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Welcome, everyone, to a special Cops and Writers Podcast. Due to the nature and timing of our topic today, I released this episode early. Back in late October, retired DEA Agents (legends) Steve Murphy, Wes Tabor, and Chris Feistl predicted on the Cops and Writers Podcast episodes 250 and 251, that the U.S. would take the fight to Maduro and attack on land. On January 3, 2026, the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a military operation in Caracas, Venezuela.

I have heard so many opinions on this from ‘experts’, I'm using air quotes, living in social media-fueled echo chambers, and I wanted to get the true story. So I brought back my experts in narco-terrorism, drug cartels, and international drug smuggling, Steve, Wes, and Chris. 

Here’s an intro to my experts for today’s show.

Retired DEA Special Agent Wes Tabor (episodes 235,236, & 237). Wes was embedded in Venezuela, battling the drug cartel and gangs for three years. He had a front-row seat to the prospering drug trade and threat to the United States and wrote the book, Infiltrate America: Blood Routes and the Rise of Latin American Gangs. So, of course, I asked him to be on the show again, and he graciously agreed.

Of course, I would be remiss if I were going to be talking about drug cartels and smuggling, not to have two experts who took down some of the most notorious drug cartels and their leaders in modern times. Steve Murphy and Chris Feistl. 

Retired DEA Special Agent Steve Murphy and his partner Javier Pena are best known for taking down the Medellin Cartel and its leader, Pablo Escobar. Steve is an expert in drug smuggling and cartels and is considered an expert in the world of narcoterrorism. Steve and Javier’s work was featured in many television documentaries and was featured in the Netflix special, DEA Narcos.

Retired DEA Special Agent Chris Feistl and his partner Dave Mitchell are best known for taking down the Cali Cartel and its leaders Gilberto and Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela. Chris’s work was featured in many television documentaries and was also featured in season three of the Netflix special DEA Narcos.

After listening to these three experts explain recent operations in Venezuela, I have gained valuable insights into why we arrested Maduro and his wife. I hope this clears things up for you as well. Please enjoy my conversation with these DEA legends and experts.

 

In today’s episode, we discuss:

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