October 17, 2025 • 39 mins
The U.S. has conducted multiple military strikes against boats accused of drug trafficking off the coast of Venezuela, raising legal and political concerns. Does the strike violate U.S. & international law? We'll discuss the details of what's going on with the Trump Administration's targeted attack against Venezuelan boats suspected of carrying drugs.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ Constance New Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Thanks Al Griffin working on a Friday night. Good for you. Well,
thanks very much. We're all working here on a Friday night,
except those of you who are home listening. All right,
So I wanted for the first time tonight at ten
o'clock talk about what's going on in Venezuela, or what
(00:27):
is going on towards Venezuela. It is clear to me
that the Trump administration has its eyes on Venezuela. They
have now I believe, eliminated five speed boats that the
Trump Administration says we're carrying drugs from Venezuela headed toward
(00:53):
the United States. I think most of you have seen
these boats literally blown out of the water. It's as simple,
just there they are one second and two seconds later
there's a flash and they're gone. I would not have
ever wanted to have been on any of those boats.
I don't know that the people or on those boats
(01:16):
were given any warning, but they were disposed of pretty quickly.
Now the Trump administration is saying, hey, look, these boats
are bringing killer drugs into the United States, which are
killing US citizens. The fact of the matter is that
no US citizen is forced to take these drugs, but
(01:39):
they like the drugs, or they DrAk they take drugs
which are somehow laced with or intermixed with these. But
this is a problem. I think. I read this week
that the death rate of people between the ages of
twenty and forty the highest, which is understandable. I guess
it's not cancer, it's not heart disease, not kidney disease
(02:02):
or whatever diseases take people's lives, but it's drug drug use,
drug drug abuse. So here we have Venezuela, Uh, relatively close.
Cuba is between us if you're looking at a map,
as is Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico's pretty close to Venezuela.
(02:23):
And all of a sudden, the Trump administration has decided
to step up the pressure on Meduro. Now, the Trump
administration believes that Meduro has been re elected fraudulently and
that he's claiming that he won the election and did
not give up power.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
The woman who is leading the opposition to Meduro won
the Nobel Peace Prize this year, and she gave all
the credit in the world, or gave all the credit
to Donald Trump. However, if you've been following the news,
and I'm doing nothing more than following the news. We
have about ten thousand troops according to the New York Times,
(03:06):
and dozens of military aircraft and ships in the region.
As the Trump administration increases pressure on Venezuela. Now this
might be a show of power. They have placed a
think it's a fifty million dollar reward on Meduro's head. Now,
I don't know how you can get Maduro, get him
out of the country and pick up the reward. I
(03:27):
think that would be a suicide mission. But nonetheless, that's
a significant incentive for someone to perhaps put their own
life at risk. But at this point, you have all
sorts of military assets in position where we could strike Venezuela.
(03:49):
It reminds me of what was going on in Panama
in late nineteen eighty nine and early nineteen eighty nine
with the Bush administration, the Bush one administration. Now, Panama
was never the military power that Venezuela is, although obviously
it's not a match for the United States. But President
(04:10):
Trump has said, hey, if you're a drug boat, or
what we perceive to be a drug boat in open
international waters, your fair game. And five of them now
have been blown out of the water. Now you have
again if you read the New York Times today. Actually,
this might actually be in the Times tomorrow now that
(04:32):
I think about it. There's a really interesting map which
shows where our military assets are located. The Trump administration
is not hiding anything. We're talking about stealth fighters, we're
talking about surveillance aircraft. We're talking about reaper drones, replenishment ships,
three guided missile destroyers in Ebojima amphibious Ready Group. I
(04:58):
don't know that you move everybody down there unless you
really are prepared to do something. Special forces ships and
guided missile cruise has seen earlier yesterday, I guess October sixteenth. Now,
if I'm Miduro from my perch, I'm thinking to myself, oh,
this could be a problem if we landed Special Forces
(05:22):
in Pennsylvany, in Venezuela. I think that it would not
take us long. If we wanted to capture Meduro as
we did with Noriega. I don't think it would take
a lot. It might. I don't know that how strong
their military is. But the question is, I think for you,
(05:44):
is this what Donald Trump should be doing? Is this
what the United States should be doing? Apparently yesterday, the
President confirmed that there were CIA operations ongoing in Venezuela.
It's almost as if President Trump has decided to reinstitute
the Monroe doctrine, not that the Monroe doctrine ever left.
(06:06):
There's Chinese military personnel who are in Venezuela. So this
is not the same risk as in terms of the
seriousness of the decision as giving Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine,
which would be used against Russia. But this is a
pretty serious step to consider. Now. I'm sure that, knowing
(06:30):
Donald Trump's pattern in behavior, that he is hoping that
something will occur internally which will not necessitate US military involvement. However,
Mindoro is that is an iron fisted He's more than
an authoritarian. He's a Fidel Castro, wanna be. I don't
(06:54):
think that he's going to go quietly. It's that good night,
which then leaves open the question of what if some
morning you woke up and you found out that US
special forces had landed in Venezuela with the intent or
had already achieved the capture of Nicholas Maduro. I think
(07:17):
the country that certainly the Trump base, would love it,
and I think that those who will be marching tomorrow
in the No King's rallies around the country would be
appalled by it. But it appears to me that Donald
Trump is going to try to make the most of
his second term. I would say his final four years
(07:37):
in office, because it will be his final four years
in office, despite what someone the left might tell you.
So I'm going to open up phone lines. What advice
would you give President Trump? Right now? Stay where he
is and let how long do you wait? You can't
leave the military out there forever, no doubt. Six one
(07:59):
seven ten thirty, six one seven, nine three one ten thirty.
We've never talked about this before your first impression. I
would like you to make a call, join the conversation
six one seven, two five four ten thirty or six
one seven, nine three one ten thirty. What advice would
you give President Donald Trump regarding Venezuela? Have we gone
(08:19):
too far already or do you need to encourage him
to finish the job and take Madura out because they
think ultimately that's where we're headed. In my opinion is
this is this, uh, the Noriega situation number two, That's
(08:40):
kind of what I'm thinking. I'm looking at it as
a tougher, tougher capture, but one that is eminently achievable.
We'll be back on night Side.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
All right, I think I think it's an interesting question.
I hope you do as well. The other thought that
I had on this is how if let us say,
President Trump decided to go into Venezuela and take Maduro
out as Bush forty one went in and took Noriega out.
(09:20):
Remember back in the day they had to play music
or to get him out. Forget what group they were playing,
but it was something that reportally Noriega didn't like. It
could cut both ways in terms of Ukraine. Putin could
say to Trump, well, you know you're messing with Venezuela
(09:40):
because that's in your sphere of influence, and we're dealing
with Ukraine, which is next to us, So you have
no right to tell us what to do or what
not to do. We're not going to tell you what
to do. Or conversely, Putin could look at it and say, hey,
if this guy is brave enough thinking of another word
(10:01):
that began with the letter B, but brave enough to
send us military to Venezuela. Oh, maybe we have to
take his threat about Tomahawk missiles more seriously. I don't know.
I want to know what you have to say on
this one. Six one set. Let me see what Dott says.
She likes Trump, but she's she I'm not sure I
(10:22):
know what you're going to say in this one. Hey, Dot,
Welcome to Nightside.
Speaker 4 (10:25):
Hi Dan, Dan. You know I voted for Trump for
the last three elections because I couldn't vote for the opposition.
But I am appalled. I'm appalled that we're blowing boats
out of the water. We don't know that they're carrying drugs.
(10:46):
How do we know that?
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Well, let me tell you what they say. I can
only tell you what they say, Okay. What they say
is these are high powered speedboats and that that is
the craft that the drug cartels would prefer to use.
And the reason is, apparently, when they get close to
the US, according to what I heard from the Trump administration,
(11:12):
that their speedboats are faster than our coastguard cutters. And therefore,
once they see a speedboat leaving Venezuela heading towards the US,
that's that is enough probable cause for them to do this.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
But do you think it's right.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
I don't have the information that they have. Okay, if
I was convinced, Okay, I will tell you, if I
was convinced, as the president of the United States, that
that speedboat that had left Venezuela, they might they obviously,
I assume have some sources on the ground here. They
must have people inside Venezuela who they can rely upon, so.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
If they live, the CIA is there.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
But but they also may have sources within the cartels.
I mean, money buys information. So let's assume that they
have information that that boat that left Caracas uh and
is headed wherever it is in international waters is full
of fentanyl or whatever other killer drug Americans would would
(12:28):
use and in effect would kill themselves. Would I order
the destruction of that boat? Yes, I would, if you knew, Yeah, yeah,
I would have it to have. I don't know that.
I don't know the answer to just well, let me
ask let me ask you this question. The principle. Here's
(12:49):
the principle. Does Venezuela have the right to export deadly drugs?
I mean, this fentanyl stuff is nothing to mess around
with at all. Okay, none of it is stuff you
should mess around with even marijuana, because marijuana today is
much more powerful than it was thirty or forty years ago.
And marijuana today to make it more powerful, I'm told,
(13:12):
and I'm not an expert in marijuana, they lace it
with ventanyl.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
I've heard that too.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Okay, So if you knew that the car that the cartels,
the drug cartels or whomever, or worse yet, the government
of Venezuela was deciding that they were going to make
money on the backs of dead American kids, what wouldn't
you do?
Speaker 4 (13:36):
Well, the thing is that we don't as sorry as
I'm concerned. We don't know. How can we blow six
boats out of the water. I mean, they couldn't have.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Well, I don't know. Let me ask you this, how
many people in Venezuela, which is a poor country. I
don't know what these boats cost, but these are high
powered speed boats. Okay, how many people in Venezuela do
you think are taking their speedboats out like on a
Wednesday morning for a little cruise. I mean I gotta assume.
(14:07):
I mean I think you can. I think information can
be gathered. I'm willing to believe the administration. I don't
think you're going to be able to have a trial.
You're not going to be able to arrest these guys
and bring them here.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
In the meantime, they're talking about sending our boys into Venezuela.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
I don't think they would be sent into Venezuela. I
don't think there's a need for that. You might have
some special forces that are utilized in Venezuela, but.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
I meant, as of course they are.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
But that's what they that's what they volunteered for, that's
what they get paid for, that's what they're trained for.
DoD I mean, that's what they I said. I hate
to put it like that, but that's what the military does.
If if, if, all of a sudden, we find out
that China is getting a footprint, a toe holder, whatever
you want to call it, a presence in certain countries,
and this guy, Madero, Madero Maduro, I should say, has
(15:08):
been basically his stolen election. We had the Monroe Document,
a doctrine you and I learned about that when.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
We were in high school, right right, right?
Speaker 2 (15:17):
What did the Monroe Document doctrines say that this was
our hemisphere, don't mess in our hemisphere.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
Well, I just think, okay, I just think it's I
don't like the whole I wouldn't have been as surprised
if they had gone into Greenland. I would have been
less surprised.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
I think the Greenland was him trolling, I really do.
First of all, Greenland is owned by Denmark, which is right,
I know, the naval ally. I mean, I think you
got to look at it. For example, the other day
he was trolling about how he wasn't going to allow
the World Cup to be played in Boston. Well, the
World Cup isn't going to be played in Boston. It's
not being played at Harvard Stadium. Is not being played?
(16:02):
Let is he? First of all, he that probably doesn't
know where to let state hem is? Maybe he does.
He's a he's a sports fan.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
Well, the owner is a friend of his.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
Right is he going to take the World Cup away
from Bob Craft?
Speaker 5 (16:13):
I don't think something.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
No, no, all, I got you down. It's just too okay.
I got you down as as a real skeptic here and.
Speaker 4 (16:24):
And I'm very skeptical.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
All right, thanks do let others.
Speaker 4 (16:29):
Have to say you, thanks, dot appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
All right, Let me try to get one more in
here before the break. Alex and millis. What do you think, Alex,
do you think the president would be doing the right
thing here or I mean he's certainly running a whole
bunch of military equipment past the country of Venezuela.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
I don't know. I think it's a make believe armed conflict.
That's what a lot of people, you know, think it's.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Called what I'm sorry, what did you phrase it as?
Speaker 3 (16:55):
I'll make believe arm conflicts? Some you know, I've heard
that mentioned that they're just looking for an excuse. We
we don't know if those boats are carrying drugs, but
you know, if you're given the best.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
How do you know? Let me ask you this, Alex,
how do you know we don't know?
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Well, how do we know that they are carrying drugs?
Speaker 2 (17:20):
Well, there's a number of ways we can know they're
carrying drugs. First of all, they have very high powered speedboats. Okay,
that is that is what drug cartels will use. Okay,
the Venezuelan population they don't have. They don't own personally
a lot of speedboats unless they have drug cartel. I
assume there's some information on the ground. I assume that
(17:42):
those speedboats when they leave, there's there's some rumors as
to as to where where they're headed and what they're carrying.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
So, yeah, and Dan just recently they I guess they caught.
They are apprehended to to survive versus the submarines. And
like Trump said, you know, not too many people, you
know own submarines.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Yeah, that was amazing. I saw that tonight on ABC
News and I want to get more information on that.
It looked as if we had some Navy seals pulling
them out of the submarine. Right, yeah, turn your radio
down there, Alex. You're a veteran caller. I can hear
the radio in the background. That doesn't help our conversation.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
I'm sorry. I apologize.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Oh no, that was me. That wasn't the TV. That
was me. That that was my voice. I heard what
I said. So I don't So if you knew, if
you were the president, and you had information that you
that you thought was reliable, would would you allow these
these boats to proceed to the US. Apparently our coast
(18:47):
Guard counters con't catch them because they're that quick.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
Yeah. No, I'd go to town on them, for sure, Okay
percent sure. What about what about you know Mexico? Uh,
you know, we have issues with Mexico too, But I
don't see us blowing any you know. Actually they're conducting drones.
I guess they're sending drones over the cartels.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Yeah, yeah, again. You know, I don't know as much
about that. I mean, I just don't know, to be
honest with you. But if they're sending drones over, what
are they sending them? Are they sending drones over with
with packages and drugs? Are they sending drones over to
see where our border agents are? I don't know the
answer to that. I do know this that we know
(19:34):
that there are places in Mexico physical locations where they
put this stuff together. They get the ingredients from China, uh,
and they do whatever they have to do to put
it into form which can be sold. I would be
tempted to go to the president of Mexico and I
would be tempted to say to the President of Mexico, Look,
(19:55):
if you can take these these locations out, great, if
not asked me for the help, and I would do
it for you.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
Right. Are we getting spread? Two things? Dan? Do you
think you know? Uh, we're all over the all over
the globe.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
We are all over.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
We are trying to trying to take care of problems.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
But I don't I don't think that. I don't think
Trump is looking that. I think that Trump is a businessman,
and he looks at it almost as he looks at
a business prop proposition is it, does it work for him?
I don't think he's going to send five hundred thousand
troops as Lyndon Johnson did to Vietnam to fight a
ground war. I think we learned that lesson. We probably
(20:36):
should have learned that lesson in Korea, but we certainly
learned it in uh In. In Vietnam. We learned some
lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan. I mean, if you can
go in with a quick strike force and take Maduro
out uh and and and basically give people of Venezuela freedom,
(20:57):
that's not a bad thing for them, and it's certainly
not a bad for us.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
Right, Yeah, I guess Trump. Trump had said that, you know,
he's interested in taking care of the United States and
the people of the United States and not to worry
about the rest of the world.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
Right, But if you have people from Venezuela with cigarette boats,
you know, very fast speed boats bringing fentanyl into the
United States, you can't sit by and ignore that, because
that's every every load of fentanyel that comes in, every
boatload of fentanel that comes in, is going to kill
a significant number of American people.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
I think, Oh yeah, true, I agree with that.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
So you get a balance. Alex. Love your calls, man,
I love you making me think, which is what we
try to do here on night side. Okay, thank you,
my friend.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
All right, guy, thanks San, have a great weekend.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
Let us keep rolling here. We're going to go to
the news at the bottom of the arm a couple
of minutes later. I apologize for that. Actually have three
minutes late. Here's the news. When we come back, we
will continue to talk. Is Venezuela next on Donald Trump's
hit list? And how will end? And what will be
the implications of whatever he does? Six one, seven, two, five,
four ten thirty six one seven, nine, three, one, ten thirty.
(22:09):
I got a couple of lines available, let's open, let's
fill them up, and we're going I'm beginning to think
figure out what we're going to do in the twentieth hour, okay,
and I'm going to try something different, but I won't
tell you about it until we get to the twentieth hour,
which of course is the eleven o'clock hour tonight. Back
on Night Side. My name is Dan Ray.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray, Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Let's keep rolling here. We're talking about the possibility that
Donald Trump may decide to take action against the President
of Venezuela, Nicholas Maduro.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
And.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Which up to and including US troops. Again is there's
a precedent for this, and that is the Norreaga Noriaga
uh situation in Panama in the night ninety Some of
you may not remember that. That's thirty five years ago,
but Noriago was basically captured by US troops, brought back
to Miami, Florida, and he was tried and convicted in
(23:11):
federal court. And I don't even know if Noreaga is
Noriega is still alive here. Let me see if if
I can figure that one out. I should have done
that during the break. Alive or dead, We'll see what.
We'll see what happens in the meantime. He's deceased. He
died in twenty seventeen. So he was diagnosed with a
brain tourmor in March at twenty seventeen, suffered complications during surgery,
(23:35):
died two months later. That's the story of Manuel Noriega
died at eighty three. Yeah, long gone. He had been
a CIA informant, and then he became the target of
the of the first Trump administration. Decades in jail. He
(23:57):
was first imprisoned in Florida, then in France, and finally
home in Panama. Yeah, that's that is that happened before.
So there's a president Ron is in Medford. Hey, Ron,
welcome next on Nightside.
Speaker 6 (24:12):
Hi Dan, how are you?
Speaker 2 (24:13):
I'm doing great? What's your thought on this? I know
it's kind of a case of first impression that I'm
thrown at people tonight, but I'd be really interested in
what you think.
Speaker 6 (24:22):
Well, thank you. First of all, I appreciate the way
you handle all the calls and all the different opinions,
and the way you're so even handed about it.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
Thank you.
Speaker 6 (24:34):
Well, You've done it for years. That's why I try
to listen to you every night. I would like to
I would like to draw one thing or send something out. Sure,
And I've found over the years, if you give an
example that doesn't really involve what it is, maybe it
gives people something to think about. Let's say that you
had children and one of the people on your block
(24:56):
was doing something and it was going to kill your children.
He was feeding them some poison and was going to
kill your children. Is there anything that you wouldn't do
to stop that?
Speaker 2 (25:08):
Yeah, well, of course, of course not. Of course you're
absolutely correct on that. At the same time, when you
take that example, you would go to the local police department.
You wouldn't go down the street and shoot the kid
and kill them. You'd go to the local police department
and say, hey, can you get this kid arrested, and
you do everything you could to keep your child away.
I don't think you would physically go down the street
(25:30):
and engage in what's called self help. But I know
the points you're making.
Speaker 6 (25:33):
Well, the point I'm making is, well, whether you of
course you wouldn't do that right away, but eventually you
might do that after police and do anything. But that's
beside the point. The point is that tens of thousands
of American kids have been dying because of sense and
all being brought in. Absolutely absolutely, And what bothers me
is that it's taken this long for presidents to actually
(25:57):
act on this. You know, I don't don't want to
have nation building and I don't want to go on
there and change anything, but we should be taking out
these drug hotels that we should be doing something. Whatever
it is that the army can do or whatever. It's
certainly above my pay grade. But to let this go
on for years is an embarrassment and we should be
(26:18):
ashamed of ourselves. So what Donald Trump is doing. And
in spite of the woman who called before and didn't know,
you know, do we know that that the drugs are
on those boats? Well, this last one was a submarine.
I mean, for God's sakes, come on, Yeah, you know,
I grew up and I grew up in Metrid and
we were able to think a little bit beyond the
outside the box.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Yeah, not too many average Venza Whelans taking their family
out for a submarine ride on their family submarine on
this Saturday afternoon, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 6 (26:47):
Yeah, And then that's that point. So I commend the
President for what he's doing and to do anything to
stop this, because I think too many young Americans have
died because of all the fentan al coming in and
some of the other things going on, and it's a
shame that has taken this long for a president to
actually do something about it, so I commend him to
(27:08):
do And by the.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Way, I would agree with you that what he's doing here, uh,
he's not dealing with a sledgehammer. It's not like he's
saying we're going to drop a nuclear bomb on Caracas,
you know, where he's dealing with a scalpel. He's being deliberative.
I hope that they have developed, uh, the adequate information
(27:32):
and that now if there are people who are who
are being hired at the at the dock in Pennsylvania
or rather I keep saying Pennsylvania, Venezuela in Venezuela. Uh,
and and they don't and they're innocent, I feel badly
for them. But but again, there aren't a lot of speedboats.
These are these cigarette speedboats that can go so fast.
(27:58):
Oh yeah, you take a chance and you pay a price.
Speaker 6 (28:02):
The only reason they have those boats, I mean they
have three or four engines that have three or four
hundred horsepower each. They're made to and if you know
anything about you know, the southern pot of Florida, this
is where they come in fast. They do it and
they get out and you're right. The Coast Guard can't
catch them through the boats, but they've been able to
do it with drones or whatever or stuff from the air,
(28:25):
and more power to them. We should be doing more
of this.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Yeah, I mean, the cigarette boat may be able to
outrun a Coast Guard cutter, but it's not going to
be able to outrun a missile that's fired from a
simple as all right, Hey Ron, thanks very much, appreciate
your call. Thank you for joining us, and please call
more often. Have a great night. Let me go to
(28:47):
Dave in New Hampshire. I'm not sure if this is
the Dave I know, but if it is, I know
where he's going to be coming from. Hey, Dave, how
are you well?
Speaker 7 (28:55):
Thank you Dan, a long time listen to first time caller.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
This is not the date I know that. Welcome Dave,
just a different day. Go right ahead.
Speaker 7 (29:04):
Thank you, you're welcome. I was a police officer for
twenty five years and ten of it, if not more,
I was in a drug task force and I was
assigned fortunately to dea as in the Ocean Unit of
the United States Attorney's Office. Thank you, And I'm going
(29:30):
to say I'm not doing a John Bolton here talking
out of classified information. But that is all real. The speedboats,
the submarines, everything, they have real good intelligence. It wouldn't
surprise me. The CIA is already in there, working with
(29:51):
the DEA and other government agencies, and they have information.
Some of them may be undercover agents themselves that are
passing this information on.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
Oh sure, I'm sure, And Dave, I don't mean to
interrupt you, but I'm sure that when our CIA agents
go in there, they go in there with a bag
full of American cash, and you can you can loosen
up a lot of lips in a country like Venezuela,
even higher up than anybody could imagine, by giving him
(30:23):
some pictures of dead American presidents.
Speaker 7 (30:27):
Well, you're correct, But also what happened recently, people should
pay attention to Chicago because the Mexican cartel has put
out hits on ICE agents and given pictures, and they're
given two thousand dollars rewards for the murder of these
agents doing their jobs. That's why they wear masks.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
Yeah. Well, I think that the two thousand dollars award
rewards for like assaulting an agent, it got up to
like fifty thousand, or to murder an agent. I don't
even imagine unless you kidnapped an agent, how you could
how you're going to recover. I mean, first of all,
hopefully no one is going to take that offer seriously.
(31:13):
But even if somebody is that nuts that they're going
to take that office seriously. And there we have found
out in recent months that there are some really nutty
people out there, whether it's the guy that tried to
light the governor of Pennsylvania's home on fire, the Gubnatrobl mansion,
or the guy who was down there who I still
want to know more about, the guy that was hiding
(31:36):
along the fairway with a high powered rifle and was
eventually caught, tried, and convicted of an attempted assassination on
Don Trump. That dude traveled the world, travel the world, Ukraine,
Hawaii with no apparent financial position or job or obligation.
I don't think he wanted in the lottery. But I'm
(31:58):
with you. Go ahead, you I'm talking too much, Dave.
I want to hear what you have.
Speaker 7 (32:01):
No, No, you know, no, you're not Dan. And incidentally,
I agree with the prior call of Warren. You do
have an even handed discussion, which is very nice because
even if you disagree with with a call, it's respectful
and that that makes you show much better than other
shows that you see on TV or you listen to
(32:24):
on the radio podcast.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
I have I have, I must admit occasionally I can
lose it with the best of them. I had a
rough call with a caller last night. Don't have to
mention your name, but she sent me a lovely email today,
a long, long email, and I'm going to respond to that.
So she was kind enough to put her thoughts on
paper even though we had a pretty condensed.
Speaker 7 (32:49):
He constructive, respectful conversation. There's nothing wrong on that, got it?
And I know your brother was on Your brother was
on the.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
Job, Yes he was, sir.
Speaker 7 (33:01):
So you come from a police family. But let me
just say this, they're very, very smart. They're crafty. They'll
send the cocktail now with the hits out. This means
that this is all affecting the drug supply. Now. I've
spoken to some friends that are still on the job
and ask them what's the supply like. And the supply
(33:24):
is tightening up. Something is working, Something is working. Those speedboats. Incidentally,
those speedboats are loaded with cocaine. The homemade submarines are
government submarines.
Speaker 5 (33:39):
Who knows.
Speaker 7 (33:40):
I'd like to know more about that particular submarine. I
know when they were coming out of our Columbia. They
were homemade. They were small, and they were not effective.
They had a surface too much. But submarines have were
going on a long time and they what they do
is they drop they drop a load somewhere with a
(34:02):
GPS marker and they can have it rise up from
wherever it is the depth of the ocean. There's all
sorts of tricks. They won't stop because the demand is there,
the hunger is there. I really think, I really congratulate
(34:22):
President Trump. You have to give him credit. He's going
right after the source of the trouble. We've tried everything,
everything under the sun, and nothing has worked. We have
to admit that to ourselves. So if Venezuela now and
I'm not privy to any new information like I used to,
but if Venezuela is the problem and they won't cooperate,
(34:45):
well I'm behind the president of one thousand percent to
do whatever he needs to do. So you can mark
me down totally in fair us one, Dave.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
I so enjoyed our conversation again, thank you for your career,
what you've done, and please please continue to call this program. Okay,
thank you so much.
Speaker 7 (35:04):
Dan, I will thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
You bet you all right, we take a very quick break.
I got Dan and Lester and Norman Worcester. Will be
right back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
It's Nightside with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
We've got a lot of calls. We're going to try
to get to everybody. Let me go to Daniel and
Leicester first. Daniel, welcome next on Nightside. Your thoughts on
what Donald Trump has been doing in Venezuela and what
he might do.
Speaker 8 (35:30):
What do you mean, Dan, I just want to say that,
you know, putting a prize on any anybody's head, uh,
you know, almost bottled it. The idea which is the
great nation of the world, the first one of the
world that says that, you know, even when somebody's arrested
for our suspected for crime, they are innocent until proven duty. Now,
(35:53):
if you have enough power to actually wait for those
boats on you on your court life and see.
Speaker 9 (36:00):
Who they actually who is working with them and giving
them the who they're giving that looks look poisonous to
bring into the country.
Speaker 3 (36:10):
You know you can.
Speaker 9 (36:11):
You can at least you know, arrest, arrest those people,
then who's working with them, and try to arrest them.
And then if if they run away, then you can.
You can vomb them, but not vomb them international not
international waters.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
All right, Daniel, I I wish you had called early.
Would have to would have to have a long conversation.
This is one that I think we would have to
each uh speak a long time about. But I'm glad
you called because you represent a different point of opinion,
which I respect and I hope you can respect mine
as well. Thank you, my friend.
Speaker 8 (36:43):
I didn't know you were talking differently. I'm sorry, Yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
Talk to you later. Let me go to Harvey silver Glade. Harvey,
I do. I am in position of that book by
Craig Whitney. I'm looking forward to reading it. Thank you,
thank you, thank you.
Speaker 10 (36:56):
You're welcome. If drivers who are legalized, the cartels would
go out of business overnight at no cost to the
government or to the military. I have been saying this
for years. Drug addiction should be a medical problem, not
a legal problem.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
Fair enough, I respect that opinion. I'm not necessarily there
with you on it. But I understand that argument, and
I respect people like you who have held that position,
that that philosophical position through good days and good times
and bad times. To be honest with you, uh, let's
look at the legality from a legal point of view
(37:35):
of what Trump is doing here, basically taking these cigarette
boats international waters and taking them out, assuming that he
has some information as to what their purpose is. And
you're you're his lawyer, do you do you advocate he
does this or you say no, you're you're what you're stepping.
Speaker 10 (37:55):
In in It's it's dubious other international law. But who
was going to stop him?
Speaker 2 (38:02):
Yes, yes, yes, there's the law and then there's the
real world. I guess at that point.
Speaker 10 (38:06):
Right, that's how that's how he's been operating in this country.
He's so it's easier in international orders.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
Yeah, I mean here in this country at least there
are judges and cases can be heard and injunctions can
be issued and restraining orders filed. Yeah, Harvey, thank you,
I got one more who would like to get in
just for a few seconds as well? No, thank you,
my friend, thank you much. Let me get one more
in here, Rob, give me a bout a minute. Let
me go to Norman Worcester. Norm you've called lately the
last call of but I got you in under the
(38:36):
wire thanks to the generosity of Daniel and Harvey, they've
donated a little time for you.
Speaker 5 (38:40):
Go right ahead, yep, got a couple of minutes left,
ten fifty seven. But yeah, raising legal and political concerns.
I understand the political part of it, because the Democrats
are really peed off that they're cocaine is going to
cost a lot more money.
Speaker 2 (38:56):
Well, I don't think it's only Democrats who are partaking cocaine. Okay,
go ahead, that's kind of a hit pull on the belt,
but go ahead, go ahead, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 11 (39:05):
And then on the on the the legal part two,
they're not fishing boats. I fish, and you know my
fishing reel would not work at sixty miles an hour. No,
I don't think so, they're not fishing boats.
Speaker 5 (39:21):
And so I was just parting to get it quick.
Speaker 2 (39:23):
You got it, you got it, you did it, you
did it. We are out of time, and I got
to get a particularly a caller like you on earlier
because we can have some fun. But yeah, right, none
of us can wait for the eleven. For the eleven
o'clock news. Thanks Norm, have a great weekend. Thank you
for thank you what good good points? Thank you? Okay,
done for now here comes the eleven. Right after the eleven,
(39:46):
we're going to go to a twentieth hour. I want
to ask a general question and I think everyone will
be able to answer the question. We'll tell you what
that question is on the other side of the news
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ Constance New Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Thanks Al Griffin working on a Friday night. Good for you. Well,
thanks very much. We're all working here on a Friday night,
except those of you who are home listening. All right,
So I wanted for the first time tonight at ten
o'clock talk about what's going on in Venezuela, or what
(00:27):
is going on towards Venezuela. It is clear to me
that the Trump administration has its eyes on Venezuela. They
have now I believe, eliminated five speed boats that the
Trump Administration says we're carrying drugs from Venezuela headed toward
(00:53):
the United States. I think most of you have seen
these boats literally blown out of the water. It's as simple,
just there they are one second and two seconds later
there's a flash and they're gone. I would not have
ever wanted to have been on any of those boats.
I don't know that the people or on those boats
(01:16):
were given any warning, but they were disposed of pretty quickly.
Now the Trump administration is saying, hey, look, these boats
are bringing killer drugs into the United States, which are
killing US citizens. The fact of the matter is that
no US citizen is forced to take these drugs, but
(01:39):
they like the drugs, or they DrAk they take drugs
which are somehow laced with or intermixed with these. But
this is a problem. I think. I read this week
that the death rate of people between the ages of
twenty and forty the highest, which is understandable. I guess
it's not cancer, it's not heart disease, not kidney disease
(02:02):
or whatever diseases take people's lives, but it's drug drug use,
drug drug abuse. So here we have Venezuela, Uh, relatively close.
Cuba is between us if you're looking at a map,
as is Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico's pretty close to Venezuela.
(02:23):
And all of a sudden, the Trump administration has decided
to step up the pressure on Meduro. Now, the Trump
administration believes that Meduro has been re elected fraudulently and
that he's claiming that he won the election and did
not give up power.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
The woman who is leading the opposition to Meduro won
the Nobel Peace Prize this year, and she gave all
the credit in the world, or gave all the credit
to Donald Trump. However, if you've been following the news,
and I'm doing nothing more than following the news. We
have about ten thousand troops according to the New York Times,
(03:06):
and dozens of military aircraft and ships in the region.
As the Trump administration increases pressure on Venezuela. Now this
might be a show of power. They have placed a
think it's a fifty million dollar reward on Meduro's head. Now,
I don't know how you can get Maduro, get him
out of the country and pick up the reward. I
(03:27):
think that would be a suicide mission. But nonetheless, that's
a significant incentive for someone to perhaps put their own
life at risk. But at this point, you have all
sorts of military assets in position where we could strike Venezuela.
(03:49):
It reminds me of what was going on in Panama
in late nineteen eighty nine and early nineteen eighty nine
with the Bush administration, the Bush one administration. Now, Panama
was never the military power that Venezuela is, although obviously
it's not a match for the United States. But President
(04:10):
Trump has said, hey, if you're a drug boat, or
what we perceive to be a drug boat in open
international waters, your fair game. And five of them now
have been blown out of the water. Now you have
again if you read the New York Times today. Actually,
this might actually be in the Times tomorrow now that
(04:32):
I think about it. There's a really interesting map which
shows where our military assets are located. The Trump administration
is not hiding anything. We're talking about stealth fighters, we're
talking about surveillance aircraft. We're talking about reaper drones, replenishment ships,
three guided missile destroyers in Ebojima amphibious Ready Group. I
(04:58):
don't know that you move everybody down there unless you
really are prepared to do something. Special forces ships and
guided missile cruise has seen earlier yesterday, I guess October sixteenth. Now,
if I'm Miduro from my perch, I'm thinking to myself, oh,
this could be a problem if we landed Special Forces
(05:22):
in Pennsylvany, in Venezuela. I think that it would not
take us long. If we wanted to capture Meduro as
we did with Noriega. I don't think it would take
a lot. It might. I don't know that how strong
their military is. But the question is, I think for you,
(05:44):
is this what Donald Trump should be doing? Is this
what the United States should be doing? Apparently yesterday, the
President confirmed that there were CIA operations ongoing in Venezuela.
It's almost as if President Trump has decided to reinstitute
the Monroe doctrine, not that the Monroe doctrine ever left.
(06:06):
There's Chinese military personnel who are in Venezuela. So this
is not the same risk as in terms of the
seriousness of the decision as giving Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine,
which would be used against Russia. But this is a
pretty serious step to consider. Now. I'm sure that, knowing
(06:30):
Donald Trump's pattern in behavior, that he is hoping that
something will occur internally which will not necessitate US military involvement. However,
Mindoro is that is an iron fisted He's more than
an authoritarian. He's a Fidel Castro, wanna be. I don't
(06:54):
think that he's going to go quietly. It's that good night,
which then leaves open the question of what if some
morning you woke up and you found out that US
special forces had landed in Venezuela with the intent or
had already achieved the capture of Nicholas Maduro. I think
(07:17):
the country that certainly the Trump base, would love it,
and I think that those who will be marching tomorrow
in the No King's rallies around the country would be
appalled by it. But it appears to me that Donald
Trump is going to try to make the most of
his second term. I would say his final four years
(07:37):
in office, because it will be his final four years
in office, despite what someone the left might tell you.
So I'm going to open up phone lines. What advice
would you give President Trump? Right now? Stay where he
is and let how long do you wait? You can't
leave the military out there forever, no doubt. Six one
(07:59):
seven ten thirty, six one seven, nine three one ten thirty.
We've never talked about this before your first impression. I
would like you to make a call, join the conversation
six one seven, two five four ten thirty or six
one seven, nine three one ten thirty. What advice would
you give President Donald Trump regarding Venezuela? Have we gone
(08:19):
too far already or do you need to encourage him
to finish the job and take Madura out because they
think ultimately that's where we're headed. In my opinion is
this is this, uh, the Noriega situation number two, That's
(08:40):
kind of what I'm thinking. I'm looking at it as
a tougher, tougher capture, but one that is eminently achievable.
We'll be back on night Side.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
You're on Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (08:58):
All right, I think I think it's an interesting question.
I hope you do as well. The other thought that
I had on this is how if let us say,
President Trump decided to go into Venezuela and take Maduro
out as Bush forty one went in and took Noriega out.
(09:20):
Remember back in the day they had to play music
or to get him out. Forget what group they were playing,
but it was something that reportally Noriega didn't like. It
could cut both ways in terms of Ukraine. Putin could
say to Trump, well, you know you're messing with Venezuela
(09:40):
because that's in your sphere of influence, and we're dealing
with Ukraine, which is next to us, So you have
no right to tell us what to do or what
not to do. We're not going to tell you what
to do. Or conversely, Putin could look at it and say, hey,
if this guy is brave enough thinking of another word
(10:01):
that began with the letter B, but brave enough to
send us military to Venezuela. Oh, maybe we have to
take his threat about Tomahawk missiles more seriously. I don't know.
I want to know what you have to say on
this one. Six one set. Let me see what Dott says.
She likes Trump, but she's she I'm not sure I
(10:22):
know what you're going to say in this one. Hey, Dot,
Welcome to Nightside.
Speaker 4 (10:25):
Hi Dan, Dan. You know I voted for Trump for
the last three elections because I couldn't vote for the opposition.
But I am appalled. I'm appalled that we're blowing boats
out of the water. We don't know that they're carrying drugs.
(10:46):
How do we know that?
Speaker 2 (10:48):
Well, let me tell you what they say. I can
only tell you what they say, Okay. What they say
is these are high powered speedboats and that that is
the craft that the drug cartels would prefer to use.
And the reason is, apparently, when they get close to
the US, according to what I heard from the Trump administration,
(11:12):
that their speedboats are faster than our coastguard cutters. And therefore,
once they see a speedboat leaving Venezuela heading towards the US,
that's that is enough probable cause for them to do this.
Speaker 4 (11:31):
But do you think it's right.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
I don't have the information that they have. Okay, if
I was convinced, Okay, I will tell you, if I
was convinced, as the president of the United States, that
that speedboat that had left Venezuela, they might they obviously,
I assume have some sources on the ground here. They
must have people inside Venezuela who they can rely upon, so.
Speaker 4 (11:57):
If they live, the CIA is there.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
But but they also may have sources within the cartels.
I mean, money buys information. So let's assume that they
have information that that boat that left Caracas uh and
is headed wherever it is in international waters is full
of fentanyl or whatever other killer drug Americans would would
(12:28):
use and in effect would kill themselves. Would I order
the destruction of that boat? Yes, I would, if you knew, Yeah, yeah,
I would have it to have. I don't know that.
I don't know the answer to just well, let me
ask let me ask you this question. The principle. Here's
(12:49):
the principle. Does Venezuela have the right to export deadly drugs?
I mean, this fentanyl stuff is nothing to mess around
with at all. Okay, none of it is stuff you
should mess around with even marijuana, because marijuana today is
much more powerful than it was thirty or forty years ago.
And marijuana today to make it more powerful, I'm told,
(13:12):
and I'm not an expert in marijuana, they lace it
with ventanyl.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
I've heard that too.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Okay, So if you knew that the car that the cartels,
the drug cartels or whomever, or worse yet, the government
of Venezuela was deciding that they were going to make
money on the backs of dead American kids, what wouldn't
you do?
Speaker 4 (13:36):
Well, the thing is that we don't as sorry as
I'm concerned. We don't know. How can we blow six
boats out of the water. I mean, they couldn't have.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Well, I don't know. Let me ask you this, how
many people in Venezuela, which is a poor country. I
don't know what these boats cost, but these are high
powered speed boats. Okay, how many people in Venezuela do
you think are taking their speedboats out like on a
Wednesday morning for a little cruise. I mean I gotta assume.
(14:07):
I mean I think you can. I think information can
be gathered. I'm willing to believe the administration. I don't
think you're going to be able to have a trial.
You're not going to be able to arrest these guys
and bring them here.
Speaker 4 (14:23):
In the meantime, they're talking about sending our boys into Venezuela.
Speaker 2 (14:31):
I don't think they would be sent into Venezuela. I
don't think there's a need for that. You might have
some special forces that are utilized in Venezuela, but.
Speaker 4 (14:40):
I meant, as of course they are.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
But that's what they that's what they volunteered for, that's
what they get paid for, that's what they're trained for.
DoD I mean, that's what they I said. I hate
to put it like that, but that's what the military does.
If if, if, all of a sudden, we find out
that China is getting a footprint, a toe holder, whatever
you want to call it, a presence in certain countries,
and this guy, Madero, Madero Maduro, I should say, has
(15:08):
been basically his stolen election. We had the Monroe Document,
a doctrine you and I learned about that when.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
We were in high school, right right, right?
Speaker 2 (15:17):
What did the Monroe Document doctrines say that this was
our hemisphere, don't mess in our hemisphere.
Speaker 4 (15:25):
Well, I just think, okay, I just think it's I
don't like the whole I wouldn't have been as surprised
if they had gone into Greenland. I would have been
less surprised.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
I think the Greenland was him trolling, I really do.
First of all, Greenland is owned by Denmark, which is right,
I know, the naval ally. I mean, I think you
got to look at it. For example, the other day
he was trolling about how he wasn't going to allow
the World Cup to be played in Boston. Well, the
World Cup isn't going to be played in Boston. It's
not being played at Harvard Stadium. Is not being played?
(16:02):
Let is he? First of all, he that probably doesn't
know where to let state hem is? Maybe he does.
He's a he's a sports fan.
Speaker 4 (16:07):
Well, the owner is a friend of his.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
Right is he going to take the World Cup away
from Bob Craft?
Speaker 5 (16:13):
I don't think something.
Speaker 2 (16:16):
No, no, all, I got you down. It's just too okay.
I got you down as as a real skeptic here and.
Speaker 4 (16:24):
And I'm very skeptical.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
All right, thanks do let others.
Speaker 4 (16:29):
Have to say you, thanks, dot appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (16:32):
All right, Let me try to get one more in
here before the break. Alex and millis. What do you think, Alex,
do you think the president would be doing the right
thing here or I mean he's certainly running a whole
bunch of military equipment past the country of Venezuela.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
I don't know. I think it's a make believe armed conflict.
That's what a lot of people, you know, think it's.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
Called what I'm sorry, what did you phrase it as?
Speaker 3 (16:55):
I'll make believe arm conflicts? Some you know, I've heard
that mentioned that they're just looking for an excuse. We
we don't know if those boats are carrying drugs, but
you know, if you're given the best.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
How do you know? Let me ask you this, Alex,
how do you know we don't know?
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Well, how do we know that they are carrying drugs?
Speaker 2 (17:20):
Well, there's a number of ways we can know they're
carrying drugs. First of all, they have very high powered speedboats. Okay,
that is that is what drug cartels will use. Okay,
the Venezuelan population they don't have. They don't own personally
a lot of speedboats unless they have drug cartel. I
assume there's some information on the ground. I assume that
(17:42):
those speedboats when they leave, there's there's some rumors as
to as to where where they're headed and what they're carrying.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
So, yeah, and Dan just recently they I guess they caught.
They are apprehended to to survive versus the submarines. And
like Trump said, you know, not too many people, you
know own submarines.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Yeah, that was amazing. I saw that tonight on ABC
News and I want to get more information on that.
It looked as if we had some Navy seals pulling
them out of the submarine. Right, yeah, turn your radio
down there, Alex. You're a veteran caller. I can hear
the radio in the background. That doesn't help our conversation.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
I'm sorry. I apologize.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
Oh no, that was me. That wasn't the TV. That
was me. That that was my voice. I heard what
I said. So I don't So if you knew, if
you were the president, and you had information that you
that you thought was reliable, would would you allow these
these boats to proceed to the US. Apparently our coast
(18:47):
Guard counters con't catch them because they're that quick.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
Yeah. No, I'd go to town on them, for sure, Okay
percent sure. What about what about you know Mexico? Uh,
you know, we have issues with Mexico too, But I
don't see us blowing any you know. Actually they're conducting drones.
I guess they're sending drones over the cartels.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Yeah, yeah, again. You know, I don't know as much
about that. I mean, I just don't know, to be
honest with you. But if they're sending drones over, what
are they sending them? Are they sending drones over with
with packages and drugs? Are they sending drones over to
see where our border agents are? I don't know the
answer to that. I do know this that we know
(19:34):
that there are places in Mexico physical locations where they
put this stuff together. They get the ingredients from China, uh,
and they do whatever they have to do to put
it into form which can be sold. I would be
tempted to go to the president of Mexico and I
would be tempted to say to the President of Mexico, Look,
(19:55):
if you can take these these locations out, great, if
not asked me for the help, and I would do
it for you.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
Right. Are we getting spread? Two things? Dan? Do you
think you know? Uh, we're all over the all over
the globe.
Speaker 2 (20:10):
We are all over.
Speaker 3 (20:11):
We are trying to trying to take care of problems.
Speaker 2 (20:15):
But I don't I don't think that. I don't think
Trump is looking that. I think that Trump is a businessman,
and he looks at it almost as he looks at
a business prop proposition is it, does it work for him?
I don't think he's going to send five hundred thousand
troops as Lyndon Johnson did to Vietnam to fight a
ground war. I think we learned that lesson. We probably
(20:36):
should have learned that lesson in Korea, but we certainly
learned it in uh In. In Vietnam. We learned some
lessons from Iraq and Afghanistan. I mean, if you can
go in with a quick strike force and take Maduro
out uh and and and basically give people of Venezuela freedom,
(20:57):
that's not a bad thing for them, and it's certainly
not a bad for us.
Speaker 3 (21:01):
Right, Yeah, I guess Trump. Trump had said that, you know,
he's interested in taking care of the United States and
the people of the United States and not to worry
about the rest of the world.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
Right, But if you have people from Venezuela with cigarette boats,
you know, very fast speed boats bringing fentanyl into the
United States, you can't sit by and ignore that, because
that's every every load of fentanyel that comes in, every
boatload of fentanel that comes in, is going to kill
a significant number of American people.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
I think, Oh yeah, true, I agree with that.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
So you get a balance. Alex. Love your calls, man,
I love you making me think, which is what we
try to do here on night side. Okay, thank you,
my friend.
Speaker 3 (21:42):
All right, guy, thanks San, have a great weekend.
Speaker 2 (21:45):
Let us keep rolling here. We're going to go to
the news at the bottom of the arm a couple
of minutes later. I apologize for that. Actually have three
minutes late. Here's the news. When we come back, we
will continue to talk. Is Venezuela next on Donald Trump's
hit list? And how will end? And what will be
the implications of whatever he does? Six one, seven, two, five,
four ten thirty six one seven, nine, three, one, ten thirty.
(22:09):
I got a couple of lines available, let's open, let's
fill them up, and we're going I'm beginning to think
figure out what we're going to do in the twentieth hour, okay,
and I'm going to try something different, but I won't
tell you about it until we get to the twentieth hour,
which of course is the eleven o'clock hour tonight. Back
on Night Side. My name is Dan Ray.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray, Boston's News Radio.
Speaker 2 (22:33):
Let's keep rolling here. We're talking about the possibility that
Donald Trump may decide to take action against the President
of Venezuela, Nicholas Maduro.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
And.
Speaker 2 (22:48):
Which up to and including US troops. Again is there's
a precedent for this, and that is the Norreaga Noriaga
uh situation in Panama in the night ninety Some of
you may not remember that. That's thirty five years ago,
but Noriago was basically captured by US troops, brought back
to Miami, Florida, and he was tried and convicted in
(23:11):
federal court. And I don't even know if Noreaga is
Noriega is still alive here. Let me see if if
I can figure that one out. I should have done
that during the break. Alive or dead, We'll see what.
We'll see what happens in the meantime. He's deceased. He
died in twenty seventeen. So he was diagnosed with a
brain tourmor in March at twenty seventeen, suffered complications during surgery,
(23:35):
died two months later. That's the story of Manuel Noriega
died at eighty three. Yeah, long gone. He had been
a CIA informant, and then he became the target of
the of the first Trump administration. Decades in jail. He
(23:57):
was first imprisoned in Florida, then in France, and finally
home in Panama. Yeah, that's that is that happened before.
So there's a president Ron is in Medford. Hey, Ron,
welcome next on Nightside.
Speaker 6 (24:12):
Hi Dan, how are you?
Speaker 2 (24:13):
I'm doing great? What's your thought on this? I know
it's kind of a case of first impression that I'm
thrown at people tonight, but I'd be really interested in
what you think.
Speaker 6 (24:22):
Well, thank you. First of all, I appreciate the way
you handle all the calls and all the different opinions,
and the way you're so even handed about it.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
Thank you.
Speaker 6 (24:34):
Well, You've done it for years. That's why I try
to listen to you every night. I would like to
I would like to draw one thing or send something out. Sure,
And I've found over the years, if you give an
example that doesn't really involve what it is, maybe it
gives people something to think about. Let's say that you
had children and one of the people on your block
(24:56):
was doing something and it was going to kill your children.
He was feeding them some poison and was going to
kill your children. Is there anything that you wouldn't do
to stop that?
Speaker 2 (25:08):
Yeah, well, of course, of course not. Of course you're
absolutely correct on that. At the same time, when you
take that example, you would go to the local police department.
You wouldn't go down the street and shoot the kid
and kill them. You'd go to the local police department
and say, hey, can you get this kid arrested, and
you do everything you could to keep your child away.
I don't think you would physically go down the street
(25:30):
and engage in what's called self help. But I know
the points you're making.
Speaker 6 (25:33):
Well, the point I'm making is, well, whether you of
course you wouldn't do that right away, but eventually you
might do that after police and do anything. But that's
beside the point. The point is that tens of thousands
of American kids have been dying because of sense and
all being brought in. Absolutely absolutely, And what bothers me
is that it's taken this long for presidents to actually
(25:57):
act on this. You know, I don't don't want to
have nation building and I don't want to go on
there and change anything, but we should be taking out
these drug hotels that we should be doing something. Whatever
it is that the army can do or whatever. It's
certainly above my pay grade. But to let this go
on for years is an embarrassment and we should be
(26:18):
ashamed of ourselves. So what Donald Trump is doing. And
in spite of the woman who called before and didn't know,
you know, do we know that that the drugs are
on those boats? Well, this last one was a submarine.
I mean, for God's sakes, come on, Yeah, you know,
I grew up and I grew up in Metrid and
we were able to think a little bit beyond the
outside the box.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Yeah, not too many average Venza Whelans taking their family
out for a submarine ride on their family submarine on
this Saturday afternoon, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 6 (26:47):
Yeah, And then that's that point. So I commend the
President for what he's doing and to do anything to
stop this, because I think too many young Americans have
died because of all the fentan al coming in and
some of the other things going on, and it's a
shame that has taken this long for a president to
actually do something about it, so I commend him to
(27:08):
do And by the.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
Way, I would agree with you that what he's doing here, uh,
he's not dealing with a sledgehammer. It's not like he's
saying we're going to drop a nuclear bomb on Caracas,
you know, where he's dealing with a scalpel. He's being deliberative.
I hope that they have developed, uh, the adequate information
(27:32):
and that now if there are people who are who
are being hired at the at the dock in Pennsylvania
or rather I keep saying Pennsylvania, Venezuela in Venezuela. Uh,
and and they don't and they're innocent, I feel badly
for them. But but again, there aren't a lot of speedboats.
These are these cigarette speedboats that can go so fast.
(27:58):
Oh yeah, you take a chance and you pay a price.
Speaker 6 (28:02):
The only reason they have those boats, I mean they
have three or four engines that have three or four
hundred horsepower each. They're made to and if you know
anything about you know, the southern pot of Florida, this
is where they come in fast. They do it and
they get out and you're right. The Coast Guard can't
catch them through the boats, but they've been able to
do it with drones or whatever or stuff from the air,
(28:25):
and more power to them. We should be doing more
of this.
Speaker 2 (28:27):
Yeah, I mean, the cigarette boat may be able to
outrun a Coast Guard cutter, but it's not going to
be able to outrun a missile that's fired from a
simple as all right, Hey Ron, thanks very much, appreciate
your call. Thank you for joining us, and please call
more often. Have a great night. Let me go to
(28:47):
Dave in New Hampshire. I'm not sure if this is
the Dave I know, but if it is, I know
where he's going to be coming from. Hey, Dave, how
are you well?
Speaker 7 (28:55):
Thank you Dan, a long time listen to first time caller.
Speaker 2 (29:00):
This is not the date I know that. Welcome Dave,
just a different day. Go right ahead.
Speaker 7 (29:04):
Thank you, you're welcome. I was a police officer for
twenty five years and ten of it, if not more,
I was in a drug task force and I was
assigned fortunately to dea as in the Ocean Unit of
the United States Attorney's Office. Thank you, And I'm going
(29:30):
to say I'm not doing a John Bolton here talking
out of classified information. But that is all real. The speedboats,
the submarines, everything, they have real good intelligence. It wouldn't
surprise me. The CIA is already in there, working with
(29:51):
the DEA and other government agencies, and they have information.
Some of them may be undercover agents themselves that are
passing this information on.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
Oh sure, I'm sure, And Dave, I don't mean to
interrupt you, but I'm sure that when our CIA agents
go in there, they go in there with a bag
full of American cash, and you can you can loosen
up a lot of lips in a country like Venezuela,
even higher up than anybody could imagine, by giving him
(30:23):
some pictures of dead American presidents.
Speaker 7 (30:27):
Well, you're correct, But also what happened recently, people should
pay attention to Chicago because the Mexican cartel has put
out hits on ICE agents and given pictures, and they're
given two thousand dollars rewards for the murder of these
agents doing their jobs. That's why they wear masks.
Speaker 2 (30:50):
Yeah. Well, I think that the two thousand dollars award
rewards for like assaulting an agent, it got up to
like fifty thousand, or to murder an agent. I don't
even imagine unless you kidnapped an agent, how you could
how you're going to recover. I mean, first of all,
hopefully no one is going to take that offer seriously.
(31:13):
But even if somebody is that nuts that they're going
to take that office seriously. And there we have found
out in recent months that there are some really nutty
people out there, whether it's the guy that tried to
light the governor of Pennsylvania's home on fire, the Gubnatrobl mansion,
or the guy who was down there who I still
want to know more about, the guy that was hiding
(31:36):
along the fairway with a high powered rifle and was
eventually caught, tried, and convicted of an attempted assassination on
Don Trump. That dude traveled the world, travel the world, Ukraine,
Hawaii with no apparent financial position or job or obligation.
I don't think he wanted in the lottery. But I'm
(31:58):
with you. Go ahead, you I'm talking too much, Dave.
I want to hear what you have.
Speaker 7 (32:01):
No, No, you know, no, you're not Dan. And incidentally,
I agree with the prior call of Warren. You do
have an even handed discussion, which is very nice because
even if you disagree with with a call, it's respectful
and that that makes you show much better than other
shows that you see on TV or you listen to
(32:24):
on the radio podcast.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
I have I have, I must admit occasionally I can
lose it with the best of them. I had a
rough call with a caller last night. Don't have to
mention your name, but she sent me a lovely email today,
a long, long email, and I'm going to respond to that.
So she was kind enough to put her thoughts on
paper even though we had a pretty condensed.
Speaker 7 (32:49):
He constructive, respectful conversation. There's nothing wrong on that, got it?
And I know your brother was on Your brother was
on the.
Speaker 2 (32:57):
Job, Yes he was, sir.
Speaker 7 (33:01):
So you come from a police family. But let me
just say this, they're very, very smart. They're crafty. They'll
send the cocktail now with the hits out. This means
that this is all affecting the drug supply. Now. I've
spoken to some friends that are still on the job
and ask them what's the supply like. And the supply
(33:24):
is tightening up. Something is working, Something is working. Those speedboats. Incidentally,
those speedboats are loaded with cocaine. The homemade submarines are
government submarines.
Speaker 5 (33:39):
Who knows.
Speaker 7 (33:40):
I'd like to know more about that particular submarine. I
know when they were coming out of our Columbia. They
were homemade. They were small, and they were not effective.
They had a surface too much. But submarines have were
going on a long time and they what they do
is they drop they drop a load somewhere with a
(34:02):
GPS marker and they can have it rise up from
wherever it is the depth of the ocean. There's all
sorts of tricks. They won't stop because the demand is there,
the hunger is there. I really think, I really congratulate
(34:22):
President Trump. You have to give him credit. He's going
right after the source of the trouble. We've tried everything,
everything under the sun, and nothing has worked. We have
to admit that to ourselves. So if Venezuela now and
I'm not privy to any new information like I used to,
but if Venezuela is the problem and they won't cooperate,
(34:45):
well I'm behind the president of one thousand percent to
do whatever he needs to do. So you can mark
me down totally in fair us one, Dave.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
I so enjoyed our conversation again, thank you for your career,
what you've done, and please please continue to call this program. Okay,
thank you so much.
Speaker 7 (35:04):
Dan, I will thank you for having me.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
You bet you all right, we take a very quick break.
I got Dan and Lester and Norman Worcester. Will be
right back on Nightside.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
It's Nightside with Dan Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
We've got a lot of calls. We're going to try
to get to everybody. Let me go to Daniel and
Leicester first. Daniel, welcome next on Nightside. Your thoughts on
what Donald Trump has been doing in Venezuela and what
he might do.
Speaker 8 (35:30):
What do you mean, Dan, I just want to say that,
you know, putting a prize on any anybody's head, uh,
you know, almost bottled it. The idea which is the
great nation of the world, the first one of the
world that says that, you know, even when somebody's arrested
for our suspected for crime, they are innocent until proven duty. Now,
(35:53):
if you have enough power to actually wait for those
boats on you on your court life and see.
Speaker 9 (36:00):
Who they actually who is working with them and giving
them the who they're giving that looks look poisonous to
bring into the country.
Speaker 3 (36:10):
You know you can.
Speaker 9 (36:11):
You can at least you know, arrest, arrest those people,
then who's working with them, and try to arrest them.
And then if if they run away, then you can.
You can vomb them, but not vomb them international not
international waters.
Speaker 2 (36:23):
All right, Daniel, I I wish you had called early.
Would have to would have to have a long conversation.
This is one that I think we would have to
each uh speak a long time about. But I'm glad
you called because you represent a different point of opinion,
which I respect and I hope you can respect mine
as well. Thank you, my friend.
Speaker 8 (36:43):
I didn't know you were talking differently. I'm sorry, Yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (36:46):
Talk to you later. Let me go to Harvey silver Glade. Harvey,
I do. I am in position of that book by
Craig Whitney. I'm looking forward to reading it. Thank you,
thank you, thank you.
Speaker 10 (36:56):
You're welcome. If drivers who are legalized, the cartels would
go out of business overnight at no cost to the
government or to the military. I have been saying this
for years. Drug addiction should be a medical problem, not
a legal problem.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
Fair enough, I respect that opinion. I'm not necessarily there
with you on it. But I understand that argument, and
I respect people like you who have held that position,
that that philosophical position through good days and good times
and bad times. To be honest with you, uh, let's
look at the legality from a legal point of view
(37:35):
of what Trump is doing here, basically taking these cigarette
boats international waters and taking them out, assuming that he
has some information as to what their purpose is. And
you're you're his lawyer, do you do you advocate he
does this or you say no, you're you're what you're stepping.
Speaker 10 (37:55):
In in It's it's dubious other international law. But who
was going to stop him?
Speaker 2 (38:02):
Yes, yes, yes, there's the law and then there's the
real world. I guess at that point.
Speaker 10 (38:06):
Right, that's how that's how he's been operating in this country.
He's so it's easier in international orders.
Speaker 2 (38:15):
Yeah, I mean here in this country at least there
are judges and cases can be heard and injunctions can
be issued and restraining orders filed. Yeah, Harvey, thank you,
I got one more who would like to get in
just for a few seconds as well? No, thank you,
my friend, thank you much. Let me get one more
in here, Rob, give me a bout a minute. Let
me go to Norman Worcester. Norm you've called lately the
last call of but I got you in under the
(38:36):
wire thanks to the generosity of Daniel and Harvey, they've
donated a little time for you.
Speaker 5 (38:40):
Go right ahead, yep, got a couple of minutes left,
ten fifty seven. But yeah, raising legal and political concerns.
I understand the political part of it, because the Democrats
are really peed off that they're cocaine is going to
cost a lot more money.
Speaker 2 (38:56):
Well, I don't think it's only Democrats who are partaking cocaine. Okay,
go ahead, that's kind of a hit pull on the belt,
but go ahead, go ahead, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 11 (39:05):
And then on the on the the legal part two,
they're not fishing boats. I fish, and you know my
fishing reel would not work at sixty miles an hour. No,
I don't think so, they're not fishing boats.
Speaker 5 (39:21):
And so I was just parting to get it quick.
Speaker 2 (39:23):
You got it, you got it, you did it, you
did it. We are out of time, and I got
to get a particularly a caller like you on earlier
because we can have some fun. But yeah, right, none
of us can wait for the eleven. For the eleven
o'clock news. Thanks Norm, have a great weekend. Thank you
for thank you what good good points? Thank you? Okay,
done for now here comes the eleven. Right after the eleven,
(39:46):
we're going to go to a twentieth hour. I want
to ask a general question and I think everyone will
be able to answer the question. We'll tell you what
that question is on the other side of the news
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