Venezuelan Cartel de los Soles Allegedly Controls Mexican Drug Cartels and Funds US Political Movements
"The money that was generated through the cartel, the Cartel de los Soles, was being used to fund organizations like Open Societies Foundations, Black Lives Matter, and other groups that we thought were organic here in the United States, but were actually being funded by our enemies from abroad."
About this episode
On this episode, host Danny Jones interviews Ralph Pezullo, a bestselling author and screenwriter, about explosive allegations detailed in his self-published book 'Stolen Elections: The Takedown of Democracies Worldwide.' The conversation centers on claims by two government whistleblowers—former CIA officer Gary Bernsen and former DEA agent Martin Rodeal—that Venezuela's Cartel de los Soles, working with China, Iran, Cuba, and Russia, developed electronic voting software in 2004 to manipulate elections globally, including in the United States. Pezullo explains that Smartmatic and Dominion voting systems allegedly contain 14 backdoors enabling vote manipulation, with the source code stored in Venezuela's national bank. The whistleblowers reportedly recruited 20 engineers from within the conspiracy who provided detailed technical evidence, which was presented to Congress, the FBI, and the Trump administration—all of whom declined to act. Pezullo reveals his original publisher, Skyhorse, canceled the book days before release despite initial enthusiasm, forcing him to self-publish. He also alleges Fox News rejected whistleblower evidence that could have defeated Dominion's $787 million defamation lawsuit, suggesting the settlement was designed to silence media coverage. The episode explores connections between the Cartel de los Soles, Mexican drug cartels, and alleged funding of US political organizations, as well as testimony from Hugo Carvajal, Chávez's former intelligence chief now imprisoned in Brooklyn, who claims Iran installed missile bases in Venezuela aimed at Florida. Pezullo argues a faction within the CIA has used this technology to manipulate foreign elections and is blocking Trump from exposing the system to protect covert operations. The conversation concludes with discussion of the 2024 Los Angeles mayoral race and allegations of irregularities in the 2020 Karen Bass election.
Key takeaways
- Whistleblowers allege Venezuela developed Smartmatic election software in 2004 with 14 backdoors, now used globally including in US elections through companies like Dominion.
- Former CIA officer Gary Bernsen and DEA whistleblower Martin Rodeal recruited 20 engineers from within the Venezuelan election conspiracy who provided source code evidence.
- Skyhorse Publishing canceled Pezullo's book days before October 2024 release despite signed contract, citing fear of lawsuits after Fox News's $787 million Dominion settlement.
- Fox News allegedly rejected whistleblower evidence and engineer testimony that would have defeated Dominion's defamation lawsuit, choosing to settle instead.
- Hugo Carvajal, Chávez's imprisoned former intelligence chief, claims Iran installed missile and drone bases in Venezuela targeting Florida and that China and Russia hacked Caribbean communication cables.
- CIA faction allegedly adopted Venezuelan software to manipulate foreign elections in 72 countries via USAID's CEPSS program, creating conflict within Trump administration over disclosure.
- Cartel de los Soles, a Venezuelan military-run criminal network, allegedly controls Mexican drug cartel distribution and funds US political organizations including Open Societies Foundations and Black Lives Matter.