What happened in Venezuela is much bigger than what most folks imagine. It is described as a law enforcement issue. And it is. But that is not its’ main purpose. It is not about drugs and cartels, though it will have a major effect on trafficking. It is not about oil – at least not oil for the US. But what this looks like is a major strategic power play to ensure American dominance it what is the US’s perceived sphere of influence: The Western Hemisphere. And it will greatly change the global balance of power. This is about American Empire
The move is all about China and Russia and Iran and America’s place in the world. It is a move against the forces that oppose America and at the same time, against the Globalist New World Order. It is bold and it is fraught with danger. And maybe for the first time, this is open and honest about America’s role in the world.
CHINA’S STAKE – China has had a footprint in Venezuela for decades. Martin Armstrong: “China became Venezuela’s largest oil purchaser through oil-for-debt deals. Socialism failed, and the nation was desperate for funds, especially after being ostracized from Western trade. Beijing supplied Venezuela with credit in exchange for heavily discounted crude. China’s access to cheap oil from Venezuela came to a sudden halt after the US takeover.” The Chicoms were getting about 778,000 barrels of oil per day. Venezuela was paying off a debt estimated at $19 billion secured by Venezuelan oil futures. If the US shuts down the oil trade for Beijing, they will face a major shortfall.[i] Clayton Morris of Redacted called this “the biggest game of geopolitical poker we’ve seen in years: the US vs. China/BRICS, a battle over minerals, supply chains, and the collapsing dollar system.” The Chinese are hip deep in the whole Venezuela thing. A gaggle of Chinese diplomats arrived for talks just hours before Maduro’s capture by American Special Forces. Along with the Russians, the Chinese have been making moves to counteract what they perceived as some sort of US threat to their position. During December, they moved nearly $2 billion in silver out of the country. At beginning January 1, Beijing required an export license to purchase Chinese silver. At the same time they tightened controls on rare earth minerals affecting semi-conductors. This affects modern warfare. They already produce 90% worlds rare earth minerals.”[ii]
RUSSIA’S POSITION – Moscow’s game was centered more around arming Venezuela as a counterpoint to US power in the Western Hemisphere. Always fearing NATO missiles in Ukraine, the Russians were preparing Venezuela and later Cuba to host Russian missiles that would be capable of hitting targets on the American mainland with only minutes notice. “Russian lawmaker Alexei Zhuravlyov told Gazeta.ru on November 1st, 2025 that Russia MAY supply Venezuela with its new Oreshnik and Kalibr missiles, stating ‘I see no obstacles to providing our friendly nation with new systems such as the Oreshnik or the well-proven Kalibr missiles.’” The Oreshnik’s are a proven commodity, have already been successfully used in the conflict with Ukraine. Launched from Venezuela it could hit almost all of the continental US and with it’s vertical dive trajectory is almost indefensible. The Russian moves were a way to counteract the threat from NATO in the Ukrainian theater. This is in some ways, the non-kinetic jousting of a World War III scenario that neither side wants to see go hot.
Russia’s game was built on providing weapons systems. Maduro played into Moscow’s plan by serving as “Russia’s foothold in the Western Hemisphere.” Moscow aided Venezuela in getting around American sanctions by providing “complex shipping arrangements” and technical expertise.[iii]
TRUMP’S PLAY – In seizing Maduro, President Trump accomplished a number of things. First of all, Venezuelan oil reserves are the largest in the world, about 303 million barrels. China was buying 60% to 90% of all the oil being produced their. (This admittedly though was far from capacity production, because socialist policies had destroyed the efficiency of the operations there.) Now, what is going on at the same time? There is a massive revolt going on in Iran. And the Israeli’s are threatening to strike – and the Americans may come in for two reasons: To support the anti-government forces there or to aid the Israelis. Iran is China’s other main supplier of petroleum. So, what happens if China can’t get this oil? Well, it affects their ability to go into Taiwan. It also undermines their drive toward AI dominance. Right there, that’s a massive win for American diplomacy.
And then you have the drug-terror connection. By going into Venezuela, Trump is striking at the drug trade which is run by the generals there. There is an island off the coast, Magarita Island, where Chinese, Russian and Iranian interests all come together. Hezbollah actually has a presence there, training members of the cartels in the tactics of Islamic terror. If the US can close down that training base they will severely degrade the ability of our enemies to strike within the hemisphere.[iv]
Glenn Beck believes that Trump is playing a master hand here. This is all a part of a strategy to starve China of energy. He explains that the move is not so much about regime change in South America. It is about regime change on a global scale. These are blows directed at China, Russia and Iran. At the same time, it strikes at America’s other sworn enemy, the Globalist Cabal represented by the WEF and the Big Banking interests who are working to bring us the Great Reset and a One World Government where the government tracks and controls our every move. The Trump administration seems to be giving up on Europe. They have sold themselves out to the hordes of Islamists that will soon dominate the demographics of the Continent. The banking system, led by Christine Lagarde, the President of the European Central Bank has been working at cross purposes to US policy under Trump.[v] What you see now, is the Trump administration pulling out of 66 various UN connected globalist and climate agenda organizations. America is separating itself from the UN supported, New World Order Agenda.
AMERICAN EMPIRE – Now, the United States has been operating, almost bashfully, as an empire ever since the end of World War II. Of course, we’ve had the Military Industrial Complex that Eisenhower warned about – not being very bashful at all, taking us into war and overthrowing foreign governments since the curtain came down on the last global conflict. After all, it’s good for business. But we always wrapped our involvements in phrases that talked about advancing democracy and bringing down tyrants. But Venezuela was different. This was openly about keeping the oil out of the hands of our enemies. We’ve had our toes in the Empire business since the Spanish American War. But never so brazenly. The message was simple. This oil comes from our hemisphere and we’re not going to let our enemies have it. Nor will we countenance our foreign adversaries setting up shop in our sphere of interest. [That’s much the same position Russia took with Ukraine and the Western ploy to put NATO missiles just minutes from Moscow. Putin said, ‘NYET!’ That’s just the same as Trump saying no to Russia and China and Iran and Hezbollah in what we view as our sphere of interest. And it’s the same reason that goes for Greenland. The Trump administration doesn’t like the fact that Russia and China are making strategic advances in the arctic. It is actually a matter of American survival. [Though I’m not actually comfortable with aggressive American action to seize Greenland.]
What is happening now is much akin to what happened in Rome. We are leaving the Republic stage of our national life and entering the Imperial stage. Congressional power is on the wane. These developments are rendering the current geopolitical balance of power obsolete. This is a move that will make the UN, the WHO, the WEF and NATO more or less irrelevant. Perhaps the most telling sign that we have entered a new era is President Trump’s announcement that he is seeking to expand the Pentagon budget from $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion. That doesn’t look like a peacetime budget.
PROPHETIC SIGNIFICANCE – Here’s where things get quite difficult. There is no certain reference in scripture to what could be described as an American Empire. But there is a passage in Ezekiel 38 talking about the coming Gog-Magog invasion of an End Times Israel that may shed some light….at least tentatively. [This is especially interesting as the revolt rages in Iran as does the Islamic regime’s attempt to put it down. We know prophetically that Iran (Persia) must survive as a formidable adversary of Israel in the End Times to be a part of that coalition that comes against Israel.
Here is the passage beginning in Ezekiel 38:12, which gives the reasons for the attack and the reaction of the world to it. First, it says that the coalition has come specifically “…to take plunder.” Easy enough! And then there are those potentially pregnant words of Ezekiel 38:13. “Sheba, Dedan, the merchants of Tarshish, and all their young lions will say to you, ‘Have you come to take plunder?” Sheba and Dedan are in Saudi Arabia. But to whom does the phrase “the merchants of Tarshish” refer? The early meaning of Tarshish referred to Phoenicia and its trading posts in Spain. Later it came to mean, in the words of prophecy scholar Thomas Ice, “…the modern mercantile nations of Western Europe like Spain, Holland and Britain”.[vi] The reference to “young lions” intrigues many who’ve looked at this verse. The lion is of course the symbol of Great Britain and the British Empire. The “young lion” then could refer to Britain’s former colonies, ie. Canada, Australia and the United States. Dr. Ice concludes that the entire phrase may indeed refer to all of what we today call the West. [Winged lions were also the symbol of ancient Babylon. To many scholars, the West has come to represent the Babylonian World System, centered on the ‘Self’, – not God.] But why such an anemic response? Perhaps the US has been debilitated by the rapture. Perhaps America has been absorbed into the Revived Roman Empire and taken on their ethic. Perhaps the United States has been badly damaged by terror attacks and war. Perhaps some combination. In any case, if the US is referred to at all in prophecy, this passage seems the best bet to apply. However it is to happen, the invasion takes place, and there is little response from the rest of the world. But God is not through. And He has the final say!
[i]China Loses Access to Venezuelan Oil, Martin Armstrong, January 8, 2026
[ii] Clayton Morris, Trump just changed everything…., Redacted, January 4, 2026
[iii] Martin Armstrong, Why Did Trump Really Take Venezuela?, Armstrong Economics, January 4, 2026
[iv] Glenn Beck, The China-Venezuela Oil Connection. The Blaze, viewed January 6, 2026
[v] Glenn Beck, President Trump DOES want regime change, Glenn Beck explains, but not in Venezuela., The Blaze, January 7, 2026
[vi] Thomas Ice, Is America In Bible Prophecy?, Pre-Trib Research Center, viewed January 11, 2026
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