects

Break And Pivot To Monroe Doctrine

Origins Of The Monroe Doctrine

1895 Venezuela Boundary Crisis

Revival As “Donro Doctrine”

Five Claimed Benefits For U.S. And Venezuela

Closing Blessing And Call To Share

SPEAKER_03 11:07

Now, like most things in life, for our foreign adversaries, this comes down to money. It comes down to resources, it comes down to oil. China is definitely feeling the squeeze being so heavily reliant on Venezuelan oil, and so is Russia. With the isolation of Venezuela and then the potential isolation of Iran, I predict that this could actually bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. Because with no other outlets of oil, Russia is gonna be isolated and they're gonna have to tap into NATO European oil, which means they're gonna have to end this years-long ridiculous war in Ukraine, which really, if we look at it, has been President Trump's objective since day one. But as far as the United States is concerned, the actions in Venezuela can best be understood by looking at the history of the Monroe Doctrine. We're gonna take a quick break, and when we come back, we're gonna talk about the Monroe Doctrine, how it originated, what it is, and how it applies today. It declared that the Western Hemisphere was no longer open to European colonization or interference, and that any attempts by European powers to extend their political systems to the Americas would be viewed as hostile acts toward the United States. The doctrine aimed to protect the newly independent Latin American nations from reconquest while also asserting U.S. predominance in the region. In 1823, the Monroe Doctrine was drafted by Secretary of State John Quincy Adams. It responded to concerns over European powers potentially recolonizing newly independent Latin American nations following the revolutions against Spain and Portugal, and to Russian territorial claims of the Pacific Northwest. Now, Britain had proposed a joint declaration with the U.S. to oppose such interference, but Adams convinced Monroe to issue a unilateral U.S. statement to avoid entangling alliances. Now, after the issue of the Monroe Doctrine, there was little done to enforce it because the United States was a very young nation and it was fairly weak militarily. However, the first attempt to enforce Monroe Doctrine happened in 1895 in the country of you guessed it, Venezuela. The Venezuelan boundary dispute officially began in 1841 when the Venezuelan government protested alleged British encroachment on Venezuelan territory. In 1814, Great Britain had acquired British Guiana by treaty with the Netherlands. Because the treaty did not define a western boundary, the British commissioned Robert Schumberg, a surveyor naturalist, to delineate that boundary. His 1835 survey resulted in what became known as the Schumberg Line, a boundary that effectively claimed an additional 30,000 square miles for Guiana. In 1841, Venezuela disputed the British delineation, claiming territorial delineations established at the time of their independence from Spain. Venezuela claimed its borders extended as far east as the Esequibo River, an effective claim on two-thirds of British Guiana's territory. But when gold was discovered in the disputed territory, Great Britain sought to further extend its reach, claiming an additional 33,000 square miles west of the Schomburg Line, an area where gold had been discovered. In 1876, Venezuela protested and appealed to the United States for assistance, citing the Monroe Doctrine as justification for U.S. involvement. For the next 19 years, Venezuela repeatedly petitioned for U.S. assistance, calling on its neighbor to the North to intervene by either sponsoring arbitration or intervening with force. The United States responded by expressing concern, but did little to facilitate a resolution. In 1895, invoking the Monroe Doctrine, newly appointed U.S. Secretary of State Richard Olnoy sent a strongly worded note to British Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary Lord Salisbury, demanding that the British submit the boundary dispute to arbitration. Salisbury's response was that the Monroe Doctrine had no validity as international law. The United States found that the response was unacceptable, and in December 1895, President Grover Cleveland asked Congress for authorization to appoint a boundary commission proposing that the Commission's findings be enforced by every means necessary. Congress passed the measure unanimously, and talk of war with Great Britain began to circulate in the U.S. press. Great Britain, under pressure in South Africa with the Boers and managing an empire that spanned the globe could ill afford another conflict. Lord Salisbury's government submitted the dispute to the American Boundary Commission and said nothing else of the Monroe Doctrine. Venezuela enthusiastically submitted to arbitration, certain that the Commission would decide in its favor. However, when the Commission finally rendered the decision in October 3, 1899, it directed that the border follow the Schomburg line. But it also rejected Great Britain's increasingly extravagant claims, the ruling preserved in the 1835 demarcation. Disappointed, the Venezuelans quietly ratified the Commission's findings, but of far greater significance, the Anglo-Venezuelan boundary dispute incident asserted for the first time a more outward-looking American foreign policy, particularly in the Western Hemisphere. Internationally, the incident marked the United States as a world power and gave notice that under the Monroe Doctrine, it would exercise its claimed prerogatives in the Western Hemisphere. Now, since the capture of Maduro, we know that our beloved president likes to put his name on everything, so they've been calling this the Donro Doctrine. But just like the Monroe Doctrine, it's a revival of American influence in the countries in our hemisphere, in the countries that border us, and the countries that affect us. And not only is it gonna benefit the Venezuelans, hopefully, in the long run, and benefit the United States in the long run, but it's also putting our adversaries on notice. Look, none of us want another Iraq or another 21-year Afghanistan. But these are the implications from the way I see it. Number one, the people of Venezuela were suffering under the rule of an illegitimate dictator. That has come to an end. Number two, although I don't think they were the biggest culprits, they were undoubtedly bringing fentanyl into the country. And that's killing our kids, that's killing our youth, and it's something that we can't allow to continue. Number three, Maduro's regime illegally confiscated contracts from American oil companies. Okay, so now we're gonna be able to go back in, reinstitute the oil companies. We've already seized tankers, we've already agreed to receiving 30 to 50 million barrels a day from Venezuela. That's gonna help Venezuela's economy and it's gonna help ours. Number four, and the biggest one to me. It drastically weakens China and Russia. Without Venezuelan oil, they'll be dependent on European oil, which the US has a vested interest in. And then number five, the millions of Venezuelans that fled the country under the rule of a dictator will be able to go back home. I see prosperity in Venezuela's future. I see prosperity in America's future. I see America rising to an unprecedented level on the global stage. These are very, very interesting times, and of course we're going to keep an eye on it. And this is not the last time we're going to talk about this, but I thank you all for listening to me today. I pray blessings, blessings over you and your family. I pray God blesses you coming in and you going out. I pray peace, power, and prosperity. And remember that you live in the greatest country on earth, and it's up to you to keep it.