The Justice Department charged a former CIA official with stealing public money after an FBI raid on his Virginia home uncovered more than 300 gold bars and dozens of luxury watches, according to court documents. 
The FBI arrested David Rush earlier this month and charged him with theft of public money. Investigators say that Rush, who they describe as a senior employee at a government agency with top security clearance, had a stash of 303 gold bars, 35 luxury watches including Rolexes, and $2 million in cash at his home. 
Rush worked for the CIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/05/28/former-cia-official-arrested-embezzlement-hoarding-more-than-40-million-gold-bars/">reported</a>. 
From November 2025 to March 2026, Rush made several requests to the CIA to &#8220;obtain a significant quantity of foreign currency and tens of millions of dollars in gold bars for work-related expenses,” an affidavit from the FBI alleges. He received the currency and gold bars and an FBI search of where the currency was stored only showed a portion remained, the FBI said.
The CIA “has been unable to locate the gold bars or significant amounts of the foreign currency RUSH received pursuant to his requests or to identify the intended use of these funds” and has yet to locate any record “providing information to his employer regarding the disposition of the currency or gold bars that he received for work-related purposes,” the affidavit said. 
Rush’s home was raided on May 18 and he was subsequently arrested the next day. 
The FBI affidavit also accused Rush of providing “false information about his education and military service on his application” to the CIA. Investigators said Rush falsely claimed to have attended both Clemson University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Despite claiming to be a graduate of the United States Air Force Test Pilot School and running a test for a 145-person, 18-aircraft joint Army/Navy weapons test organization, the FBI said that records do not show that Rush &#8220;was ever a pilot for the Navy” and do not “indicate that he underwent any evaluations as a pilot.”
Investigators accused Rush of taking 744 hours of military leave on his official timesheet for about $77,000 in compensation that he should not have claimed. 
The FBI and CIA said in a statement that federal law enforcement had “arrested an individual following a referral from the Central Intelligence Agency. After a CIA internal investigation identified potential violations of the law, CIA Director John Ratcliffe referred the information to the FBI for a law enforcement investigation.”

Stack of gold bars

FBI Uncovers Secret Gold Stash During Raid Of Former CIA Officer’s Home

Department of Justice

Gold

An American intelligence assessment leaked to Axios Sunday claims the communist regime in Cuba is plotting an attack against Guantanamo Bay, American ships, and maybe even Key West, Florida.
The Cuban government has amassed more than 300 drones and has since started discussing using them to attack those sites, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/17/us-military-drones-cuba">Axios reported</a>, citing the intelligence. Axios did not provide any further specifics on the nature of the intelligence or where it came from.
Momentum toward a U.S. military action in Cuba appears to be surging, with the Axios report serving as the latest piece of the puzzle. Thursday, CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Cuba to warn them against attacking the United States, and told government officials that they must abandon their authoritarian system to receive sanctions relief.
The day before, it was reported the Department of Justice plans to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doj-plans-to-drop-the-hammer-on-former-cuban-president-as-trump-pressures-communist-nation?author=Brecca+Stoll&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=DOJ+Plans+To+Drop+The+Hammer+On+Former+Cuban+President+As+Trump+Pressures+Communist+Nation">unseal an indictment</a> against Cuban leader Raúl Castro for his alleged role in the 1996 shootdown of two humanitarian planes from Miami. The legal tactic mirrors that which was used against deposed Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, who the U.S. captured in January after indicting him for his role in narcotics trafficking.
U.S. officials say Cuba has been amassing drones for several years from Russia and Iran, with an increased number coming from Russia in the last month. An estimated 5,000 Cuban soldiers have fought for Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, with the Russian government paying Cuba a reported $25,000 per soldier. An official told Axios that the U.S. had intercepted communications that indicate the Cubans are trying to learn from Iran&#8217;s tactics in their ongoing war with the United States.
&#8220;When we think about those types of technologies being that close, and a range of bad actors from terror groups to drug cartels to Iranians to the Russians, it&#8217;s concerning,&#8221; a U.S. official told Axios.

Cuba Celebrates 65th Anniversary Of Fidel Castro’s Attack On The Moncada Barracks

US Intel Claims Cuba Is Plotting Attack Against American Homeland

Cuba

Military

A report alleging that the Central Intelligence Agency may have played a role in the killing of a Mexican cartel operative has raised new questions about the scope of the Trump administration’s increasingly aggressive campaign against transnational drug cartels.
On Tuesday, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/12/politics/cia-drug-cartels-deadly-operations-mexico">reported</a> — citing multiple anonymous sources — that CIA officers may have helped facilitate the March 28 killing of Francisco Beltran, an alleged mid-level operative linked to the Sinaloa Cartel. Beltran, known by the alias “El Payin,” was killed when an explosive device detonated inside his vehicle while he was traveling on a major highway outside Mexico City. The blast also killed his driver.
According to the report, the strike was allegedly part of a previously unreported expansion of covert U.S. operations inside Mexico, with the CIA’s elite Ground Branch taking part in efforts to dismantle cartel infrastructure. The report claimed that in recent months, agency personnel have participated in several operations targeting cartel figures, sometimes providing intelligence support and, in some cases, allegedly playing a more direct role in lethal actions.
Those claims, however, remain based entirely on anonymous sourcing and have been disputed by officials on both sides of the border.
The CIA issued a rare public denial after publication, with spokeswoman Liz Lyons <a href="https://x.com/CIASpox/status/2054339789243949430?s=20">calling the story</a> “false and salacious reporting.” The Mexican government also moved quickly to reject the allegations. Security Secretary Omar García Harfuch said in a <a href="https://x.com/oharfuch/status/2054325906945237339?s=46">public statement on X</a> that Mexico “categorically rejects any version that seeks to normalize, justify, or suggest the existence of lethal, covert, or unilateral operations by foreign agencies on national territory.”
A follow-up <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/12/world/americas/mexico-cia-cartels.html?login=google&amp;auth=login-google">report</a> from the New York Times offered a narrower account of the same incident. Citing former U.S. officials and others briefed on the operation — also anonymously — the Times reported that the CIA may have supplied intelligence on Beltran’s whereabouts and assisted with planning, but that American personnel were not on the ground and were not directly involved when Mexican authorities carried out the strike.
That distinction could prove significant. U.S. and Mexican officials have publicly acknowledged deepening intelligence cooperation against cartels, including surveillance and targeting support, but both governments have consistently denied that American operatives are conducting direct combat or assassination missions inside Mexico.
The controversy comes as the Trump administration has openly escalated its rhetoric against cartels after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-formally-designates-8-cartels-gangs-as-terrorist-organizations">designating</a> several major trafficking organizations as foreign terrorist groups early into his second term. Trump has repeatedly threatened unilateral action inside Mexico, saying the U.S. would act if the Mexican government failed to dismantle the criminal groups operating along the border.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has rejected the possibility of U.S. troops operating on Mexican soil, though her government has continued to accept intelligence-sharing arrangements with Washington. That delicate arrangement has faced growing strain in recent months as the administration expands its anti-cartel operations and increases pressure on Mexico to cooperate.
Whether Beltran’s death marks the first public glimpse of a more active phase in that campaign remains uncertain. For now, the episode highlights the murky and increasingly high-stakes nature of the U.S. campaign against organized narco-terrorism, where intelligence cooperation, sovereignty disputes, and anonymous leaks are colliding in public view.

The seal of the Central Intelligence Agency is displayed in

Is The CIA Ramping Up Anti-Cartel Operations Inside Mexico?

Drugs

narco-terrorism

Politics

A CIA assessment presented to Trump administration officials this week reportedly found that Iran still possesses roughly 70% of its prewar missile stockpile even after weeks of U.S. and Israeli strikes.
The Islamic regime also retains about 75% of its mobile launchers, according to a report from <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com">The Washington Post</a>. An intelligence source familiar with the analysis confirmed its existence to The Daily Wire.
American intelligence officials believe Tehran has managed to reopen underground storage facilities, repair damaged missiles, and continue assembling weapons that were near completion before the conflict began.
Before the war, Iran was believed to possess roughly 2,500 missiles and thousands of drones, according to the Post. Despite launching repeated attacks against Israel, neighboring Arab countries, and U.S. military sites in the region, much of that arsenal appears to remain intact.
The findings appear to conflict with comments President Donald Trump made on Wednesday, when he said Iran’s missile capabilities had been largely “decimated.” 
“Their missiles are mostly decimated, they have some, they have probably 18, 19 percent,” Trump said in the Oval Office. “Not a lot by comparison to what they had.”
Iran fired roughly 650 missiles <a href="https://www.ajc.org/news/the-iran-strikes-explained-how-we-got-here-and-what-it-means">at Israel</a> during the latest conflict and another 549 ballistic missiles at the United Arab Emirates, including several launched this week despite a ceasefire remaining in effect. According to the <a href="https://x.com/modgovae/status/2051377052998332472?s=20">UAE Ministry of Defense</a>, the attacks have killed 13 people and injured 227 others.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell defended the administration’s handling of the conflict.
“Operation Epic Fury was an overwhelming success, with our forces executing the mission with unmatched precision and achieving every objective set by the President from the outset,” Parnell said in a statement provided to The Daily Wire. “This success follows Operation Midnight Hammer last year, which completely obliterated Iran’s nuclear capabilities and demonstrated exactly what American military strength looks like.”
One U.S. official cited by the Post warned that Iran may be more capable of enduring a prolonged conflict than the CIA’s assessment suggests.
“The leadership has gotten more radical, determined and increasingly confident they can outlast U.S. political will and sustain domestic repression to check any resistance” inside Iran, the official said. “Comparatively, you see similar regimes lasting years under sustained embargoes and airpower-only wars.”
The CIA assessment also found Iran may be able to withstand the current U.S. naval blockade for several more months, though the restrictions have sharply reduced oil exports and strained the regime&#8217;s economy.  
Still, the blockade has sharply reduced Iran’s oil exports and placed mounting pressure on the regime’s economy. Experts say Tehran’s remaining options are limited: consume excess oil domestically, store it, or shut down production altogether — each carrying major economic consequences. Production shutdowns, in particular, can permanently damage oil wells and reduce long-term output.
During active fighting with the United States — but before the blockade fully took hold — Iran continued exporting crude through its illicit “ghost fleet,” averaging roughly 2.1 million barrels per day between April 1 and April 13, consistent with prewar levels, according to <a href="https://www.unitedagainstnucleariran.com/blog/iran-war-shipping-update-april-30-2026">The Wall Street Journal</a>. After the blockade intensified, exports reportedly fell to approximately 567,000 barrels per day.
The regime’s desperation became increasingly visible in recent weeks. According to United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), Tehran recently reactivated the Nasha, a derelict 30-year-old tanker that had sat idle for years, repurposing it to store oil offshore. Satellite imagery reportedly showed the vessel loading crude near Kharg Island on April 26 before departing days later.
The White House disputed suggestions that the military campaign had fallen short.
“During Operation Epic Fury, Iran was crushed militarily,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement to the Post. “Now, they are being strangled economically by Operation Economic Fury and losing $500 million per day thanks to the United States Military’s successful blockade of Iranian ports. The Iranian regime knows full well their current reality is not sustainable, and President Trump holds all the cards as negotiators work to make a deal.”
Meanwhile, the United States and Iran are reportedly moving closer to a potential agreement aimed at ending the conflict and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, though Iran has yet to respond to the Trump administration’s latest offer. The proposed framework is a one-page plan that would formally declare the war over and begin a 30-day negotiation period focused on Iran’s nuclear program, the unfreezing of Iranian assets, and reopening the vital shipping lane.

TOPSHOT-IRAN-DEFENCE

CIA Assessment Counters Trump Claim On Iran Missile Losses

Donald Trump

Iran

The CIA and U.S. military may have employed a secret, never-before-used technology to rescue the second American airman stranded behind Iranian enemy lines.
On April 3, Iran shot down an F-15E Strike Eagle during Operation Epic Fury, triggering a dramatic search-and-rescue mission to save the two crew members.
The pilot was found and rescued in “broad daylight,” but finding the weapons systems officer (WSO) proved far more difficult.
For nearly 48 hours, a &#8220;<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116351956955900185">seriously wounded</a>&#8221; American colonel evaded capture by scaling a ridge and hiding inside a mountain crevice as Iranian forces worked to close in on his position, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-everything-we-know-about-the-daring-mission-to-save-an-american-warfighter-in-iran">The Daily Wire previously reported</a>.
President Donald Trump later described the mission as an &#8220;Easter Miracle,&#8221; <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/exclusive-trump-reacts-to-easter-miracle-rescue-of-downed-u-s-airman-260734533647">according to NBC News</a>.
Speculation about how the United States ultimately located the airman has drawn attention online. The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/04/07/us-news/ghost-murmur-a-never-used-secret-tool-deployed-to-find-lost-airman-in-iran-in-daring-mission/">reported</a> that the CIA used a classified system known as &#8220;Ghost Murmur&#8221; to detect the airman&#8217;s heartbeat from dozens of miles away. In a recent <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrRJimixWEc">podcast</a>, Joe Rogan and guest Duncan Trussell discussed the technology.
“This is science fiction. This is full minority report, science fiction-level technology. We can find a guy&#8217;s heart rate,&#8221; Rogan said. &#8220;What sick f*ck invented this?”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Joe Rogan: “CIA found the pilot who got shot in Iran by using classified tech called Ghost Murmur and AI that detects human heartbeats up to 40 miles away. What sick f*ck invented this. What else don’t they tell us?”<a href="https://t.co/A3L9fge3CT">pic.twitter.com/A3L9fge3CT</a>
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) <a href="https://twitter.com/DefiantLs/status/2042391861311258724?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
&#8220;They find this guy&#8217;s &#8230; heartbeat, he&#8217;s hiding in some kind of crevice, and then they&#8217;re able to go extract him,&#8221; Trussell told Rogan. &#8220;Heartbeat says a lot about a person — are they sleeping? Are they like in good shape, bad shape? Bet you can learn so much from a heartbeat.&#8221;
The classified technology &#8220;uses long-range quantum magnetometry to find the electromagnetic signal of a human heartbeat,&#8221; <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/04/07/us-news/ghost-murmur-a-never-used-secret-tool-deployed-to-find-lost-airman-in-iran-in-daring-mission/">according to the Post</a>, &#8220;and pairs the data with artificial intelligence software to isolate the signature from background noise.&#8221;
“It’s like hearing a voice in a stadium, except the stadium is a thousand square miles of desert,” a <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/04/07/us-news/ghost-murmur-a-never-used-secret-tool-deployed-to-find-lost-airman-in-iran-in-daring-mission/">s</a><a href="https://nypost.com/2026/04/07/us-news/ghost-murmur-a-never-used-secret-tool-deployed-to-find-lost-airman-in-iran-in-daring-mission/">ource told the Post.</a> “In the right conditions, if your heart is beating, we will find you.”
CIA Director Jon Ratcliffe did not confirm specifics, but referenced advanced capabilities during a White House press briefing, calling the tools used in the operation &#8220;exquisite&#8221; and unlike anything possessed by other intelligence services.
He described the rescue as a &#8220;race against the clock,&#8221; comparing it to &#8220;hunting a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert.&#8221;
Ratcliffe also said the CIA carried out a deception campaign to mislead Iranian forces searching for the downed airman, adding that U.S. intelligence indicates Iran was &#8220;embarrassed&#8221; and &#8220;humiliated&#8221; by the outcome of the mission.
Not everyone is convinced of the government&#8217;s account or the powers behind the alleged technology.
Scientific American, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-is-the-quantum-ghost-murmur-purportedly-used-in-iran-scientists/">a popular science magazine</a>, spoke to researchers with expertise in magnetic fields, who describe the story &#8220;as almost certainly not true,&#8221; claiming the described ability of Ghost Murmur &#8220;finds no support in decades of peer-reviewed physics.&#8221;
Chad Orzel, a professor of physics at Union College, said to detect a heartbeat, a Ghost Murmur device would have to sort through more than the Earth&#8217;s natural magnetic field, but with “the heartbeats of the sheep and dogs and jackrabbits—whatever else is running around out there,” according to Scientific American.
&#8220;Quantum atomic transitions obey classical antenna physics,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/AetherCzar/status/2042192828940394668?s=20">Hans G. Schantz</a>, scientist and engineer, posted on X. &#8220;Vastly superior performance, such as that attributed to Ghost Murmur, defies the known behavior of quantum systems.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Quantum atomic transitions obey classical antenna physics. Vastly superior performance, such as that attributed to Ghost Murmur, defies the known behavior of quantum systems. <a href="https://t.co/1U0Ephx05z">https://t.co/1U0Ephx05z</a> <a href="https://t.co/IAqdpGaHe3">https://t.co/IAqdpGaHe3</a>
— Hans G. Schantz (@AetherCzar) <a href="https://twitter.com/AetherCzar/status/2042192828940394668?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
“Somebody yanking a reporter’s chain,” Orzel told Scientific American. &#8220;It could be a &#8216;snarky, clever way to say, ‘Of course, I’m not going to tell you how we figured this out.&#8221;
The Daily Wire reached out to alleged Ghost Murmur developer Lockheed Martin, but we have received no reply as of publication.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
BREAKING🚨: The CIA just revealed its game-changing secret weapon: “Ghost Murmur” — an AI-powered tool that can detect a human heartbeat from MILES away.
It was used for the first time in the field to locate and rescue the downed U.S. airman stranded in Iran, according to the… <a href="https://t.co/OmkdFDfNSq">pic.twitter.com/OmkdFDfNSq</a>
— Officer Lew (@officer_Lew) <a href="https://twitter.com/officer_Lew/status/2041646461411094841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2026</a></blockquote>

Human Heart

Did CIA Use Covert Tech To Find Lost Airman?

Global Politics

Joe Rogan

Technology

World

CIA Director John Ratcliffe said during a Wednesday hearing that the United States had moved on the Iranian regime in part because of the &#8220;alarming&#8221; rate at which Iran was building and stockpiling weapons that could have eventually been fired at Americans or American allies.
Ratcliffe took questions from members of the Senate Intelligence Committee on the reasons President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration had viewed Iran as an imminent threat, saying the regime had been pressing onward with missile development at a rate that American defenses would not have been able to match.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: According to CIA Director Ratcliffe, Iran was developing missiles “at rates that were alarming” and faster than the United States could build defenses. <a href="https://t.co/AXrGBsgtfM">pic.twitter.com/AXrGBsgtfM</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/2034300261104033882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
When asked by Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) whether Iran was continuing production of both short and midrange ballistic missiles, Ratcliffe&#8217;s answer was a definitive yes.
&#8220;Yes &#8230; continuing to develop them, and at rates that were alarming,&#8221; Ratcliffe confirmed.
&#8220;And what about our ability to respond to those? We have very good defensive capabilities, but it takes time for us to build our defensive capabilities,&#8221; Rounds continued. &#8220;Were they building their offensive capabilities while they were negotiating with us at a faster rate than we could build defensive capabilities?&#8221;
&#8220;Yes,&#8221; Ratcliffe declared.
&#8220;Were they continuing to work at and deliver additional resources to terrorist organizations that were affiliated with them in the region?&#8221; Rounds pressed onward.
&#8220;Yes,&#8221; was Ratcliffe&#8217;s reply.
Rounds noted once again that all of this was taking place while Iran was supposedly negotiating with the United States.
&#8220;So in other words, while they were supposedly diplomatically working with us during that entire time, they were continuing with regard to their nuclear intentions, they were building additional missile systems to deliver — or conventional weapons systems — to threaten their neighbors,&#8221; Rounds pieced it all together, saying that the end result could have been far more dangerous when eventually the United States would have been forced to go in and &#8220;clean&#8221; things up.
Rounds further stated that he agreed with the Trump administration&#8217;s assessment that, if such a thing were possible, it would be &#8220;safer&#8221; for the United States to deal with the threat posed by Iran before such capabilities could be fully realized.
&#8220;I agree with that,&#8221; Ratcliffe said.

Missiles, drones, satellite-carrying rockets and air defence systems on display in Iran

CIA Director Lifts Lid On What Iran Was Quietly Building At Blistering Pace

CIA Director: Iran Was Making Weapons At An 'Alarming' Rate, U.S. Defenses Couldn't Keep Up

John Ratcliffe

Senate Intelligence Committee

Before the missiles ever lit up the Tehran sky, the hunt was already over.
For months, U.S. intelligence officials were quietly tracking the movements of Iran’s most powerful men, piecing together a detailed picture of where and when they would gather. Analysts monitored patterns, locations, and leadership schedules — waiting for a rare window when the regime’s top figures would be in one place at the same time.
That window came early Saturday morning in Tehran, when senior political and military leaders assembled inside a heavily guarded compound housing the offices of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the presidency, and the Supreme National Security Council.
According to The New York Times, citing people familiar with the operation and officials briefed on the intelligence, the CIA had tracked Khamenei for months and passed what&#8217;s described as “high fidelity” intelligence on his location to Israel ahead of the strike. U.S. and Israeli officials reportedly adjusted the timing of the operation after learning that multiple senior leaders would be gathered together.
Israel had assessed that those expected at the compound included Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander-in-chief Mohammad Pakpour, Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh, Military Council head Admiral Ali Shamkhani, IRGC Aerospace Force commander Majid Mousavi, and Deputy Intelligence Minister Mohammad Shirazi, among others.
Around 8 a.m. Tehran time, Israeli fighter jets reportedly took off, armed with long-range precision munitions. Roughly two hours later, missiles struck multiple locations in Tehran, including the leadership compound.
Senior national security officials were gathered in one building, while Khamenei was in another nearby structure, the Times reported. An Israeli defense official claimed that the strike was “carried out simultaneously at several locations in Tehran,” adding that Israel achieved “tactical surprise” despite Iranian preparations for war.
Iran’s state news agency IRNA also confirmed Sunday the deaths of several senior military figures Israel said it targeted, including Shamkhani, Pakpour, and Nasirzadeh.
Hours after Khamenei’s death was confirmed and Iran’s leadership reeled from the blow, Tehran unleashed a volley of retaliatory missiles and rockets toward Israel — fulfilling vows from Iranian officials to launch the “fiercest offensive in history” in response to what they called an unprovoked attack and the killing of their supreme leader. The strikes triggered sustained air-raid sirens across Israeli cities, forcing residents into shelters as air defenses worked overtime.
As of the latest reports, Israeli rescue services and military officials have said that at least ten people have been killed on Israeli soil from Iran’s retaliation — including civilians in Beit Shemesh and Tel Aviv — and dozens more wounded across central and southern regions as a result of incoming missiles and intercept debris.
Last June, as plans were being discussed to potentially strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, President Donald Trump said the United States knew where Khamenei was hiding and could have killed him. At the time, Trump referred to the Iranian regime as “evil,” underscoring how he viewed the leadership in Tehran.
Months of surveillance and intelligence coordination converged in a strike that reshaped Iran’s power structure in a matter of minutes — and ignited one of the most volatile escalations in Middle East history.

Precision From The Shadows — How The CIA Locked In On Khamenei And An ‘Evil’ Regime

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

CIA Director John Ratcliffe met with interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez on Thursday in Caracas to discuss economic cooperation and intensifying efforts against drug trafficking, a U.S. official confirmed to The Daily Wire. 
The official told The Daily Wire that the meeting focused on &#8220;trust building measures and laying the groundwork for continued communication and room for collaboration between the two governments.&#8221; Rodriguez, who spoke with President Donald Trump during a phone call on Wednesday, became the interim leader of Venezuela after American forces captured dictator Nicolás Maduro.
“At President Trump’s direction, Director Ratcliffe traveled to Venezuela to meet with interim President Delcy Rodriguez to deliver the message that the United States looks forward to an improved working relationship,&#8221; a U.S. official told The Daily Wire. &#8220;During the meeting in Caracas, Director Ratcliffe discussed potential opportunities for economic collaboration and that Venezuela can no longer be a safe haven for America’s adversaries, especially narcotraffickers.”
The official added that the trip was part of the continuation of Trump&#8217;s &#8220;aggressive foreign policy.&#8221; Ratcliffe and &#8220;a small team&#8221; met with Rodriguez and other Venezuelan officials for about two hours, according to the official. Ratcliffe reiterated the need for Venezuela to crack down on drug trafficking, including the violent Tren de Aragua. The official added that the trip showed Ratcliffe is willing to take risks.
The New York Times was the first outlet to report on the trip.
Before Maduro&#8217;s capture, the CIA carried out a reported strike on a Venezuelan port that U.S. officials said was used to load drugs onto boats bound for North America.
Earlier this month, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-leverages-oil-deal-to-make-venezuela-buy-american">announced</a> a controversial oil deal with Venezuela in which the country would provide the United States with between 30 million and 50 million barrels of sanctioned crude oil. With the money made from oil sales, Trump said that Venezuela would purchase American agricultural, medical, and electrical equipment. 
Ratcliffe’s meeting with Rodriguez came after Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-ends-up-with-nobel-after-all-as-venezuelas-machado-gifts-prize-at-white-house">met</a> with Venezuela opposition leader María Corina Machado. 
“María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done,&#8221; said Trump. &#8220;Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you, María!”
Top Trump officials have reiterated the administration’s commitment to long-term democratic elections in Venezuela; however, the president has not set a timeline for when elections might take place.
​​“We have to fix the country first. You can’t have an election. There’s no way the people could even vote,” Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-predicts-quick-but-expensive-venezuela-oil-rebuild-we-have-to-nurse-the-country-back?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=23&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Predicts+Quick%2C+But+Expensive+Venezuela+Oil+Rebuild%3A+‘We+Have+To+Nurse+The+Country+Back’">said</a> in an interview last week. “No, it’s going to take a period of time. We have to nurse the country back to health.”

US Seizes Russia-Flagged Tanker After Chase Across Atlantic

CIA Director Meets With Venezuela’s Interim Leader As U.S. Shifts Policy

Nicolas Maduro

Venezuela

A man who says he was acting as security for now-captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro says the force demonstrated by American troops was unlike anything he had ever seen, and that the Venezuelan forces were no competition.
Speaking in Spanish, the man says the Americans came in undetected by Maduro security and killed hundreds of men, despite the fact that they were badly outnumbered.
&#8220;Those 20 men killed hundreds of their men, and none of those [American] soldiers were injured,&#8221; a man translating the Venezuelan insider said.
&#8220;It was a massacre,&#8221; the insider detailed. &#8220;We were hundreds, but we had no chance. They were shooting with such precision and speed &#8230; it seemed like each soldier was firing 300 rounds per minute. We couldn&#8217;t do anything.&#8221;
The man said the Americans were using technology that cemented the mismatch, including the use of what he described as &#8220;a very intense sound wave.&#8221;
&#8220;Suddenly I felt like my head was exploding from the inside,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We all started bleeding from the nose. Some were vomiting blood. We fell to the ground, unable to move.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
An insider from Venezuela’s security forces says US troops were like nothing they’d ever seen — overwhelming firepower, advanced tech, total dominance. After Trump’s Fox News warning on taking on the cartels, Latin America is watching how powerful US forces truly are. 🇺🇸🇻🇪”
⸻… <a href="https://t.co/GKqlkDDcRw">pic.twitter.com/GKqlkDDcRw</a>
— Anttsinc (@anttsinc) <a href="https://twitter.com/anttsinc/status/2009643118748946647?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2026</a></blockquote>
The account from the perspective of Venezuelans has been highlighted by many, including White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, as a warning to anyone daring to engage the United States military. The details of the 88 minute raid on Venezuela have been outlined by American military officials, who say it was one of the most complex missions ever pulled off by the country.
&#8220;Those twenty men, without a single casualty, killed hundreds of us,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;We had no way to compete with their technology, with their weapons. I swear, I&#8217;ve never seen anything like it. We couldn&#8217;t even stand up after that sonic weapon or whatever it was.&#8221;
WATCH: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/how-to-take-out-a-dictator-in-88-minutes?contentProgram=How%20to%20Take%20Out%20a%20Dictator%20in%2088%20Minutes&amp;contentType=Video&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;location=Home%20Tab&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Home%20Featured%20Carousel">How to Take Out a Dictator in 88 Minutes</a>
The insider said the rest of the world should think twice before messing with the United States.
&#8220;I&#8217;m sending a warning to anyone who thinks they can fight the United States,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They have no idea what they&#8217;re capable of. After what I saw, I never want to be on the other side of that again. They&#8217;re not to be messed with.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gWNuS0tRVbY?si=g5fgPtdQmgGZzOXO" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
The man said Mexico is already reevaluating its actions with the United States. &#8220;No one wants to go through what we went through,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Now everyone thinks twice. What happened here is going to change a lot of things, not just in Venezuela but throughout the region.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨This account from a Venezuelan security guard loyal to Nicolás Maduro is absolutely chilling—and it explains a lot about why the tone across Latin America suddenly changed.
Security Guard: On the day of the operation, we didn&#8217;t hear anything coming. We were on guard, but… <a href="https://t.co/392mQuakYV">pic.twitter.com/392mQuakYV</a>
— Mike Netter (@nettermike) <a href="https://twitter.com/nettermike/status/2009843044028428714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
&nbsp;

Screenshot 2026-01-10 at 1.53.20 PM

‘I’ve Never Seen Anything Like It’: Maduro’s Security Guard Lays Out What It’s Like Facing U.S. Military

'We Couldn't Even Stand': Maduro Security Details Unbelievable American Force During Venezuela Op

Trump Administration

The Biden administration justified bringing the suspect in the shooting of two National Guard members, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, over to the United States because he had worked with U.S. government entities, including the CIA, in Afghanistan, according to CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
Lakanwal, 29, who entered the U.S. as part of the Biden administration&#8217;s Operation Allies Welcome, allegedly shot the National Guard members only blocks from the White House, leaving them in critical condition.
“In the wake of the disastrous Biden withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Biden administration justified bringing the alleged shooter to the United States in September 2021 due to his prior work with the U.S. government, including CIA, as a member of a partner force in Kandahar, which ended shortly following the chaotic evacuation,” Ratcliffe told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/who-dc-national-guardsmen-shooting-suspect-what-know-about-afghan-national-rahmanullah-lakanwal">Fox News Digital</a>.
On September 3, 2021, then-Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas <a href="applewebdata://081DAEB6-AD7B-4068-B92F-3A46194A02BF/v">introduced</a> Operation Allies Welcome, saying it was “the ongoing effort to bring Americans home, and to bring vulnerable Afghans to the United States and support their resettlement.  The President of the United States has the authority to designate a federal agency to lead a federal response.  Last Friday, he designated the Department of Homeland Security as the lead federal agency to coordinate Operation Allies Welcome to help ensure unity of effort, clear roles and responsibilities, synchronized priorities, and effective coordination across the federal government.”
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“The federal government has been focused on the screening and vetting of individuals evacuated from Afghanistan,” he continued. “The Department of Homeland Security remains ever vigilant against attempts by foreign adversaries to exploit vulnerable populations as a means of gaining access to the U.S. for nefarious purposes.  Consequently, as part of a collaborative, interagency effort that includes DHS, the Departments of Defense and State, the FBI, the National Counterterrorism Center, and other agencies, the Federal Government has established a robust screening and vetting architecture with the dual goals of protecting the homeland and providing protections for vulnerable Afghans.”
“We have a moral imperative to protect them, to support those who have supported this Nation,” he stated. “We have an obligation to do so in a way that protects our national security and preserves public safety.”

John Ratcliffe faces Senate Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing

National Guardsmen Shooting Suspect Worked With The CIA, Agency Head Says

Afghanistan

Crime

Joe Biden

National Guard

Shooting

The Trump administration quietly greenlit a covert CIA operation in Venezuela against socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro, the New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/us/politics/trump-covert-cia-action-venezuela.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> Wednesday.
The CIA will now be authorized to carry out lethal operations in Venezuela, according to the news outlet. It is not clear, however, if there are any looming plans against Maduro or his regime.
President Donald Trump <a href="https://x.com/OrlvndoA/status/1978557056878514557" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> the plan during a press conference Wednesday, stating that he authorized enhanced action over Venezuela’s role in criminal migrants crossing the southern border and the trafficking of lethal drugs killing Americans.
“They’ve allowed thousands and thousands of prisoners, people from mental institutions, insane asylums emptied out into the United States, we’re bring[ing] them back. But that’s a really bad thing,” Trump said, adding, “Many, many countries have done it, but not like Venezuela, they were down and dirty.”
Trump also said that the United States will not only interdict drugs at sea, but also “by land.”
“We have a lot of drugs coming in from Venezuela and a lot of the Venezuelan drugs come through the sea, so you get to see that, but we&#8217;re gonna stop them by land also.”
“I think Venezuela’s feeling heat, but I think a lot of other countries are feeling heat too. We’re not going to let this country, our country, be ruined because other people want to drop their worst. They have given us their worst, they&#8217;ve loaded up our country with prisoners, with mentally ill people that are seriously ill, criminally ill, and we&#8217;re not gonna take it,” Trump said.
The Trump administration is already beefing up the presence of troops in the region, according to the Times.
Most of the 10,000 U.S. troops stationed in the Caribbean are currently in Puerto Rico, while some Marines are on amphibious assault ships and a submarine in the region.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-takes-out-another-boat-in-caribbean-killing-four-suspected-narco-terrorists" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump</a> administration has taken out several drug cartel vessels in recent months, killing 27 suspected narco-terrorists in five kinetic strikes.
Maduro has called the strikes “a military attack on civilians who were not at war and were not militarily threatening any country,” while accusing the Trump administration of “seeking a regime change” in Venezuela.
Wes Tabor, who was in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s office in Caracas in 2012, recently told The Daily Wire that the Trump administration is “squeezing” the drug cartels.
“The permissive environment they long enjoyed is evaporating,” he said.
The United States has also offered a $50,000 <a href="https://www.state.gov/nicolas-maduro-moros" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reward</a> for information leading to Maduro’s arrest and conviction on drug trafficking charges, citing his alleged ties to transnational gangs and cartels.
Earlier this month, President Trump called for an end to diplomatic talks with the Maduro regime over the dictator’s refusal to step down from power, according to the Times.
<div>
<div></div>
</div>

VENEZUELA-MADURO-SECOND-TERM-INAUGURATION

Trump Administration Authorizes Covert CIA Action In Venezuela

It has been 24 years since the deadly attacks on the U.S. that unleashed a decade-long war against Al-Qaeda and the hunt for its leader. Those who fought that war and participated in that hunt should be remembered and honored for it. 
I had the privilege to play a small role in the endgame of that search as we delivered justice to the killer of so many innocents. It is also good to commemorate the Americans who fell in battles with Al Qaeda before we acknowledged that we were, in fact, at war with that terrorist organization. Those pre-9/11 clashes included the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center and the 1998 bombings of the American Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. 
It was the Al Qaeda assault on the USS Cole in 2000, however, that is seen as a precursor to September 11, 2001.
In 1779, when a British officer demanded the surrender of the USS Bonhomme Richard, John Paul Jones — founder of the American Navy — famously retorted, “I have not yet begun to fight.” That retort has been the credo of American sailors ever since. And it epitomized the reaction of every crew member aboard the USS Cole to the attack on their ship.
Now, 25 years after the surprise attack, Big Media and DailyWire+ bring you &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTvFDubU86g">USS Cole: Al Qaeda&#8217;s Strike Before 9/11.</a>&#8221; The three-part documentary captures the crew&#8217;s courage, professionalism, and sacrifice during and after the assault on their ship.
<div id="attachment_981571" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/uss-cole-al-qaeda-s-strike-before-9-11-official-trailer"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-981571" class="size-large wp-image-981571" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/USS-Cole-16x9-keyart-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/USS-Cole-16x9-keyart-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/USS-Cole-16x9-keyart-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/USS-Cole-16x9-keyart-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/USS-Cole-16x9-keyart-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/USS-Cole-16x9-keyart.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>DailyWire+</div>
The documentary also provides insights into the efforts of the skipper of the USS Cole, Commander Kirk S. Lippold, and other military professionals, who navigate the limitations placed on their abilities to respond to terror threats in the pre-9/11 era, which are at once fascinating and deeply unsettling. Finally, the show documents the comprehensive investigation and relentless pursuit of the perpetrators in the wake of the attack.
The Al Qaeda attack on the Cole occurred on October 12, 2000. The U.S. Navy destroyer was making a routine refueling stop at the Port of Aden, Yemen, when a small boat carrying concealed explosives approached the port side of the ship. The two men on board made friendly gestures to sailors on the Cole, and then detonated their lethal cargo. The resulting blast tore a 40-foot-wide hole in the hull near the galley, at a time when many crew members were lining up for lunch. The explosion killed 17 personnel on the ship and injured 40 others. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the attack, which had been coordinated by operatives who had trained in Afghanistan.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="USS COLE: Al Qaeda’s Strike Before 9/11 | Official Trailer" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eTvFDubU86g?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
As shown in the Big Media production, the crew of the Cole responded to the attack with extraordinary bravery and professionalism, working to triage injured shipmates and to deal with the extensive damage to the vessel. Within minutes of the explosion, medical personnel were rescuing, treating, and evacuating the wounded, many of whom were trapped under collapsed bulkheads. Sailors, a number of whom were badly injured themselves, fought flooding and fires for more than 96 hours, working without adequate sleep or food, often in total darkness and with the threat of further explosions. They did this despite the loss of key leaders, demonstrating great technical skill and courage in extremely hazardous conditions. With the assistance of nearby British Royal Navy ships and medical aid from the French military, the crew members saved the lives of injured shipmates and kept their ship from sinking. Later transported back to the U.S. for repair, the Cole remains in service with the Navy today.
&#8220;USS Cole: Al Qaeda&#8217;s Strike Before 9/11&#8221; also recounts the FBI investigation into the attack on the Cole. The Bureau dispatched more than 100 agents, lab technicians, and counterterrorism personnel to Yemen. Working with local authorities, FBI officers conducted witness interviews and collected evidence that resulted in a determination that Al Qaeda was, indeed, responsible for the Cole attack. In fact, it was tied to an abortive attempt to bomb another Navy ship, the USS The Sullivans, in January 2000. By the end of 2000, two men suspected of masterminding the bombing were arrested. Both subsequently escaped from Yemeni jails but were later killed in separate American airstrikes.
Another planner of the attack, captured in 2002, was shipped to Guantanamo Bay, where he was charged with responsibility for the Cole bombing and other terror-related offenses. Additional investigations and prosecutions identified numerous unindicted Al Qaeda co-conspirators. U.S. authorities have continuously pursued the remaining suspects. 
The lessons learned from the ordeal of the USS Cole and the investigations resulted in significant changes to U.S. Navy force protection protocols and U.S. counterterrorism policy. The documentary raises a key question over whether one of the key factors that contributed to the successful terrorist bombing of the Cole — and to the 9/11 attack — was that we were paying attention to things that distracted us from the threat.
Before the first plane struck the World Trade Center, we, as a nation, had not yet begun to fight. But the men and women of the USS Cole already had. And it is right that we should honor and remember them for it. In its portrayal of their courage, heroism, and sacrifice, the Big Media telling of their story does just that.
* * *
Mark Kelton is the former CIA Chief of Counterintelligence.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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