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The Ben Ferguson Podcast

Hegseth takes War on Drugs to Puerto Rico, Astronaut Sonny Williams talks Space & Trump takes it to Chicago

The Ben Ferguson Podcast

iHeartPodcasts

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.85.4K Ratings

🗓️ 14 September 2025

⏱️ 34 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

  • U.S.–Venezuela Tensions and Puerto Rico’s Military Role

    • U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Kane made an unannounced visit to Puerto Rico.

    • The visit follows a U.S. military strike against a Venezuelan-linked cartel vessel.

    • Puerto Rico is being discussed as a strategic hub for counter-narcotics operations, with deployments of F-35 fighter jets, warships, and Marines.

    • The commentary suggests this signals a shift in U.S. defense strategy toward securing the Western Hemisphere rather than focusing solely on Europe or the Indo-Pacific.

    • Puerto Rico’s location in the Caribbean transit zone is emphasized as critical for drug interdiction and military logistics.

  • Astronaut Interview – Sonny Williams

    • A long-form interview with NASA astronaut Sunita “Sonny” Williams.

    • She discusses her unexpectedly extended nine-month stay in space, the physical and mental challenges of long-duration missions, and future lunar exploration plans under NASA’s Artemis program.

    • The tone here is lighter, inspirational, and focused on space science and exploration.

  • Trump Administration, Immigration, and Chicago Politics

    • The podcast returns to political commentary, this time centered on Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement plans in Chicago.

    • Discussion of tensions between Trump and Illinois officials (Governor J.B. Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson).

    • It includes perspectives from officials, Trump himself, and residents affected by violence in Chicago.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

This is an I-Heart podcast.

0:04.0

What I told people, I was making a podcast about Benghazi.

0:08.5

Nine times out of ten, they called me a masochist, rolled their eyes, or just asked, why?

0:15.1

Benghazi, the truth became a web of lies.

0:18.5

From prologue projects and Pushkin Industries, this is Fiasco, Benghazi.

0:23.9

What difference at this point does it make?

0:27.4

Listen to Fiasco, Benghazi, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

0:35.2

Pete Edged Seth, he is the defense secretary.

0:38.3

He has arrived in Puerto Rico amid the U.S. Venezuela tensions that are continuing to rise.

0:45.2

This is an important visit because it was unannounced.

0:50.0

And not only was the U.S. Defense Secretary there, but the Joint Chiefs Chairman General

0:54.6

Kane also was on the trip. It was an unannounced visit, an unplanned visit for the public

1:01.0

to Puerto Rico, as the U.S. has ramped up military activities in the Caribbean, aimed at drug

1:07.2

trafficking networks. They met officials at the 156 wing Air National Guard Base.

1:14.5

Headset addressed roughly 300 service members while he was there.

1:18.8

And the question you may be asking yourself is this.

1:21.4

Why now?

1:22.4

Well, it's pretty simple.

1:24.3

The trip follows a September 2nd U.S. military strike in the Southern Caribbean

1:29.0

that sank a vessel departing Venezuela, with U.S. officials saying 11 suspected members of the

1:34.7

Trenda Raqa cartel, they are also a terrorist organization, were all killed. Some regional leaders

1:41.4

backed the action. Others urge more transparency than Venezuela also denied the

...

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