From: the.happy.hippy.nntp@ntlworld.invalid   
      
   https://news.sky.com/story/trumps-venezuela-drug-bust-shows-hes-   
   ither-misinformed-or-has-another-motive-13457711   
      
      
      
   There are a few reasons to doubt the American government's stated aim of   
   wiping out these so-called "narco terrorist" gangs threatening the US from   
   Venezuela, even after one takes out of the equation the sort of equipment the   
   military is deploying -    
   which isn't what they would need for effective drug smuggling interdiction.   
      
   While the president acknowledges that the synthetic opioid fentanyl is a huge   
   killer in the US (which it is) and is supplied by drug gangs (which it is), to   
   blame Venezuela for fentanyl production is simply incorrect.   
      
   Mexican cartels produce fentanyl with precursors largely supplied from China,   
   and it is from Mexico that the fentanyl is smuggled directly into the US   
   across its southern border.   
      
   Venezuela isn't involved in this fentanyl business in any meaningful way   
      
   President Trump claims these boats from Venezuela are heading to the US, but   
   in reality they are mainly heading to the nearby islands of Trinidad and   
   Tobago, and from there they largely go to West Africa and Europe - mostly   
   Spain and Portugal.   
      
   Drugs heading to America either pass through Mexico over the border into the   
   US or are transported via the Pacific Ocean route through countries like   
   Ecuador. In this instance, Venezuela isn't involved.   
      
   So one can only conclude he is either mistaken and misinformed, or he has   
   another motive. I suspect it is the latter, and that regime change in   
   Venezuela is top of the list.   
      
   It's hard to imagine that getting rid of an 'unfriendly' leader in a country   
   with huge oil reserves, to bring in a 'friendly' leader in the opposition who   
   they can do business with, is not part of their equation.   
      
      
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)