Holy Spy vs Spy, and all those Marvel Supervillains rolled into a poisonous mushroom canape, Jonathan! I will need a few hours, and two shots of Tequila to even start to digest this stuff. Kudos to you. So the only thing that stands out for me at this moment is that Trump would undeniably benefit from adjusting his status upward from Failing Lame Duck Nincompoop to War President. Might have a connection to Hegseth becoming the head of the Department of War. Anyone? And, er, if anyone thinks we're ever going to get to the bottom of this, I wish them well. Here's an honest question or two: first, are International Relations always this effed up or is it only something having to do with South America? Or oil? Or anything Trump touches? And finally, how does this bode for our own upcoming elections? Yikes.
I'm on board with most of your other readers that are thinking this needs a second and possibly third digestion, I'm still trying to keep straight if there's even one honest purveyor of information in this whole narrative (aside from you I mean)! It seems pretty obvious that we're getting fucked it's just a question of how hard and by whom. Sheesh I need to make some dinner and maybe I'll make it through this thing a second time tonight.
This is too much to digest in one sitting for me. Have to reread it. My initial thoughts are: incredible granular reporting, Jonathan; most of what these weasels claim is beyond ridiculous. No WAY Fox pays 3/4 of a Billion if they have evidence to the contrary, nor takes the hit even if another entity pays for it! And all those other countries are compromised, huh, but no one here has been aware of anything at all?!?
Like the other readers, wow. Impressive journalism. I will have to ingest it a few times.
In my first read, how is it always ONE dumb guy, followed by a bunch of dumb guys? 2) how does the UFC or all of these fighters keep ending up in the administration? I know Cheung worked for the UFC in between government gigs but it’s so strange it’s omnipresent. 3)That picture of Hegseth is really interesting. The intangible presence of that reporter in comparison to him is the way he must feel all the time.
My brain hurts, Jonathan! Hats off to you for following all these threads and for weaving them into a coherent narrative. I, too, need to sit down, concentrate & diagram this for a better understanding! Thank you!!💕
I didn’t get to this until today. It’s too early and I don’t do well with day-drinking, but I think I’ll need something while I re-read this, like the others have mentioned having to do.
There’s a slight typo in the para that begins with “Relied.” I’m fairly sure you meant to type “Relief,” as you were describing the relief effort being generated by, oh jeez — now I forget by whom … too much to absorb in the one reading. Will have another go at it later. Preferably with a beverage in hand. Great work. Just need more time with it.
I’m so glad you mentioned Curveball because as soon as you said the Venezuelan source was one disaffected guy, I immediately thought, “Wait, isn’t that how we got into Iraq?” Except this seems to be much worse.
It’s ridiculous and incredible that this alleged “source” had never heard of Tren de Aragua until late 2023. Just ask any police official in Colombia or Ecuador and they’ll tell you Tren de Aragua has been a problem gang for nearly a decade. Venezuelans in general of course know their security problems too.
"When Pres. Donald Trump [sic] rejected the U.S. intelligence assessment that the Venezuelan regime is not actually waging a covert war by deploying thousands of gang soldiers here, he didn’t say how he knew better."
* The Fulvous Fuckwad has no need for outside intelligence, his (fat) gut tells him everything he needs to know. He's his own best advisor; the whining little insects circling the human embodiment of explosive diarrhea are nothing more than lickspittle yes-women and yes-men who's entire raison d'être is to stroke the fragile ego of the Halloween Orange Hemorrhoid.
* Also of interest is that the world's foremost polymath ***knew*** that thousands of Tren de Aragua gangbangers had invaded the US before he had access to any info stamped "secret" or higher (I'm pretty sure that such an assessment would not be released to the general public, like the Corrupt Coral Coward was when he first started in on it).
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"The former CIA official, Gary Berntsen, says they had just a single source for the intel and names they first provided to Trump’s [sic] team."
Confirmation of intelligence is for wimps, cucks, girly-men, and Dems (but I'm being redundant mentioning Dems). A true expert can tell just by looking at the source of the intel and whatever docs are available whether or not they're being fed bovine scat or the straight skinny.
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"By Berntsen’s own account, he had been working on Venezuelan issues for years but hadn’t heard of Tren de Aragua until the latter half of 2023."
Can someone please explain how a street gang can go from being unknown to having thousands of members ready to go to war in the US in approximately two years, not to mention the thousands in other countries with the same marching orders? Especially for a self-described expert who has been studying "Venezuelan issues for years[?]"
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"One concern with the U.S. relying on external intel is that sources may have motive to lie, to cherry-pick or fabricate information to spur American action toward regime change."
Don't fash yourselves over the possibility that a Hum/Int source might cherry-pick the deets, or whether the info was fabricated. Even if it wasn't you can bet the ranch that the Butterscotch Bloviating Buffoon and his toadies will cherry-pick and lie through their teeth about what's in the report.
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"passed it all on to the Dept. of Homeland Security’s investigative agency (HSI) at an unspecified HSI office in Latin America. “They had never heard of Tren del Aragua, either,” Berntsen said"
Again I'll ask, how can professional intelligence agents not know about a growing paramilitary organization in their own backyard with the open intent to invade the US? Agents whose main mission is to protect the Homeland from just such invasions? Fire 'em all for blatant incompetence.
Did you have to make a crime board in your study to keep all this straight? Wow! I, too, need to reread several times!
As I was reading this I was thinking about making a board myself!
I felt like I was in trig.
Um, did you like trig?
The Lord gave all of us our special gifts, Larsen. I had a math tutor from 8th till done. I needed one for that article.
Thank you for your service. And your tutor’s.
Likewise, but I’m guessing you didn’t have a tutor. Amazing work. Thank you.
Totally worth the wait for this! I definitely appreciate the effort you put into this piece. Although it's unsettling to say the least.
Holy Spy vs Spy, and all those Marvel Supervillains rolled into a poisonous mushroom canape, Jonathan! I will need a few hours, and two shots of Tequila to even start to digest this stuff. Kudos to you. So the only thing that stands out for me at this moment is that Trump would undeniably benefit from adjusting his status upward from Failing Lame Duck Nincompoop to War President. Might have a connection to Hegseth becoming the head of the Department of War. Anyone? And, er, if anyone thinks we're ever going to get to the bottom of this, I wish them well. Here's an honest question or two: first, are International Relations always this effed up or is it only something having to do with South America? Or oil? Or anything Trump touches? And finally, how does this bode for our own upcoming elections? Yikes.
Me too. Same questions. Also why doesn’t the actual info ever come out, just the claims that it exists. Driving me crazy!
WTF. Now THIS is investigative reporting! Thanks.
Jeez sneeze th'trees, please!!!
I'm on board with most of your other readers that are thinking this needs a second and possibly third digestion, I'm still trying to keep straight if there's even one honest purveyor of information in this whole narrative (aside from you I mean)! It seems pretty obvious that we're getting fucked it's just a question of how hard and by whom. Sheesh I need to make some dinner and maybe I'll make it through this thing a second time tonight.
So…you’ll cover how Kobayashi and Keyser Söze fit in to all of this in a follow up story, yes?
You may enjoy my followup on Rolo Tomassi.
Great reporting JL.
How many hypothetical skeins of red yarn did this take. I'm impressed.
This is too much to digest in one sitting for me. Have to reread it. My initial thoughts are: incredible granular reporting, Jonathan; most of what these weasels claim is beyond ridiculous. No WAY Fox pays 3/4 of a Billion if they have evidence to the contrary, nor takes the hit even if another entity pays for it! And all those other countries are compromised, huh, but no one here has been aware of anything at all?!?
Hmm…
Like the other readers, wow. Impressive journalism. I will have to ingest it a few times.
In my first read, how is it always ONE dumb guy, followed by a bunch of dumb guys? 2) how does the UFC or all of these fighters keep ending up in the administration? I know Cheung worked for the UFC in between government gigs but it’s so strange it’s omnipresent. 3)That picture of Hegseth is really interesting. The intangible presence of that reporter in comparison to him is the way he must feel all the time.
It's all about the kayfabe.
Oh snap! I had to look up kayfabe- (ha!). Damn, you’re right.
I’d never heard of it until about a year ago. Some piece on here about the absurdity of Donnie T-rex's style.
My brain hurts, Jonathan! Hats off to you for following all these threads and for weaving them into a coherent narrative. I, too, need to sit down, concentrate & diagram this for a better understanding! Thank you!!💕
I didn’t get to this until today. It’s too early and I don’t do well with day-drinking, but I think I’ll need something while I re-read this, like the others have mentioned having to do.
There’s a slight typo in the para that begins with “Relied.” I’m fairly sure you meant to type “Relief,” as you were describing the relief effort being generated by, oh jeez — now I forget by whom … too much to absorb in the one reading. Will have another go at it later. Preferably with a beverage in hand. Great work. Just need more time with it.
Thanks for the typo catch! Sorry for sending so many people to the bar...
Jonathan, do you ever sleep? Holy cow that is a lot of dense information.
Featured in SpyWeek: https://www.spytalk.co/p/new-in-spyweek-leaks-and-piques
Thank you, Jeff! Folks should check out SpyTalk for comprehensive coverage of that world…!
I’m so glad you mentioned Curveball because as soon as you said the Venezuelan source was one disaffected guy, I immediately thought, “Wait, isn’t that how we got into Iraq?” Except this seems to be much worse.
It’s ridiculous and incredible that this alleged “source” had never heard of Tren de Aragua until late 2023. Just ask any police official in Colombia or Ecuador and they’ll tell you Tren de Aragua has been a problem gang for nearly a decade. Venezuelans in general of course know their security problems too.
Agree. How does a supposed expert on all things Latin America not know about a gang that well established?
"When Pres. Donald Trump [sic] rejected the U.S. intelligence assessment that the Venezuelan regime is not actually waging a covert war by deploying thousands of gang soldiers here, he didn’t say how he knew better."
* The Fulvous Fuckwad has no need for outside intelligence, his (fat) gut tells him everything he needs to know. He's his own best advisor; the whining little insects circling the human embodiment of explosive diarrhea are nothing more than lickspittle yes-women and yes-men who's entire raison d'être is to stroke the fragile ego of the Halloween Orange Hemorrhoid.
* Also of interest is that the world's foremost polymath ***knew*** that thousands of Tren de Aragua gangbangers had invaded the US before he had access to any info stamped "secret" or higher (I'm pretty sure that such an assessment would not be released to the general public, like the Corrupt Coral Coward was when he first started in on it).
-----
"The former CIA official, Gary Berntsen, says they had just a single source for the intel and names they first provided to Trump’s [sic] team."
Confirmation of intelligence is for wimps, cucks, girly-men, and Dems (but I'm being redundant mentioning Dems). A true expert can tell just by looking at the source of the intel and whatever docs are available whether or not they're being fed bovine scat or the straight skinny.
-----
"By Berntsen’s own account, he had been working on Venezuelan issues for years but hadn’t heard of Tren de Aragua until the latter half of 2023."
Can someone please explain how a street gang can go from being unknown to having thousands of members ready to go to war in the US in approximately two years, not to mention the thousands in other countries with the same marching orders? Especially for a self-described expert who has been studying "Venezuelan issues for years[?]"
-----
"One concern with the U.S. relying on external intel is that sources may have motive to lie, to cherry-pick or fabricate information to spur American action toward regime change."
Don't fash yourselves over the possibility that a Hum/Int source might cherry-pick the deets, or whether the info was fabricated. Even if it wasn't you can bet the ranch that the Butterscotch Bloviating Buffoon and his toadies will cherry-pick and lie through their teeth about what's in the report.
-----
"passed it all on to the Dept. of Homeland Security’s investigative agency (HSI) at an unspecified HSI office in Latin America. “They had never heard of Tren del Aragua, either,” Berntsen said"
Again I'll ask, how can professional intelligence agents not know about a growing paramilitary organization in their own backyard with the open intent to invade the US? Agents whose main mission is to protect the Homeland from just such invasions? Fire 'em all for blatant incompetence.
fnord