quote:

Originally posted by Sig2340:

quote:

Originally posted by Loswsmith:…
Can it be moved? I don't know but I doubt it since there are very few places, i.e. cities with federal security and courtroom security of this magnitude to handle something like this.

Eastern District of Virginia. They try and house international criminals and terrorists of all stripes.

That's one, but remember this decision is being made in March of 2020 and not today.

Not a lawyer.

Indict in a different district where venue can be asserted (Southern Florida? A border district in Texas?) based on an overt act or SOMETHING in furtherance of the enterprise occurring there. It's a long-running criminal scheme and the statute hasn't run on the conspiracy because it continued until essentially last week.

Once charged in other District, move to dismiss the SDNY charges.

The makeup and inclinations of the a) bench and b) jury pool are likely to be somewhat different in West Texas, where they regularly have to deal with the effects of smuggling.

Of course IANAL, so I asked Grok, “Can the Maduro case be legally transferred to another US District Court?” The short answer is we can forget about it. The long answer is:

quote:

Yes, the case against Nicolás Maduro can legally be transferred to another U.S. federal district court.

The case is currently proceeding in the Southern District of New York (SDNY), where Maduro and his wife were arraigned on January 5, 2026, before Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy and drug trafficking (stemming from a 2020 indictment, with related charges in D.C. and Southern Florida).

Federal criminal cases can be transferred under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 21:

• Rule 21(a) — For Prejudice: The court must transfer the case upon the defendant’s motion if it finds that prejudice in the current district is so great that the defendant cannot obtain a fair and impartial trial there (e.g., due to extensive pretrial publicity or local bias).

• Rule 21(b) — For Convenience: The court may transfer the case upon the defendant’s motion if it is for the convenience of parties, victims, and witnesses, and in the interest of justice.

Such motions are filed by the defendant (or occasionally with court initiative under limited circumstances), and the decision rests with the judge’s discretion (mandatory for proven prejudice, discretionary otherwise). Transfers occur in high-profile federal cases when justified, though success depends on evidence like media saturation or logistical burdens.

No reports indicate a transfer motion has been filed yet in this case, but Maduro’s defense team could pursue one as proceedings continue (next hearing scheduled for March 17, 2026). The government cannot unilaterally force a transfer under Rule 21; it is primarily a defense tool to protect constitutional rights to an impartial trial (Sixth Amendment).

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
It is where it is. Appeal? It just started, so let’s just see how it plays out first.

Yeah we JUST arrested him and already the doomsayers are fretting and complaining that he will walk free.

The pessimism here gets really old, really fast.

SDNY I believe has the most robust and resourced office when it comes to terror and national security crimes. Let's see how this one plays out for now as Maduro has quite a stack of serious charges and it'd be quite dubious for a judge to dismiss some of them.

"...to secure our interests un-apologetically in our hemisphere, conducting ourselves as a superpower."

https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/2008325602420379941

Don't know if this info has been posted before, but it's not just the head that's rotten.

From 2020

Nicolás Maduro Moros and 14 Current and Former Venezuelan Officials Charged with Narco-Terrorism, Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Criminal Charges

Some say this is AI but I have doubts:

https://x.com/PapiTrumpo/status/2007927104713933060

quote:

Some say this is AI but I have doubts:

So, you actually think it’s real? C’mon, man.

quote:

Originally posted by lkdr1989:
Some say this is AI but I have doubts:

https://x.com/PapiTrumpo/status/2007927104713933060

[FLASH_VIDEO]<iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-0&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&lang=en&theme=&id=2007927104713933060" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 529px; display: block; border: none; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-image: url('https://codejanitor.net/embeds/images/bgmessage.png'); background-position: 50% 85px; background-size: 200px; overflow: hidden;" title="Twitter Tweet"></iframe>[/FLASH_VIDEO]

If you need more understanding of Venezuela, watch Parks and Recs season 2 episode 5.

Speaking of which, someone needs a Maduro right to jail meme.

This Is What The Night Stalkers’ MH-60M Direct Action Penetrator Brought To The Venezuelan Op

The hard-hitting attack version of the special operations MH-60 was clearly among the critical assets used in Operation Absolute Resolve.

Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway
Posted 14 Hours Ago

In the aftermath of the high-profile capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro by the United States, the participation by the Direct Action Penetrator (DAP) version of the U.S. Army’s MH-60M Black Hawk has thrust one of the most intriguing Special Operations Command (SOCOM) assets into the spotlight. These aircraft are the heavier-hitting gunships of the U.S. Army’s elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), better known as the Night Stalkers, and Venezuela was exactly the kind of mission for which they are intended to fly, in support of a direct action mission and assault team.

Heavily armed attack versions of the H-60 Black Hawk family have been used by a variety of nations through the years. However, the specially adapted DAPs flown by the 160th SOAR are undoubtedly the best equipped, even in comparison to the regiment’s standard MH-60s, which are used primarily as transports, and are extremely capable in their own right...

Complete article with videos and stills:

https://www.twz.com/air/this-i...to-the-venezuelan-op

That thing is a beast!

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:

quote:

Some say this is AI but I have doubts:

So, you actually think it’s real? C’mon, man.

So, you actually think he thinks it's real? C'mon, man.

I guess I should've added a smiling emoji to my post to convey the full meaning

quote:

Originally posted by frayedends:

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:

quote:

Some say this is AI but I have doubts:

So, you actually think it’s real? C’mon, man.

So, you actually think he thinks it's real? C'mon, man.

https://www.newsmax.com/us/tru...dkt_nbr=010502p82epf

Trump Mocks Paid Pro-Maduro Protesters

President Donald Trump opened a daylong policy forum for Republican lawmakers at the Trump-Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., by mocking what he called "paid" pro-Nicolas Maduro protesters.

Trump drew laughs as he contrasted them with Venezuelans who have taken to the streets against the socialist regime.

Speaking to GOP members in an address carried live by Newsmax on Tuesday, Trump derided demonstrators he said were recruited by the "radical left," claiming their professionally printed signs and shallow understanding of the cause gave them away.

"And now what they do, the radical left, they actually have people — and it's hard to get them — they're all paid people," Trump said. "Most of these people are paid. You know they're paid when they have brand new, beautiful printed signs by the highest quality printer."

Trump's remarks followed a U.S. military operation over the weekend that brought Maduro from Venezuela to New York, where he now faces federal drug-trafficking charges.

Venezuelans and Cubans cheering the capture of the socialist strongman clashed Monday with pro-Maduro protesters outside a New York City courthouse, accusing the demonstrators of being paid activists who could not even speak Spanish while demanding Maduro's release.

Several hundred protesters milled about outside the downtown Manhattan courthouse, waving professionally printed signs reading "Free President Maduro" and "No War for Venezuela Oil," as Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were set to make their first appearance before a federal judge on narcoterrorism, drug trafficking, and other serious charges.

"You don't even know where Venezuela is!" Cuban-born Dario Blanzo shouted at a pro-Maduro protester, the New York Post reported.

Trump contrasted those protesters with Venezuelans opposing Maduro inside their own country.

"By the way. Venezuela, everyone, they're marching in the streets. They love it," Trump said. "Except in New York. I mean, where do they find these people? These people are a mess."

Trump continued to ridicule the demonstrators' appearance and message discipline, saying they "don't even know what they're talking about," and suggesting the media avoids interviewing them because the truth is obvious.

"It's hard to believe the press could be so anti because it's all common sense," he said.

https://www.fidelity.com/news/...ED_KBN3O11WR-OUSBS_1

Exclusive-Caracas, Washington in talks to export Venezuelan oil to US, sources say

HOUSTON/WASHINGTON, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Government officials in Caracas and Washington are discussing exporting Venezuelan crude to refiners in the United States, five government, industry and shipping sources told Reuters on Tuesday, a deal that could divert supplies away from China while helping state company PDVSA avoid deeper output cuts.
The talks are the first sign that the Venezuelan government is responding to President Donald Trump's demand that they open up to U.S. oil companies or risk more military intervention. Trump has said he wants interim President Delcy Rodriguez to give ‌the U.S. and private companies "total access" to Venezuela's oil industry.
Venezuela has millions of barrels of oil loaded on tankers and in storage tanks that it has been unable to ship due to a blockade on exports imposed by Trump ​since mid-December.
The blockade was part of rising U.S. pressure on the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro that culminated in U.S. forces capturing him this weekend. Top ‍Venezuelan officials have called Maduro's capture a kidnapping and accused the U.S. of trying to steal the country's vast oil ⁠reserves.
A potential deal to sell the trapped ⁠crude to the U.S. could initially require reallocating cargoes originally bound for China, two sources said. The Asian country has been Venezuela's top buyer in the last decade and especially since the United States imposed sanctions on ‌companies involved in oil trade with Venezuela in 2020.
"Trump wants this to happen early so ​he can say it is a big win," said one of the oil industry sources.
The White House, Venezuelan government officials and PDVSA did not immediately comment.
CHEVRON IN CONTROL OF VENEZUELAN OIL FLOWS TO US
The supply would increase the volume of Venezuelan oil exported to the U.S., ⁠a flow that is currently controlled entirely by Chevron, PDVSA's main joint venture ‍partner, under a U.S. ​authorization.
Chevron, which has been exporting between 100,000 and 150,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Venezuelan oil to the U.S., is the only company that has been loading and shipping crude without interruption from the South American country in recent weeks under the blockade.
It was not immediately clear how sanctioned ‍PDVSA would receive money from oil sales. Sanctions mean the company is excluded from the global financial system, its bank accounts are frozen and it is blocked from executing transactions in U.S. dollars.
Rodriguez, sworn in as interim president on Monday, is herself under U.S. sanctions imposed in 2018 for undermining democracy.
TALKS INVOLVE POSSIBLE AUCTIONS WITH US BUYERS
The officials have been in talks this week about possible sales mechanisms, including auctions to allow interested U.S. buyers to bid for cargoes, and issuing U.S. licenses to PDVSA's business partners that could lead to supply contracts, two sources said.
Those licenses have in the past allowed PDVSA's joint venture partners and customers, including Chevron, India's Reliance, China ​National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) ‍and European Eni and Repsol, to have access to Venezuelan oil to refine or to resell to third parties.
This week, some of those companies have begun making preparations for receiving Venezuelan cargoes again, two sources said.
The U.S. and Venezuela have also discussed if Venezuelan oil can be used in ​the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve in the future, one of the sources said.
INCREASED OIL FLOWS WOULD BE 'GREAT NEWS'
U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said on Tuesday that an increased flow of Venezuelan heavy oil to the U.S. Gulf would be "great news" for job security, future gasoline prices in the U.S. and for Venezuela.
"Venezuela has an opportunity now to actually have capital come in and rebuild their economy and take advantage," he told Fox News, when asked about this story on the talks between the governments on oil exports. "With American technology, American partnership, Venezuela can be transformed."
U.S. refineries on the Gulf Coast can process Venezuela's heavy crude grades and were importing some 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) before Washington first imposed energy sanctions on Venezuela.
PDVSA has already had ​to cut production due to the embargo, because it is running out of storage for the oil. If PDVSA does not find a way to export oil soon, it would have to cut production more, one of the sources said.
Oil traders reacted to news of the talks on Tuesday. Differentials for some heavy oil grades in the U.S. Gulf slipped around 50 cents per barrel on Tuesday on the ‍prospect of more Venezuelan supplies.

https://www.fidelity.com/news/...COMBINED_L1N3Y70TV_1

Oil executives to meet Trump this week, likely on Friday, sources say
*
Interior secretary says equipment could provide a boost
*
Trump mulls subsidies for oil companies to return
*
Industry skeptical due to high costs, obstacles
(Rewrites throughout with details and background about planned oil industry meetings at White House)
By Susan Heavey and Sheila Dang

WASHINGTON/MIAMI, Jan 6 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will meet with oil company executives at the White House late this week to discuss ways to revive Venezuela's tattered oil sector, according to three sources ‌familiar with the matter.
Two of the sources told Reuters the meeting was likely to happen on Friday. It was not immediately clear who would attend.
The White House did not have an immediate comment ​on the matter.

Raising crude output from Venezuela, which sits on the world's largest oil reserves, is a top objective for Trump after U.S. forces seized ‍the country's leader, Nicolas Maduro, in a raid on its capital Caracas on Saturday.
Venezuela's exports have fallen below ⁠1 million barrels per day from ⁠more than 3 million bpd two decades ago amid a prolonged lack of investment that has left its infrastructure in shambles.

Administration officials have dismissed estimates by analysts and industry executives that it would ‌take years to ramp up Venezuela's crude production, saying there were ways to quickly ​boost the country's oil sector with fresh equipment and technology.
Chevron ( CVX ) is the only U.S. oil major now operating in Venezuela's oil fields.
Exxon Mobil ( XOM ) and ConocoPhillips ( COP ) were major producers in the country before their projects were nationalized by former President Hugo Chavez nearly ⁠two decades ago.
The companies have not commented on whether they would be willing ‍to return to ​Venezuela.
'ENORMOUS' BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said one option to boost Venezuelan oil output in the near term was for Washington to lift sanctions that had prevented the country from accessing crucial oil field equipment and other technologies to maximize production.
"Some of these ‍things could be done very quickly," he told Fox Business Network in an interview. "The opportunity on the business side here is really enormous."
Trump has said the U.S. industry could expand operations in Venezuela in less than 18 months, possibly with the help of subsidies.
"A tremendous amount of money will have to be spent, and the oil companies will spend it, and then they'll get reimbursed by us or through revenue," Trump told NBC News on Monday.

Trump said on Tuesday in remarks to U.S. House Republicans that increasing Venezuelan production could also reduce energy costs for Americans.
"We got a lot of oil ​to drill, ‍which is going to bring down oil prices even further," Trump said.

DEGRADED INFRASTRUCTURE, COSTLY DEVELOPMENT
Oil analysts and executives have been skeptical about a quick revival of Venezuela's oil sector, pointing out that its degraded infrastructure would require billions of dollars and years to rebuild.

Venezuela's ​oil reserves are also among the world's costliest to develop because the oil is so thick and heavy it requires specialized equipment to extract, transport and refine into usable fuels.

With global oil prices relatively low by historical standards, around $60 a barrel, producers have been focusing on reserves that are cheaper and easier to develop.
"It's hard to imagine increases beyond 300,000 to 400,000 barrels a day in the next year, just given the degraded state of the infrastructure, especially the upgraders," Daan Struyven, co-head of global commodities research at Goldman Sachs, said at the Goldman Sachs Energy, CleanTech and Utilities Conference.
He said it would take until the end of the decade for Venezuela to reach ​1.5 million to 2 million bpd, and likely only with significant support from the U.S. government.
"I wouldn't rule it out, but it will require time, significant institutional changes," he said.

Energy Secretary Chris Wright is scheduled to speak at the Goldman Sachs conference in Miami on Wednesday morning, while ConocoPhillips ( COP ) CEO Ryan Lance is scheduled to make closed-door comments immediately afterward. (Reporting by Steve ‍Holland, Trevor Hunnicutt and Susan Heavey in Washington, Nathan Crooks and Sheila Dang in Miami; Writing by Richard Valdmanis; Editing by Rod Nickel and Edmund Klamann)

quote:

Originally posted by 6guns:
https://www.fidelity.com/news/...ED_KBN3O11WR-OUSBS_1

Exclusive-Caracas, Washington in talks to export Venezuelan oil to US, sources say

The Gulf Coast (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama) has the majority of the USA's refining capacity. For example, in June 2025 those 4 states refined 54.5% of all crude oil refined in the USA.

When I joined the oil & gas industry full time in the late 90s, everybody was falling all over themselves reconfiguring both logistics and refineries to be able to run the heavy, sour Venezuelan crudes and the heavy Mexican crudes because the margins were better than the light crudes. Mexico's corruption and ineptitude cut their production in half, and Venezuela nationalized its oil industry but lacked both mental and organizational ability to maintain its production so their production declines 61%. Fortunately, the Canadian Tar Sands took off and everybody converted to refining their crude since the margins were better than light crudes (also, they were a friendly and competent source of crude oil). Then, fracking took off and the lighter oilfields of West Texas and New Mexico flooded the market with light crude (e.g. WTI) and the margins on light crude were better than heavy crude. Some refineries added additional light crude units so they could run both heavy and light crudes, some converted heavy units to light, and some did both.

It'll be real interesting see how the Gulf Coast refiners respond to this opportunity.