Venezuala

The US military operation to track down, capture and fly Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro back to the United States for prosecution on drug trafficking charges went flawlessly. It was well-coordinated, meticulously planned and executed to a tee. Nearly two days after Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken into U.S. custody, details of the snatch-and-grab mission are beginning to percolate into the US media. It involved a cyberattack against Caracas’s electricity system, precision bombing against several Venezuelan airfields and ports, a low-flying helicopter assault on Maduro’s hideout and a CIA deployment that was operating in the country since August.

Rumors flew around like great, big beautiful birds ahead of President Trump’s address to the nation tonight. Was he going to declare war on Venezuela? Was he going to finally disclose the truth about the Epstein Files or about aliens living among us? Was he going to give every American citizen $2,000 and a partridge in a pear tree? Or maybe he’d use his national platform time to further desecrate the life and memory of Rob Reiner. It turned out to be none of those things. Trump stood at a White House lectern in front of Christmas decorations and rather angrily listed his accomplishments as President for 20 minutes. It was, essentially, a stump speech. His border accomplishments stood front and center.