AND PLUMB CALLING IT A BRILLIANT OPERATION EXPECT TO ADDRESS THE NATION AT 9:00 A.M. FROM MAR-A-LAGO. GRIFF: LUCAS, YOU’VE HAD GREAT COVERAGE OVERNIGHT AND WHAT ELSE ARE WE LEARNING ABOUT THIS OPERATION? REPORTER: GOOD MORNING, GRIFF.
IN A DARING OPERATION IN THE PREDAWN HOURS AND 2:00 A.M. LOCAL IN CARACAS AND 1:00 A.M. LOCAL EAST COAST TIME AND U.
S. OPERATION SPECIAL FORCES FLAMES OF UIC IN FROM OFF THE COAST OF VENEZUELA TO SNATCH VENEZUELAN LEADER NICOLAS MADURO AND HIS WIFE.
PRESIDENT TRUMP ANNOUNCING THE NEWS ON TRUTH SOCIAL A SHORT TIMING A AND I’LL READ IT. IT SAYS “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA SUCCESSFULLY CARRIED OUT A LARGE SCALE STRIKE AGAINST VENEZUELA AND ITS LEADER, PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO, WHO HAS BEEN ALONG WITH HIS WIFE CAPTURED AND FLOWN OUT OF THE COUNTRY. IT WAS DONE IN CONJUNCTION WITH U.
S. LAW ENFORCEMENT AND DETAILS TO FOLLOW. THERE’LL BE A NEWS CONFERENCE TACKLED AT 11:00 A.M. AT MAR-A-LAGO.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER, DONALD J.
TRUMP.” IMAGINE THE INTELLIGENCE THAT U.S. INTELLIGENCE AGENCY HAD TO HAVE TO KNOW WHAT IT’S SENDING ASSAULT FORCE TO BE ABLE TO LOCATE AND GRAB MADURO AS WELL AS HIS WIFE.
NUMEROUS AIR STRIKES THROUGHOUT CARACAS TARGETING MADURO FORCES AT MILITARY BASE IN CARACAS AND AIR BASE AND VENEZUELA’S LARGEST PORT. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS BEEN THREATENING FOR MONTHS. IT STARTED WITH THE DRONE STRIKES ON THE ALLEGED DRUG BOATS IN THE CARIBBEAN AND EASTERN PACIFIC, OVER TWO DOZEN TO DATE, KILLING OVER 100 PEOPLE. YOU SAW WHEN U.S.
FORCES SEIZED AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT MATTER THE OIL TANKERS THAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SAID WAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MADURO REGIME AND CUT OFF THE REVENUE STREAM FOR MADURO AND FOR MONTHS, PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID MADURO MUST GO AND HE WAS VERY DEFIANT, DESPITE REPEATED THREATS FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP AND OVER 15 TIMES PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID HE WILL BE STRIKING ON LAND.
RECALL ON MONDAY THAT THE PRESIDENT WAS CONFIRMING THAT THE CIA STRUCK A TARGET ALONG THE COAST OF VENEZUELA DESTROYING SOME OF MADURO’S DRUG BOATS AND AGAIN, THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT IS NOT QUITE UNPRECEDENTED AND IN 1989, THE SEIZURE OF MANUEL OF PANAMA. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE PRESIDENT WANTED. WE HAD NOT HEARD FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP, ALMOST SHADES OF OPERATION MIDNIGHT HAMMER WHEN THE B-2 STRUCK IRAN. WE HAVEN’T SEEN PRESIDENT TRUMP OVER THE PAST TWO DAYS AND HEARD FROM HIM ON NEW YEAR’S EVE AND INTERESTING, A REPORTER ASK THE PRESIDENT WHAT HIS GOAL WAS FOR THE COMING YEAR.
HE REPLIED “PEACE.” PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO, HE DIDN’T GET THAT. NOW, WE HEARD FROM MADURO YET, GUYS. HE SOUNDED LIKE HE WAS ALMOST PLEADING IN AN INTERVIEW DONE FROM A CAR, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, ALMOST BEGGING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FOR A DEAL. A DEAL WITH OIL.
OF COURSE, MANY AMERICAN OIL FIRMS WERE KICKED OUT OF VENEZUELA DECADESSING A AND WE HEARD FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP IN RESENT DAYS THAT HE WANTS THAT OIL BACK AND COMPANIES END.
GRIFF: CLEAR, LUCAS, THE CLOCK HAD RUN OUT FOR NICOLAS MADURO TO COME TO THE TABLE DESPITE THE INTERVIEW HE DID. LUCAS, WE’RE GETTING A TWEET THIS MORNING FROM SENATOR MIKE LEE SAYING GOT OFF THE PHONE WITH SECRETARY RUBIO AND INFORMED ME THAT NICOLAS MADURO WAS ARRESTED TO STAND TRIAL ON CRIMINAL CHARGES IN THE UNITED STATES AND KINETIC ACTION DONE WAS DEPLOY TO PROTECT AND DEFEND THOSE EXECUTING THE ARREST WARRANT AND ACTION LIKELY FALLS WITHIN THE PRESIDENT’S INHERENT AUTHORITY UNDER ARTICLE 2 OF THE CONSTITUTION TO PROTECT U.S. PERSONNEL FROM AN ACTUAL OR IMMINENT ATTACK.
IT’S INTERESTING AS WE READ THAT, LUCAS, THE VICE PRESIDENT, DELCY RODRIGUEZ, OF VENEZUELA, TOOK EARLIER TO STATE TV IN VENEZUELA DEMANDING PROOF OF LIFE OF MADURO. IT’S APPARENT IT’S UNCLEAR WHO IS RUNNING THAT COUNTRY RIGHT NOW. YOU’RE LOOKING LIVE AT SOME OF THE STRIKES CARRIED OUT THERE. DO WE HAVE ANYMORE INDICATION OF WHO’S RUNNING THE COUNTRY NOW AND WHETHER OR NOT THE OTHER INDIVIDUALS LIKE THE VICE PRESIDENT AND OTHERS ASSOCIATED WITH MADURO’S REGIME, MAY BE TARGETS STILL? REPORTER: NOTABLE THAT STATEMENT FROM VENEZUELA’S VICE PRESIDENT CONFIRMING THE NEWS FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP THAT PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO AND HIS WIFE SEIZED BY THE AMERICAN ASSAULT FORCE.
LIKELY THE DELTA FORCE OR SEAL TEAM 6 FLOWN WITH THE 160TH SPECIAL OPERATION AVIATION REGIMEN, NIGHT STALKERS AND MOST ELITE PILOTS IN THE WORLD. VIDEO OF THE HELICOPTERS FLYING LOW OVER VENEZUELA AND UNDER THE COVER OF AIR STRIKES AND DARKNESS AND NO VENEZUELA SERVICE, MISSILES, TRIPLE A, ANTIAIRCRAFT FIRE. IT’S NOTABLE, GRIFF, I SPOKE TO ELLIOT ABRAMS, THE SPECIAL ENVOY TO VENEZUELA RECENTLY, HE SAID THIS WAS A SHOW DOWN BETWEEN PRESIDENT TRUMP AND NICOLAS MADURO. THERE COULD ONLY BE ONE WINNER. THAT IS WHY PRESIDENT TRUMP LIKELY DID NOT BACK DOWN AND A LARGE MILITARY BUILDUP IN THE CARIBBEAN AND ABOUT A DOZEN WARSHIPS OFFSHORE AND YOU HAVE THE USS GERALD R.
FORD STRIKE GROUP REROUTED FROM EUROPE AND CAME TO THE CARIBBEAN FROM ASSAULT SHIPS AND DOZENS OF HELICOPTERS AND STRIKE AIRCRAFT ON BOARD FORD AND F-35 FIGHTER JETS THAT ARRIVED IN PUERTO RICO IN RECENT SOMEDAYS FROM THE AIR FORCE AND GREEN MOUNTAIN BOYS FROM VERMONT AND THE MARINE CORP.
F-35 BRAVO VERSION ON THE GROUND IN PUERTO RICO. LARGE ARMADA AND FIRE POWER ASSEMBLED AND KC-135 REFUELLING PLANES IN THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. PRESIDENT TRUMP OFFERED NO INDICATION HE WAS BACKING DOWN FROM HIS THREAT AND PRESIDENT TRUMP, WHEN HE MAKES THE THREATS, TYPICALLY FOLLOWS THROUGH AND WE SAW THAT IN THE PREDAWN HOURS THIS MORNING. AGAIN, ONLY COULD BE ONE WINNER IN THE SHOW DOWN, IT WAS NOT VENEZUELA PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO.
CHARLIE: LUCAS, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE OPERATION WAS SUCCESSFUL AND IT’S OVER. DO YOU HAVE THE SENSE THAT IT IS IN FACT OVER WITH AND THE FIRE FIGHT IS FINISHED? THEN WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? REPORTER: CHARLIE, U.S.
MILITARY LIKES TO OPERATE AT NIGHT. PILOTS WITH NIGHT VISION GOGGLES AND ASSAULT FORCE HAVING NIGHT VISION GOGGLES AND THAT’S THEIR PRIMARY, PERFECT TIME FOR THE OPERATIONS AND UNDER THE COVER OF DARKNESS AND MOST PEOPLE ARE ASLEEP AND LIKELY MADURO AND HIS WIFE WERE ASLEEP WHEN THEY BLEW OFF THE DOOR AND GRABBED HIM. WE HEARD FROM SENATOR LEE IN THAT THREAT YOU READ SAYING HE WAS INFORMED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE THAT THE OPERATION IS OVER AND IT APPEARS THE GOAL WAS NOT JUST TO STRIKE THE MADURO REGIME AND COULD HAVE BEEN A DISTRACTION FROM THE MAIN OBJECTIVE TO SNATCH THE VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT AND HIS WIFE TO FACE CHARGES BACK IN THE UNITED STATES.
>> LUCAS, BACK IN OCTOBER PRESIDENT TRUMP SENT A CLEAR MESSAGE TO MADURO SAYING THIS. >> MADURO OFFERING ALL THE NATURAL RESOURCES AND MEDIATION.
>> HE HAS OFFERED EVERYTHING. HE HAS OFFERED EVERYTHING. YOU’RE RIGHT. KNOW WHY? BECAUSE HE DOESN’T LIKE [BLEEP] WITH THE UNITED STATES.
>> THE PRESIDENT DIDN’T MINCE WORDS AND IT’S A SIGNATURE MOMENT FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS ADMINISTRATION AND ANOTHER PRECISE, SWIFT, AND SEEMINGLY EFFECTIVE OPERATION. WHAT CAN WE SEE FROM THE MILITARY COMMUNITY IN RESPONSE? REPORTER: ALLIES OF THE UNITED STATES ARE GOING TO BE ON THE SIDE OF THE UNITED STATES AND AMERICA’S ADVERSARIES WILL COME DOWN PRETTY STRONG ON THIS AND YOU READ THIS STATEMENT FROM SENATOR LEE TALKING ABOUT ARTICLE 2 AND THE PRESIDENT’S AUTHORITY TO CARRY OUT THE OPERATION AND LIKELY GETTING A JUMP ON THE CRITICISM THE PRESIDENT IS FACING WITH DEMOCRATS ON CAPITOL HILL AND PER HAPPEN AS LITTLE COVER FROM SENATOR LEE.
ADVERSARIES FROM THE UNITED STATES AND MADURO’S ALLIES: RUSSIA, CHINA AND IRAN, WILL COME DOWN STRONGLY ON THIS OPERATION. LET’S NOT FORGET IN EARLY DECEMBER, WAR SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH OUTLINED THE NEW MILITARY SECURITY STRATEGY AND THE MONROE DOCTRINE TAKING CONTROL OF THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE AND OFFICIALS IN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION INCLUDING SECRETARY RUBIO THAT WANT TO DECREASE THE INFLUENCE OF CHINA, RUSSIA AND IRAN AND THEY’VE SET UP SHOP IN VENEZUELA IN THE PAST.
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