The Dollar as America’s True Super Weapon

The price of victory

Stanislav Krapivnik on Venezuela and the hidden mechanics of American power.

After the successful raid in Venezuela and the capture of Maduro, Trump and his cabinet officials—especially the Secretary of War, Hegseth—began boasting everywhere about their special secret weapon, which supposedly allowed them simply to enter Caracas and do whatever they wanted.

Stories and tall tales spread in every direction and continue to do so. In Davos, Trump did not hold back at all; he bragged to everyone, gesturing triumphantly. “Here we are, America; we have super weapons. You’d all better fear us—or else…”

But questions remain: what kind of weapon was it? What enabled the Americans to fly into Caracas and wipe out nearly a hundred Cuban special forces in order to capture Maduro?

Yes, the Americans used a new weapon, yet everything is far more banal than it appears at first glance. Let us take a closer look.

What kind of weapon can provoke migraines, nausea, loss of balance, hearing impairment, dizziness, and even loss of consciousness in its targets? This weapon is called LARD (Long-Range Acoustic Device) and is used for direct communication between ships hundreds of meters apart, employing a concentrated sound wave. Technology of this kind is widespread among the navies of twenty-five countries, Russia included.

Additionally, it was discovered that these waves could be used against pirates—and if against pirates, then against protesters as well. Many police departments began purchasing them. In New York, protesters reportedly suffered lifelong injuries after their mass deployment and are now suing the city. In Belgrade, in 2025, protesters were dispersed in the same manner.

There is, however, one serious problem: the device is heavy, mounted on a tactical vehicle, and requires a powerful energy source. For all this, the ideal platform is a large, old, loud Chinook helicopter. Two of them flew on the raid; one turned back after sustaining damage.

And what was the American super-weapon that disabled the air defenses? Yes, of course—it is a very dangerous weapon: the American dollar!

In a personal conversation with Larry Johnson, I learned that his former CIA colleague described how he had personally bought off a Venezuelan general who then switched off the air defenses. The man later fled Venezuela. That is why there were no repeat raids.

The very fact that Maduro’s bodyguards were Cuban rather than Venezuelan already suggests that Maduro did not trust his own armed forces. The betrayal of generals is an ancient Latin tradition, dating back to the Roman Empire.

So, to sum up: the United States’ principal “super-duper” weapon is nothing other than—and indeed a very dangerous one—the dollar.

(Translated from the Russian)