I don't think anyone out there believes it was anything but a sham. Time to send an A Team to arm and train some "rebels"? That has not worked out so well historically speaking in SA/SE but pulling a Panama wouldn't be viewed well internationally, at least not yet... They now have direct ties to our enemies and that's a legit national security concern:
"El Aissami is a known entity in the world of US intelligence. He is allegedly a part of Venezuela's state drug-trafficking network and has ties to Iran, Syria, and Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah."
http://www.businessinsider.com/new-v...zbollah-2017-1