Vera Bergengruen
@verambergen.bsky.social
Senior Correspondent at TIME Magazine Talk to me ➡️ vera@time.com
The secret CIA assessment that called for Trump to side with Maduro’s longtime deputy, rather than the democratic opposition, was based on the advice of a former Chevron executive. The oil company stands to profit from Trump’s decision to heed that advice.
He Was Chevron’s Man in Venezuela—and a CIA Informant
After retiring from Chevron, Ali Moshiri warned the Trump administration it would face a morass if it tried to install the democratic opposition.
wsj.com
A former top Chevron executive was super tight with Delcy Rodriguez. He told the CIA to back her instead of Venezuela's democratic opposition,. The agency told Trump. Now Ali Moshiri is ready to cash in. He's raising $3 billion to get back in Venezuela's oil game. www.wsj.com/world/americ...
He Was Chevron’s Man in Venezuela—and a CIA Informant
After retiring from Chevron, Ali Moshiri warned the Trump administration it would face a morass if it tried to install the democratic opposition.
wsj.com
NEW: The story behind how the CIA turned to an old friend—a longtime Chevron executive and Delcy Rodriguez fan—for advice on who should run post-Maduro Venezuela. This one is worth your time www.wsj.com/world/americ...
NEW: Maria Corina Machado drifted on a skiff in the Caribbean for almost three hours after its GPS fell overboard on rough seas and a backup failed. She didn’t meet the extraction team at a designated pickup point, setting off a scramble to find her. Inside "Operation Golden Dynamite"
NEW: Wearing a wig and a disguise, Maria Corina Machado evaded 10 military checkpoints to reach a small fishing skiff that would take her out of Venezuela to Curaçao. The group alerted the US military: “We coordinated so that they would not blow up the boat." www.wsj.com/world/americ...
“Russia has welcomed President Donald Trump's new National Security Strategy, calling it "largely consistent" with Moscow's vision.” www.bbc.com/news/article...
New US security strategy aligns with Russia's vision, Moscow says
The Kremlin welcomes the starkly worded document, which does not cast Russia as a threat to the US.
bbc.com
NEW: Trump’s pardon of former Honduran President Hernández was the result of something extraordinary for a Central American leader & convicted cocaine trafficker—a web of powerful advocates stretching from Washington to Silicon Valley and Mar-a-Lago. Behind the scenes ⬇️ www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
How a Man Convicted of Running a Latin American Narco State Landed a Pardon
Former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández’s unusual network of Trump allies and MAGA influencers helped deliver an extraordinary pardon to him.
wsj.com
NEW: Hegseth asked SOUTHCOM Adm. Alvin Holsey to step down, a de facto ouster that was the culmination of months of discord between the two that intensified when Holsey had initial concerns about the legality of lethal strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
Exclusive | Hegseth Asked Top Admiral to Resign After Months of Discord
The relationship between the Pentagon chief and Adm. Alvin Holsey had been rocky since Trump’s inauguration.
wsj.com
“We don’t care how Trump does it." “No mercy. The time for talking is over.” “Give me a chance. I’ll go with them.” Inside Miami's "Doralzuela," where hope that Trump will force out Maduro is colliding with anxiety over his immigration crackdown www.wsj.com/world/americ...
In Miami’s ‘Little Venezuela,’ Deportation Fears Collide With Hope for Regime Change
Residents of the largest Venezuelan community in the U.S. are caught between Trump’s immigration crackdown and his campaign against Nicolás Maduro.
wsj.com
@lageneralista.ca talking “The Information Animal” at @carnegieendowment.org with @verambergen.bsky.social of the @wsj.com!
In case you missed the DC launch, @carnegieendowment.org has you covered with the full video - wherein @benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org made the best of introductions and @verambergen.bsky.social adeptly dealt with my lack of answers: carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/...
The Information Animal: Are Humans in a Competition for Reality?
Join the Carnegie Endowment’s Technology and International Affairs Program for a conversation with Vera Bergengruen, national security reporter at The Wall Street Journal, and Dr. Alicia Wanless to di...
carnegieendowment.org
NEW: The Trump admin has identified targets in Venezuela that include military facilities used to smuggle drugs, U.S. officials say. If Trump decides to move forward w/ airstrikes, they say, the targets would send a clear message to Maduro that it is time to step down. www.wsj.com/world/americ...
U.S. Eyes Striking Venezuelan Military Targets Used for Drug Trafficking
If President Trump decides to move forward with airstrikes, the targets would send a clear message to Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro that it is time to step down, according to U.S. officials.
wsj.com
The Pentagon has ordered the National Guard to create “quick reaction” forces in every state by January that are trained and equipped to respond to riots and civil unrest within the U.S., according to internal DOD memos. www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
Pentagon Orders National Guard to Establish Quick-Reaction Forces for Civil Unrest, Riots
The riot control units are a major shift, underscoring the Trump administration’s push to directly involve the military in responding to demonstrations and other domestic missions.
wsj.com
Excited to be back at @carnegieendowment.org for this chat with @verambergen.bsky.social about The Information Animal - should be fun! If you’re in DC on November 5, please come. carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/... And with that, see y’all in a couple weeks!
The Information Animal: Are Humans in a Competition for Reality?
Join the Carnegie Endowment’s Technology and International Affairs Program for a conversation with Vera Bergengruen, national security reporter at The Wall Street Journal, and Dr. Alicia Wanless to di...
carnegieendowment.org
The human-technology relationship has followed a similar pattern since ancient times. Is history doomed to repeat itself? Join @lageneralista.bsky.social and @verambergen.bsky.social to discuss questions like this – & Alicia’s book! Nov 5, 4pm EST, hybrid carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/...
In his second term, President Trump is seeking to dominate the Americas with a new "Donroe Doctrine."
Essay | Trump’s ‘Donroe Doctrine’ Aims to Dominate the Americas
From attacking drug boats to pressuring Venezuela’s leader, the President is putting the Western Hemisphere at the center of his foreign policy.
on.wsj.com
Thousands of federal agents once tasked with investigating drug smuggling, sexual exploitation and organized crime have been redirected to immigration enforcement.
Trump’s Immigration Push Diverts U.S. Agents From Drug, Money and Sex-Crime Cases
Federal investigators are resigning, and morale is low, as they juggle complex cases and detain migrants.
on.wsj.com
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s emphasis on physical prowess comes as experts say future wars will depend more on cutting-edge technology, precision strikes and AI on.wsj.com/3KvrcH1
Hegseth Focuses on Fitness, Even as Pentagon Goes High Tech
The emphasis on physical prowess comes as experts say future wars will depend more on cutting-edge technology, precision strikes and AI.
on.wsj.com
NEW: Thousands of federal agents once tasked with investigating drug smuggling, sexual exploitation, and organized crime have been redirected to immigration enforcement under President Trump’s second-term push to accelerate deportations www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Trump’s Immigration Push Diverts U.S. Agents From Drug, Money and Sex-Crime Cases
Federal investigators are resigning, and morale is low, as they juggle complex cases and detain migrants.
wsj.com
For those not steeped in online conservative circles, Charlie Kirk was hardly a household name outside the U.S. before this past week. But his death has galvanized right-wing figures abroad who have hailed him as a martyr for a global movement. Latest ⬇️ www.wsj.com/world/charli...
Charlie Kirk’s Death Unites a Global Right That Sees Its Movement Under Siege
Conservative leaders from Pretoria to Tokyo framed the killing of the U.S. activist and organizer as proof of an existential threat.
wsj.com
New: Inside the lobbying campaign by Ukraine, European officials and evangelical Christian organizations to bring the Ukrainian children forcibly removed to Russia to Trump’s attention & make their return a demand in peace negotiations www.wsj.com/world/inside...
Inside the Lobbying Push That Put Ukraine’s Missing Children on Trump’s Agenda
Children that Ukraine says were taken by Russia are at the heart of peace talks thanks to a monthslong effort by Western officials and evangelical Christian groups.
wsj.com
New: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized the National Guard soldiers in Washington, D.C., to carry weapons www.wsj.com/politics/pol...
Defense Secretary Authorizes National Guard in D.C. to Carry Arms
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized National Guard soldiers in Washington to carry weapons, the latest move in President Trump’s efforts to ramp up security in the nation’s capital.
wsj.com
“ICE is seeking to spend millions of dollars on SUVs and custom, gold-detailed vehicle wraps emblazoned with the words “DEFEND THE HOMELAND,” according to a contractor’s social media post and records that describe the decked-out fleet” www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
washingtonpost.com
Of the 465 total arrests from the start of operations in the District of Columbia through Tuesday, roughly 44%, or 206, have been arrests of immigrants in the country illegally, according to a White House official. www.wsj.com/us-news/trum...
Trump’s ‘Law and Order’ Push in D.C. Looks a Lot Like an Immigration Raid
Nearly half of the arrests under the security crackdown have been of people in the country illegally.
wsj.com
Nearly half of the arrests under President Trump’s security crackdown in the nation’s capital have been of people in the country illegally.
Trump’s ‘Law and Order’ Push in D.C. Looks a Lot Like an Immigration Raid
Nearly half of the arrests under the security crackdown have been of people in the country illegally.
on.wsj.com
NEW: Trump’s ‘Law and Order’ Push in D.C. Looks a Lot Like an Immigration Raid www.wsj.com/us-news/trum...
wsj.com
Do read this: Blackwater’s Erik Prince muscles back into mercenary business @wsj.com www.wsj.com/world/americ...
Blackwater’s Erik Prince Muscles Back Into the Mercenary Business
Prince has a new guns-for-hire firm to take overseas security jobs the White House doesn’t want to pay for.
wsj.com
National Guard soldiers prepare to carry weapons in Washington, DC www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
Exclusive | National Guard Soldiers Prepare to Carry Weapons in Washington, D.C.
The shift comes after defense officials said the soldiers deployed to the capital wouldn’t be armed.
wsj.com
NEW: National Guard troops deployed to DC by President Trump are now preparing to carry weapons. It's a significant shift—defense officials emphasized two days ago that troops would not be armed or have weapons in their vehicles.
