NatSec Matters Venezuela, China, and America's Secrets: David Shedd & Andrew Badger
Dec 3, 2025
David Shedd, former acting director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, and Andrew Badger, a corporate risk advisor and espionage expert, dive into urgent geopolitical issues. They forecast potential U.S. military actions against Venezuela and discuss the implications of regime change. The duo also sheds light on their book, revealing China's extensive espionage strategies, emphasizing the alarming scale of intellectual property theft tied to Beijing's ambitions. Key topics include simmering U.S.-China tensions and corporate vulnerabilities amid national security threats.
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U.S. Forces Prepositioned For Venezuela Pressure
- The U.S. has prepositioned substantial military assets near Venezuela, signaling pressure short of explicit regime-change language.
- David Shedd judges targeting packages and narco-trafficking strikes are likely imminent and ready.
Maduro Faces Drug Indictments
- Maduro carries indictments and a $50 million DOJ tag for drug trafficking that complicate any exit terms.
- David Shedd says removal must include 10–15 inner-circle cronies, not just Maduro alone.
WTO Entry Fueled Systematic IP Transfer
- Since China joined the WTO, theft of U.S. IP accelerated into a massive wealth transfer enabling China's tech rise.
- The FBI estimates annual losses between $225 billion and $600 billion aiding Made in China 2025 goals.
