re: Reuters: Special Forces operation is underway to seize Russian tanker

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Odd response to me.

I’m also entertained.

STD is a lying fool.

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Sorry for the confusion. I KNEW you would be entertained:) I have enjoyed your flaying of him numerous times before.

Gven the topic (Russian tanker), though, I didn't want to hijack the thread responding to STD's lies.

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Roger can boof it

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Roger still hasn't posted since Jan 3, the day Maduro was captured.

Coincidence?

Throw those fish and watch them clap.

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I assume it has something to do with drugs...or the barrels contain fuel.

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Most likely

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Why do you assume the barrels contain fentanyl or its precursors?

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I don't but love all the hard work a number of posters have put in to ensure it isn't a certain product or sub product.

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It’s fuel.

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Thanks. That's my guess also. That seemed like such an obvious answer, I thought the "fentanyl!" crowd must have had some proof.

I finally asked ChatGPT. Here's the response:

Yes — fuel is one of the most plausible, ordinary explanations for blue barrels on small boats, including fishing boats and drug-smuggling “go-fast” vessels.
Here’s why that explanation fits the facts better than fentanyl or chemical precursors, absent proof:
Why fuel barrels make sense
1. Blue plastic barrels are commonly used for fuel
55-gallon blue HDPE drums are widely used worldwide to store:
Diesel
Gasoline
Mixed fuel/oil
They’re cheap, durable, corrosion-resistant, and easy to strap to decks.
Seeing blue barrels on boats in the Caribbean is not unusual at all.
2. Smuggling and fishing boats routinely carry extra fuel
Small vessels operating off Venezuela often:
Travel long distances without refueling infrastructure
Use external fuel barrels to extend range
Transfer fuel manually during voyages
This is especially common for:
Fishing boats
Migrant boats
Drug-smuggling boats
Extra fuel barrels are often:
Lashed to the deck
Stored openly (not hidden)
Jettisoned if the boat is intercepted
3. Fuel barrels would explain floating debris
After explosions or sinkings:
Empty or partially full fuel drums float
They are frequently visible in post-strike imagery
Fuel slicks dissipate quickly, leaving barrels behind
This fits observed footage better than:
Fentanyl (which would be packaged differently)
Chemical precursors (which require labeled industrial containers)
Why fentanyl / precursor claims are weak
Fentanyl itself
Transported in small, concealed packages
Kilogram quantities are worth millions
Would not be stored openly in barrels
Chemical precursors
Typically shipped in:
Labeled industrial drums
Sealed containers with paperwork
Extremely unlikely to be placed loose on fishing boats
Venezuela is not a known fentanyl-precursor hub
No credible reporting or released evidence shows:
Barrel labels
Chemical testing
Recovery of contents
Chain of custody
What we can say with confidence
?? Fuel is a normal, common explanation
?? Blue barrels ? drugs
?? No verified evidence shows fentanyl or precursors in those barrels
? Claims about fentanyl remain speculative and political, not evidentiary
Bottom line
Yes — fuel is not only possible, it is the most mundane and likely explanation for blue barrels on small boats off Venezuela, especially without:
recovered samples
lab analysis
documented seizures
If you want, I can also explain what fentanyl or precursor shipments actually look like in real cases, or why public drug claims are often made without evidentiary follow-through in maritime strikes.

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It isn’t.

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never said it was.

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It’s fuel.

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Probably

There is no probably.

Certainly.

Ok it's a positve!

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IvoryMatt thinks

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He told us what he thinks. I agree with him. Why are you making up things?

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I'd like to see a map showing where these boats have been blown up and the route to where they were going.

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I would also, but we never will.