Last Update January 5, 2026, 3:54 AM EST
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is expected to face an arraignment in New York City on Monday after U.S. forces abducted him and his wife in a “large-scale strike” on Saturday morning.
Covered by: Anders Hagstrom, Sophia Compton, Amanda Macias, Christina Shaw and Bradford Betz
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WHAT TO KNOW
- President Donald Trump announced Saturday that Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife had been captured and flown out of the country as part of “Operation Absolute Resolve.”
- Maduro arrived late Saturday at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. He is expected to remain in federal custody while facing narcoterrorism and weapons charges.
- Until a permanent leader can be found, the U.S. government will “run” Venezuela, Trump said, “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.”
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4 hour(s) ago
PINNED
Venezuela’s acting president calls for ‘peace and dialogue’ amid U.S. pressure
A side by side photo of President Donald Trump and Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.
Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, made a statement on Facebook Sunday night issuing a public appeal for peace and cooperation with the U.S.
Rodriguez called for dialog not instead of conflict as rising tensions between Washington and Caracas remain high.
She says that Venezuela “reaffirms its commitment to peace and peaceful coexistence,” and is urging “balanced and respectful international relations” between the two countries.
“Our country aspires to live without external threats, in an environment of respect and international cooperation,” Rodríguez wrote.
Rodriguez also emphasized Venezuela’s desire for sovereignty and non-interference. She is framing the country’s diplomatic position as what she dubbed “sovereign equality” and international law.
“We invite the U.S. government to collaborate with us on an agenda of cooperation oriented towards shared development,” she said.
In her statement she also referred to former President Nicolás Maduro, longstanding message opposing foreign intervention.
“President Donald Trump, our peoples and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war,” Rodríguez wrote, adding that the message reflects “all of Venezuela right now.”
She ends the message by calling for unity and asserting the country’s right to determine its own future.
“Venezuela has the right to peace, development, sovereignty and a future,” she wrote.
Posted by Christina Shaw Share
11 min(s) ago
Maduro, wife set for first US court appearance as lawyers expected to fight arrest, immunity
A resident wears a shirt with an image of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in US custody during a celebration at El Arepazo in Doral, Florida, US, on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (Nicole Combeau/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are expected to make their first appearance in a U.S. courtroom at noon Monday, a required proceeding that could launch a prolonged legal battle over whether the pair can be tried in the United States.
Maduro and Flores are expected to be transported from a Brooklyn jail to a Manhattan courthouse for the brief hearing tied to sweeping narco-terrorism and drug trafficking allegations that the Trump administration cited in justifying the military operation that seized the couple and brought them to U.S. soil.
Maduro’s lawyers are expected to challenge the legality of his arrest and argue he is immune from prosecution as a sovereign head of state.
The situation has drawn comparisons to Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega unsuccessfully raised a similar defense after he was captured by the U.S. in 1990. The U.S., however, does not recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate head of state, particularly after a disputed 2024 reelection.It was unclear whether Maduro had hired a U.S. lawyer. Both Maduro and Flores have been under U.S. sanctions for years, making it illegal for an American to accept money from them without first obtaining a Treasury Department license.
The indictment made public Saturday accuses Maduro and others of working with drug cartels to facilitate shipments of thousands of tons of cocaine into the U.S. The pair could face life in prison if convicted.
The indictment also accuses Maduro and Flores of ordering kidnappings, beatings and murders linked to their trafficking operation, and alleges Flores accepted bribes in 2007 to arrange a meeting between a drug trafficker and Venezuela’s anti-drug office chief, leading to additional monthly bribes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Posted by Bradford Betz Share
3 hour(s) ago
Trump says oil companies — not U.S. taxpayers — will rebuild Venezuela’s energy sector
A pump jack stands near an oil spill at a Petroleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA) facility in the Orinoco Belt of El Tigre, Venezuela.
President Donald Trump says that U.S. oil companies are prepared to restore and rebuild Venezuela’s crumbling energy infrastructure instead of American taxpayers.
During a press gaggle aboard Air Force One, he explained that Venezuela’s once-massive oil industry has been left “rusty,” “broken,” and largely unusable after years of neglect and government seizure.
“They stole our oil,” Trump said. “They took our infrastructure, and now it’s all rotted and decayed.”
Trump says that the oil companies are preparing to invest billions footing the bill to restore production, rebuild refineries and bring energy back online.
He claims this move will stabilize the country while also benefiting U.S. interests.
“We’re not going to invest anything,” Trump said. “The oil companies are going to go in, rebuild the infrastructure, and take the oil out of the ground.”
He argued that instead of the U.S. engaging in nation-building they will allow private-sector investment to drive the recovery.
“We’re in the business of having countries around us that are viable and successful,” Trump said.
The president hopes that restoring Venezuela’s energy sector will assist in the reductions of migration pressures, allowing Venezuelans to rebuild their lives at home rather than fleeing abroad.
Posted by Christina Shaw Share
4 hour(s) ago
Trump: Venezuela helped flood U.S. with drugs and criminals — ‘We shut it down’
Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration arrived at the West 30th Street Heliport for the arrival of captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in New York.
President Donald Trump speaking aboard Air Force One accused Venezuela’s former leadership of deliberately flooding the United States with drugs, criminals and gang members, calling the country a “narco-terrorist state.
”Trump says that Venezuela exported chaos when they sent drugs into the U.S. and allowed their criminal networks to operate freely.
“They sent drugs into our country,” Trump said. “We’re stopping it rapidly.”
He also claimed that U.S. interdiction efforts have cut maritime drug trafficking by 97 percent.
He credits success to aggressive enforcement and military operations.
“Every time we knock down a boat, that’s lives saved,” he said.
The president implied that Venezuela sent the violent criminals north, including gang members and inmates released from prisons.
“He sent hundreds of thousands — even millions — of people from prisons, from mental institutions,” Trump said.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., has praised the operation, calling Venezuela a “drug caliphate in our backyard.”
“The right response is to take down the source of the problem,” Graham said. “President Trump did what others talked about but never did.”
Trump claims the crackdown is about protecting Americans, not politics.
“This is what the voters voted for,” he said.
Posted by Christina Shaw Share
6 hour(s) ago
Cuba says 32 citizens killed in US operation to capture Venezuela’s Maduro
A damaged building following U.S. strikes on Venezuela, during which President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured, in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Jan. 4, 2026. (REUTERS/Gaby Oraa)
The Cuban government said Sunday that 32 of its citizens were killed during the U.S. military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
In statements posted on Facebook, Havana announced that January 5 and 6 would be observed as days of “national mourning” to honor those who had died.
“True to their responsibilities for security and defense, our compatriots fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroism and fell, after fierce resistance, in direct combat against the attackers or as a result of the bombing of the facilities,” the Cuban government said.
Cuba also condemned the operation as a “criminal act of aggression and state terrorism.”
“Victims of yet another criminal act of aggression and state terrorism, the combatants, through their heroic actions, embodied the solidarity of millions of compatriots,” the statement added. “The Revolutionary Government will organize the appropriate actions to pay them the tribute they deserve.”
Posted by Sophia Compton Share
6 hour(s) ago
Trump says US needs ‘total access’ from Venezuela’s interim leader
Delcy Rodriguez speaks during the Antifascist Global Parliamentary Forum in Caracas on Nov. 5, 2024. (Credit: UAN BARRETO/AFP via Getty Images)
President Trump said Sunday that the U.S. needs “total access” from Delcy Rodríguez, who has assumed the role of interim president of Venezuela.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said broad access is necessary to help rebuild the South American nation.
“We need total access,” Trump said. “We need access to the oil and to other things in their country that allow us to rebuild their country.”
Pressed on what he meant by “other things,” Trump pointed to Venezuela’s crumbling infrastructure, including “roads that aren’t built and bridges that are falling down.”
Posted by Sophia Compton Share
6 hour(s) ago
Trump says injured US troops from Maduro capture operation are ‘in good shape’
US President Donald Trump speaks with reporters aboard Air Force One on his way back to Washington, DC, on Jan. 4, 2026.
President Trump said Sunday that all U.S. service members injured during the military operation to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife are “in good shape.”
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while en route to Washington, Trump described the mission as “very dangerous,” praising the service members for their “bravery” and “tremendous patriotism.”
“It was a very dangerous operation. It was amazing that we had a few injured, but all are in good shape right now,” Trump said. “… Amazing talent and tremendous patriotism, bravery — The bravery was incredible.”
Trump said that bullets were “flying all over the place” as U.S. forces exited helicopters.
“They got off the helicopter, and the bullets were flying all over the place. As you know, one of the helicopters got hit pretty badly,” Trump said. “But then we got everything back and nobody killed.”
Posted by Sophia Compton Share
7 hour(s) ago
DHS official says Maduro is ‘largely responsible’ for fueling America’s drug crisis
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Sunday that Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro is ‘largely responsible’ for fueling America’s drug crisis.
During an appearance on Fox News’ “The Big Weekend Show,” McLaughlin described Maduro’s capture as “a day of hope” for Americans and the Venezuelan people.
“What a start of the year for the American people, for President Trump, for the people of Venezuela, a day of hope and a day closer to justice for the American people,” she said.
She said hundreds of thousands of American families continue to be affected by drug-related deaths, blaming Maduro for helping funnel narcotics into the U.S.
“Hundreds of thousands of Americans and American families grapple with overdoses, hundreds of thousands of deaths, and Nicolás Maduro is largely responsible for funneling deadly drugs into our borders, as Secretary Noem mentioned, really opening up their prisons and flooding the United States with these national security threats,” McLaughlin said.
“I don’t think it can be overstated, the thousands, if not millions, of lives that President Trump saved with this bold and brilliant action by our U.S. Armed forces.”
Posted by Sophia Compton Share
8 hour(s) ago
UN Ambassador Waltz defends US capture of Maduro ahead of Security Council meeting
Mike Waltz speaks during an event titled “Passing the Baton: Strategies for Success” at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington on Jan. 14, 2025. (Credit: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz defended the United States’ indictment of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro ahead of Monday’s U.N. Security Council meeting, while outlining what to expect from the proceedings.
“You’re going to hear a lot of hand-wringing on Article 2 of the U.N. Charter, which deals with sovereignty, and I will remind everyone of Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, which is a nation’s inherent right to self-defense,” Waltz said on “Sunday Morning Futures.” “In this case, you have a drug kingpin, an illegitimate leader indicted in the United States coordinating with the likes of China, Russia, Iran, terrorist groups like Hezbollah, pumping drugs, thugs, and weapons into the United States of America, threatening to invade its neighbors.”
“Was President Trump just going to let that status quo continue? Absolutely not. He gave diplomacy a chance. He gave Maduro a chance, but he took decisive action in the interests of the United States,” he added.
The emergency U.N. Security Council meeting, requested by Venezuela and neighboring Colombia, is scheduled for Monday at 10 a.m. ET, Fox News national correspondent CB Cotton reported Saturday.
This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News Digital’s Taylor Penley.
Posted by Sophia Compton Share
8 hour(s) ago
Top bipartisan lawmakers to receive classified Venezuela briefing Monday
The US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (Credit: Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Top bipartisan, bicameral lawmakers with leadership roles or foreign policy and military portfolios are set to receive a classified briefing on Venezuela on Monday evening, Fox News has confirmed.
The briefing will include members of the Gang of Eight — the top House and Senate leaders along with the chairs and ranking members of the intelligence committees —as well as the chairs and ranking members of the Foreign Relations, Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committees.
The briefing will take place in the Senate SCIF and is expected to include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report.
Posted by Sophia Compton Share
8 hour(s) ago
Venezuela’s interim government vows unity behind Maduro following US capture
Venezuela’s Interior, Justice and Peace Minister Diosdado Cabello makes a speech during a press conference of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) in Caracas, Venezuela on Nov 17, 2025. (Credit: Pedro Rances Mattey/Anadolu via Getty Images)
A top Venezuelan official said Sunday that the South American country’s government remains united behind ousted dictator Nicolás Maduro.
“Here, the unity of the revolutionary force is more than guaranteed, and here there is only one president, whose name is Nicolas Maduro Moros,” Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said in a recording released by the United Socialist Party of Venezuela. “Let no one fall for the enemy’s provocations.”
Officials in Maduro’s government have denounced Saturday’s seizure of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, as a kidnapping, Reuters reported.
Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has assumed interim leadership of the country but has said that Maduro is still president.
Posted by Sophia Compton Share
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