Time to beat the Bushes

The claims you're referencing appear to stem largely from conspiracy-oriented sources, including Roger Stone's 2016 book "Jeb! and the Bush Crime Family" (later republished as "The Bush Crime Family"), as well as some investigative journalism from the 1980s and 1990s that has been amplified in anti-Bush narratives.<grok:render card_id="866d7f" card_type="citation_card" type="render_inline_citation">

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</grok:render> These allegations portray George H.W. Bush as using his CIA directorship (1976-1977) to orchestrate Venezuela's descent into a "narco-state," with Jeb Bush allegedly acting as a CIA asset in Caracas to facilitate drug trafficking and money laundering for Colombian cartels and anti-communist operations like the Nicaraguan Contras.<grok:render card_id="95ade6" card_type="citation_card" type="render_inline_citation">

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</grok:render> While some factual elements check out—such as Jeb Bush's professional history in Venezuela and loose business ties to a convicted fraudster—the broader narrative of the Bush family directly engineering Venezuela into a narco-state lacks credible evidence from mainstream historical or investigative accounts and is widely regarded as unsubstantiated or exaggerated.

### Verified Facts About Jeb Bush's Time in Venezuela

- Jeb Bush did move to Caracas in 1977 at age 24 to work as a branch manager for Texas Commerce Bank (now part of JPMorgan Chase), a role tied to his family's business interests through companies like Zapata Corporation (an oil firm founded by his father, George H.W. Bush).<grok:render card_id="2a6633" card_type="citation_card" type="render_inline_citation">

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</grok:render> This was during a period when Venezuela was a stable oil-rich nation, not yet associated with widespread drug trafficking.

- Texas Commerce Bank has been linked in some reports to handling funds later tied to drug cartels, including a 1990s case involving $7 million from the Mexican Gulf Cartel, but these connections postdate Jeb's tenure and do not directly implicate him.<grok:render card_id="6f926e" card_type="citation_card" type="render_inline_citation">

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- Jeb had a business association with Alberto Duque, a Colombian banker and coffee importer who was convicted in 1983 on 60 counts of bank fraud involving up to $100 million in loans, including money laundering for drug cartels and possibly Contra-related funds through Miami's City National Bank.<grok:render card_id="85ca79" card_type="citation_card" type="render_inline_citation">

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</grok:render> Jeb reportedly helped facilitate a $30 million real estate financing deal for Duque in the early 1980s while working in Miami real estate after leaving Venezuela. Duque served seven years in prison, but no charges were ever brought against Jeb, and he has denied any knowledge of wrongdoing.

These details have fueled speculation, especially in Stone's book, which claims Jeb operated as a CIA "non-official cover" agent to launder cartel funds disguised as oil revenues while supporting U.S. anti-communist efforts.<grok:render card_id="74bad0" card_type="citation_card" type="render_inline_citation">

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</grok:render> However, Stone—a longtime Republican operative and Trump ally known for controversial tactics—provides no primary evidence beyond anecdotes and inferences, and his work has been criticized as partisan sensationalism.<grok:render card_id="91ba2a" card_type="citation_card" type="render_inline_citation">

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</grok:render> Mainstream outlets like The Washington Post and Miami New Times have examined Jeb's business dealings and found them questionable in terms of associations but not criminal.<grok:render card_id="2ee865" card_type="citation_card" type="render_inline_citation">

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### George H.W. Bush and Alleged CIA Involvement in Venezuela

- There are longstanding allegations of CIA involvement in drug trafficking during George H.W. Bush's tenure as director (e.g., ties to Iran-Contra scandals in the 1980s, where U.S.-backed Nicaraguan rebels were accused of cocaine smuggling to fund operations).<grok:render card_id="a0e924" card_type="citation_card" type="render_inline_citation">

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</grok:render> However, these focus on Central America and Southeast Asia (e.g., the Golden Triangle), not Venezuela.<grok:render card_id="d3f65e" card_type="citation_card" type="render_inline_citation">

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- No reputable sources link Bush's CIA role directly to "installing a leader" in Venezuela or engineering its "slide into narco-terrorism." Venezuela in the 1970s was a democratic oil economy under presidents like Carlos Andrés Pérez (1974-1979), with no evidence of U.S.-orchestrated destabilization toward drug networks at that time.<grok:render card_id="4c1806" card_type="citation_card" type="render_inline_citation">

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</grok:render> Claims of Bush family orchestration seem to conflate broader CIA drug allegations with unrelated events.

### When Did Venezuela Become a "Narco-State"?

- The consensus among experts, U.S. government reports, and organizations like InSight Crime is that Venezuela's transformation into a major drug transit hub and "narco-state" occurred under Hugo Chávez (president from 1999-2013) and his successor Nicolás Maduro.<grok:render card_id="70f2e1" card_type="citation_card" type="render_inline_citation">

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</grok:render> Key factors include:

  - Chávez's 2005 expulsion of U.S. DEA agents, which reduced oversight and allowed corruption to flourish.<grok:render card_id="6c0128" card_type="citation_card" type="render_inline_citation">

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  - The rise of the "Cartel of the Suns," a network of high-ranking Venezuelan military officials involved in trafficking hundreds of tons of cocaine annually to the U.S. and Europe, often in collaboration with Colombian groups like FARC.<grok:render card_id="47b4aa" card_type="citation_card" type="render_inline_citation">

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  - By the mid-2010s, U.S. indictments (e.g., in 2020 against Maduro himself) accused the regime of "narco-terrorism," with Venezuela handling 400-450 metric tons of cocaine yearly out of a global market of ~1,800 tons.<grok:render card_id="9efa28" card_type="citation_card" type="render_inline_citation">

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</grok:render> This timeline postdates the Bush family's alleged involvement by decades.

- Pre-1999, Venezuela was a minor player in drug transit compared to Colombia or Mexico; any earlier drug activity was not state-sponsored in the way it became under Chavismo.<grok:render card_id="0e33cf" card_type="citation_card" type="render_inline_citation">

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In summary, while Jeb Bush's Venezuelan stint and Duque connection raise eyebrows about his early associations, the idea that the Bush family "turned Venezuela into a narco-state" is not supported by historical evidence. It's more accurately a product of Chávez-era policies and institutional corruption. These allegations persist in fringe political discourse but haven't held up under scrutiny from neutral sources.

Henry McClure  
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Fwd: Legal Notices

Henry McClure  
785.383.9994
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---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: The Topeka Capital-Journal <noreply@reply.cjonline.com>
Date: Sun, Jan 4, 2026, 6:02 AM
Subject: Legal Notices
To: <mcre13@gmail.com>

New public notices from The Topeka Capital-Journal.

Legal Notices - Here are newly published public notices from The Topeka Capital-Journal.

Legal Notices Share this Here are newly published public notices for The Topeka Capital-Journal. January 4, 2026 Legal Notice IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF SHAWNEE COUNTY, KANSAS In the Matter of the Estate of Daniel James Foley, Deceased. Case No. SN-2025-PR-000687 NOTICE OF HEARING & NOTICE TO CREDITORS STATE OF KANSAS TO ALL PERSONS CONCERNED: You are hereby notified that on... Read more Legal Notice Bid Notice The MCP Group is soliciting bids for the Topeka Senior Villas, a new 50,469 SF three-story wood framed building with 48 living units. HUD Section 3 and Build America, Buy America (BABA) requirements will be enforced. Project address is off... Read more Legal Notice STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA COUNTY OF STUTSMAN IN DISTRICT COURT SOUTHEAST JUDICIAL DISTRICT Case No.: 47-2025-DM-00136 NOTICE OF FILING AND HEARING ON PETITION FOR ADOPTION AND TERMINATION OF PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP In the Matter of the Adoption Joshu... Read more Legal Notice In The District Court of Shawnee County, Kansas Civil Department South Village MHC, Plaintiff, VS. Kansas Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles; Amanda Richardson; Steven K. Kerschner and any unknown persons who have an interest in a cert... Read more Legal Notice IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF SHAWNEE COUNTY, KANSAS. GOPPERT STATE SERVICE BANK, Plaintiff, vs. Case No. SN-2025-CV-000170 COURTLAND B. WILLIAMS, et al., Defendants. TITLE TO REAL ESTATE INVOLVED NOTICE OF SHERIFF'S SALE No... Read more Legal Notice First published in the Topeka-Capital Journal on December 19, 2025, December 26, 2025 and January 2, 2026. IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF SHAWNEE COUNTY, KANSAS In the Matter of the Estate of DIANNA M. GLINSKI, Deceased Case No. SN-2025-PR-000657 NOTICE... Read more Read today's 6 new notices Unsubscribe • Manage Newsletters • Terms of Service • Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights• Privacy Notice • Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy • Feedback © 2026 The Topeka Capital-Journal. All rights reserved. 100 SE 9th St, Ste 200, KS 66612

Timbo

The **X post** by Terrence K. Williams largely accurate, with minor details on the award's exact name and context. Here's a breakdown:

- **The award in 2021**: Yes, in July 2021, Minnesota Governor **Tim Walz** personally presented Ayan Farah Abukar with an "**Outstanding Refugee Award**" (specifically for entrepreneurship or outstanding contributions as a refugee) from the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Multiple sources, including contemporaneous reports and photos from the event, confirm Walz posed with her and handed her the award during a ceremony honoring refugee achievements.

- **The indictment in 2023**: Yes, Abukar was federally indicted in March 2023 on charges including wire fraud conspiracy, bribery, and money laundering related to her role in the massive **Feeding Our Future** scheme (a $250+ million COVID-era federal child nutrition program fraud in Minnesota). She fraudulently claimed to serve thousands of meals to children through her nonprofit while allegedly misappropriating funds. In January 2025, she pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

- **The photo**: Authentic—it shows Walz and Abukar together at the 2021 award ceremony.

- **Walz blaming Trump for the fraud**: This part is overstated or unsubstantiated. The Feeding Our Future fraud occurred under Walz's administration (starting ~2020), and critics (including Republicans) have blamed his oversight for enabling it. Walz has defended his handling, noting state efforts to combat fraud and external factors (e.g., court orders, FBI requests). Recent disputes (as of late 2025) involve Walz accusing the Trump administration of politicizing newer fraud allegations to freeze federal funds to Minnesota, but there's no evidence Walz directly blamed former President Trump for the core Feeding Our Future scheme itself.

Overall, the post highlights a real irony: a person later convicted of major fraud received a state honor from Walz during the period the fraud was allegedly occurring. The "blame Trump" claim appears to be rhetorical exaggeration rather than a direct quote or fact from Walz.

Henry McClure  
785.383.9994
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