Prepared for the Office of Public Affairs (OPA)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Editorial Note: The DHS Daily Briefing is a collection of news articles related to Department’s mission. The inclusion of particular stories is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse the political viewpoints or affiliations included in news coverage.

The Wall Street Journal [1/5/2026 5:54 PM, Michelle Hackman, 646K] reports U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is sending immigration officers and agents to Minnesota amid a growing welfare-fraud scandal that is rocking national and state politics. ICE plans to send more than 2,000 personnel to Minneapolis and the surrounding areas to carry out immigration arrests, according to people familiar with the plans, including a government official. Greg Bovino, the Border Patrol commander who has led militarized immigration operations in Los Angeles and Chicago, is headed to Minneapolis with Border Patrol agents, the people said. In Minnesota, a multiyear social-services fraud scandal has continued to grow. In what has been described as the nation’s largest Covid-19-era scheme, more than 90 people—most of Somali descent—have been charged. Although the Trump administration in December already launched an immigration- enforcement operation targeting the state’s Somali-immigrant population, a hiring spree of thousands of new agents has put ICE in position to further increase its deployment in Minnesota. ICE plans to send roughly 1,500 deportation officers and 600 investigative agents, the people said. The agents, from ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations branch, will assist with investigating additional instances of fraud, while deportation officers will focus on arresting immigrants in the country illegally. In all, the deployment—if fully carried out—would represent one of the largest immigration operations the administration has undertaken since President Trump took office. “While for the safety of our officers we do not get into law enforcement footprint, DHS has surged law enforcement” to Minnesota, said Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security, ICE’s parent agency. NBC News [1/5/2026 5:20 PM, Julia Ainsley, 34509K] reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which began ramping up arrests of undocumented immigrants in the Minneapolis area in early December, will be sending 1,500 deportation officers from Enforcement and Removal Operations as well as 600 agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the officials said. Some of the officers and agents began arriving Sunday, one of the officials said. The surge stems from a viral video that alleged Somali-run day cares were receiving federal subsidies but that no children were present. Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced via X that she was sending agents from Homeland Security Investigations to begin door knocking more than 30 businesses to root out fraud in the Somali community. One of the DHS officials told NBC News the 600 additional agents from Homeland Security Investigations will be largely focused on identifying possible fraud. Deportation officers will be making arrests of immigrants in the area who are allegedly violating immigration law, the official said. It’s unclear whether the Border Patrol might also add forces to join ICE in operations in Minneapolis. One of the DHS officials said Border Patrol official Greg Bovino — who oversaw operations in Chicago; Charlotte, North Carolina; and New Orleans — may soon be arriving in Minneapolis along with Noem. In a post on Instagram, ICE said a Hilton hotel in Minneapolis had canceled reservations for ICE agents upon finding out their stay was related to immigration enforcement in the area. Hilton said that the hotel was independently owned and operated, that the actions "are not reflective of Hilton’s values" and that they are investigating the matter. CNN [1/6/2026 4:06 AM, Danya Gainor, Priscilla Alvarez, 18595K] reports that federal agents have already been on the ground in Minneapolis, and both Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and US Border Patrol agents are deploying to Minnesota. US Customs and Border Protection Commander Gregory Bovino, whose controversial tactics have come under increased scrutiny in multiple cities, is also expected to deploy there. Uncertainty is sweeping Minnesota’s largest city as the fraud allegations prompt shakeups in local leadership, and a new, ambiguous immigration enforcement effort intimidating Somali residents has emerged. Americans of Somali descent told CNN they started carrying their passports and ID cards with them, scared they would be stopped by federal agents. This time around, DHS said it has run into trouble booking hotel rooms in Minneapolis for newly mobilized agents. It alleged that global hotel chain Hilton launched a “coordinated campaign” to refuse service to agents by cancelling their room reservations in Minneapolis as the agency readies for escalated immigration enforcement there. The Lakeville Hilton property is independently owned and operated by Everpeak Hospitality, which said in a statement on its website that the incident “was inconsistent with our policy of being a welcoming place for all,” and that it is “in touch with the impacted guests to ensure they are accommodated.” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin rejected that statement, writing on X Monday evening that DHS and ICE haven’t heard from Everpeak Hospitality.

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FOX News [1/5/2026 4:21 PM, Peter Pinedo, 40621K] reports federal authorities have arrested more than 1,000 in Minnesota, including alleged murderers, rapists, pedophiles and gang members, after sending a surge of agents to the state in its "massive" response to the rampant fraud still being uncovered. Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital that since the agency "surged law enforcement" to Minnesota last week, it "has already made more than 1,000 arrests of murderers, rapists, pedophiles, and gang members." DHS surged roughly 2,000 federal agents and officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s deportation branch and Homeland Security Investigations, according to CBS News. The outlet reported the operation will be a 30-day surge in the Twin Cities area. It also said that U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commander Gregory Bovino will help oversee the operation. McLaughlin said that "while for the safety of our officers we do not get into law enforcement footprint," she confirmed that "DHS has surged law enforcement" to the Twin Cities area. Minnesota has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks after authorities revealed multimillion-dollar fraud operations in the state, resulting in dozens of arrests and indictments. Last week, Homeland Security announced it was launching a "massive operation" in Minnesota to "identify, arrest, and remove criminals who are defrauding the American people."

Washington Examiner [1/5/2026 2:17 PM, Asher Notheis, 1394K] reports that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said Saturday that employment has drastically gone up, with over 12,000 new agents and officers. The agency has been receiving major attention from the Trump administration as part of its bid to deport illegal immigrants, since administration officials said in October 2025 that they would "surge" ICE operations. Since then, the agency’s employment has bypassed its original goal of hiring 10,000 new officers after over 220,000 people applied. "The good news is that thanks to the Big Beautiful Bill that President Trump signed, we have an additional 12,000 ICE officers and agents on the ground across the country," Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said in a press release. "That’s a 120% increase in our workforce. And that’s in just about four months." ICE is already deploying some of these new officers across the nation, and it is still accepting new applications, according to the agency. The uptick in ICE employment comes after the Trump administration funded various hiring bonuses for new hires, including a one-time bonus of up to $50,000 and student loan repayment. Outside of ICE deportations, the Trump administration is also touting self-deportations under President Donald Trump’s watch, totaling 1.9 million from January through mid-December last year. Part of the administration’s push for self-deportations includes offering rewards for doing so, including a complimentary one-way plane ticket, a $1,000 payment, and forgiveness for any fines related to failing to depart on time in the case of overstaying a visa. The Washington Examiner contacted ICE for comment.

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The Washington Post [1/5/2026 6:19 PM, Hannah Sampson and Gabe Hiatt, 24149K] reports a Minnesota hotel operator says it is working to accommodate federal law enforcement officers after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security accused Hilton Hotels of carrying out a “coordinated campaign” to refuse them rooms in Minneapolis. The X account for Homeland Security published a post Monday sharing screenshots of emails from a partially redacted hilton.com address that identified the property as the Hampton Inn in Lakeville, Minnesota, about 25 miles south of the city. “After further investigation online, we have found information about immigration work connected with your name and we will be cancelling your upcoming reservation,” the email says. “You should see a proper cancellation email in your inbox shortly from Hilton.” An email address for Everpeak Hospitality was also included on the chain. On Monday evening, Everpeak posted a statement to its website saying it had “moved swiftly to address this matter as it was inconsistent with our policy of being a welcoming place for all.” The majority of branded hotels are franchises, individually owned and operated under a license with the larger hotel company, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association. Those hotels still need to meet the “brand standards” of the name on the building. “We do not discriminate against any individuals or agencies and apologize to those impacted,” Everpeak’s statement said. “We are committed to welcoming all guests and operating in accordance with brand standards, applicable laws, and our role as a professional hospitality provider.” Hilton said in a statement that the hotel is independently owned and operated, and that the alleged actions were “not reflective of Hilton values.” In statement sent to The Washington Post, Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Homeland Security “has surged law enforcement and has already made more than 1,000 arrests of murderers, rapists, pedophiles, and gang members.” McLaughin’s statement included mug shots of several people identified as a “criminal illegal alien” along with details of convictions, including a Burmese man who DHS said was sentenced to four years in prison for sexual conduct using force or coercion in Nobles County, Minnesota, and a Somali man reportedly sentenced to prison for a robbery in Columbus, Ohio. McLaughin appeared with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson in video clips circulated Monday, saying DHS officers were refused from booking rooms after trying to get a government discount. “This isn’t one or two instances,” she says in the video. “This is a collective, concerted effort.” The Wall Street Journal [1/5/2026 6:15 PM, Chip Cutter, 646K] reports that a Hilton spokeswoman said the hotel is independently owned and operated, and that the actions at the property didn’t reflect its values. “We have been in direct contact with the hotel, and they have apologized for the actions of their team, which was not in keeping with their policies,” the Hilton spokeswoman said. “Hilton’s position is clear: Our properties are open to everyone and we do not tolerate any form of discrimination.” The hotel’s management company, Everpeak Hospitality, said in a written statement that it moved quickly to address the matter. “We are in touch with the impacted guests to ensure they are accommodated. We do not discriminate against any individuals or agencies and apologize to those impacted,” the company said. FOX News [1/5/2026 2:37 PM, Ashley Carnahan and Preston Mizell, 40621K] reports “We have noticed an influx of GOV reservations made today that have been for DHS, and we are not allowing any ICE or immigration agents to stay at our property. If you are with DHS or immigration, let us know as we will have to cancel your reservation," an email from a staff member at the Hilton-branded hotel allegedly reads. "Please pass on this info to your coworkers that we are not allowing any immigration agents to house on our property." DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital in a statement: "Hilton has launched a coordinated campaign in Minneapolis to REFUSE service to DHS law enforcement. When officers attempted to book rooms using official government emails and rates, Hilton Hotels maliciously CANCELLED their reservations." "This is UNACCEPTABLE," said McLaughlin. "Why is Hilton Hotels siding with murderers and rapists to deliberately undermine and impede DHS law enforcement from their mission to enforce our nation’s immigration laws?" The New York Times [1/5/2026 6:12 PM, Christine Chung, 135475K] reports that in recent weeks, the Trump administration has ramped up immigration enforcement in Minnesota, deploying scores of agents, who detained more than 600 people in the state last month. The government says the state’s Democratic leaders have supported policies that encouraged illegal immigration. In early December, President Trump railed against Somali immigrants, calling them “garbage” and saying they should return to where they came from. Minnesota is home to a large Somali community. Hilton, a global hospitality company, encompasses more than 25 hotel brands, including Hampton Inn. As is the case with many branded hotels, the Hampton Inn in Lakeville is independently owned and operated, a Hilton spokesperson said via email, adding that the actions described by Homeland Security were not “reflective of Hilton values.” The company is investigating the incident, the spokesperson added.

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FOX Business [1/5/2026 6:45 PM, Greg Wehner, 10085K] reports Hilton Hotels said it is investigating an independently owned Minneapolis-area property after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) alleged law enforcement officers were refused service, a dispute that has renewed scrutiny of the company’s long-standing opposition to immigration-related activity at its hotels. Emails shared on social media by DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) appear to show staff at the Hampton Inn by Hilton Lakeville, Minnesota, telling people linked to DHS reservations that the property would not allow ICE or other immigration agents to stay. A spokesperson for Hilton told FOX Business the company is investigating the incident and said the actions described do not reflect Hilton’s values. "Hilton hotels serve as welcoming places for all. This hotel is independently owned and operated, and the actions referenced are not reflective of Hilton values," the spokesperson said. "We are investigating this matter with this individual hotel, and can confirm that Hilton works with governments, law enforcement and community leaders around the world to ensure our properties are open and inviting to everyone.” The spokesperson later reached out to FOX Business to reiterate that the Hampton Inn is independently owned and operated and that its actions do not reflect Hilton values. "We have been in direct contact with the hotel, and they have apologized for the actions of their team, which was not in keeping with their policies," the spokesperson said. "They have taken immediate action to resolve this matter. Hilton’s position is clear: Our properties are open to everyone and we do not tolerate any form of discrimination.” The management company that runs the Hampton Inn, Everpeak Hospitality, also released a statement saying it is committed to welcoming all guests and operating in accordance with brand standards, applicable laws and its role as a professional hospitality provider. ICE also posted screenshots of the emails. "After further investigation online, we have found information about immigration work connected with your name and we will be cancelling your upcoming reservation," one email from a Hilton email address read. "You should see a proper cancellation email in your inbox shortly from Hilton.” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital in a statement, "Hilton has launched a coordinated campaign in Minneapolis to REFUSE service to DHS law enforcement. When officers attempted to book rooms using official government emails and rates, Hilton Hotels maliciously CANCELLED their reservations.” "This is UNACCEPTABLE," McLaughlin said. "Why is Hilton Hotels siding with murderers and rapists to deliberately undermine and impede DHS law enforcement from their mission to enforce our nation’s immigration laws?".

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Daily Caller [1/5/2026 3:32 PM, Derek VanBuskirk, 835K] reports the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a civil complaint Monday to revoke the citizenship of a man facing a war crimes arrest in Bosnia. Sead Miljkovic allegedly gave false information to immigration authorities upon receiving his U.S. citizenship in 2007, according to a DOJ press release. Miljkovic was a member of the security forces of the Autonomous Province of Western Bosnia (APZB) and was subject to an arrest warrant issued by Bosnian courts regarding alleged war crimes against civilians during the time he received his citizenship, according to the DOJ. The DOJ alleges that Miljkovic, who also used the last name Dukic, hid his true identity by failing to disclose that he had used more than one name, listed more than one date and place of birth, more than one name of his father and more than one woman listed as his wife in multiple applications. The warrant was issued in 2007 and resulted in an INTERPOL Red Notice alleging that as a member of APZB’s security force, Miljkovic and his accomplices beat a dozen civilians in opposition to their authority with wooden bats, the DOJ stated. They allegedly locked the civilians in "a morgue for five days without access to light or water." Miljkovic was found not guilty of torture in a Tennessee court in May. His attorneys previously invoked the statute of limitations, as the alleged torture took place in another country nearly 30 years ago, according to ABC affiliate News Channel 9. However, Miljkovic has yet to face a Bosnian court on these charges, according to the DOJ’s press release. The civil complaint for revocation of citizenship follows an investigation conducted by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations, the press release states. Miljkovic’s case is being civilly prosecuted by the DOJ’s Office of Immigration Litigation, Affirmative Litigation Unit, along with help from the U.S Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

NewsMax [1/5/2026 4:13 PM, Sam Barron, 4109K] reports a lawsuit has been filed against the Trump administration challenging its decision to pause immigration casework from passport holders on its travel ban list. The suit was filed by nearly 200 people in Boston federal court, representing the hundreds of thousands living in the U.S. who are in immigration limbo, Axios reported. It asserts that the suspension of casework by the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is not authorized by immigration or administrative law, Axios reported. As a result of the suit, those affected say they have been prevented from claiming asylum, getting work authorization, renewing student visas, or processing green cards, which would cause them to be pulled from citizenship ceremonies. While the plaintiffs acknowledge the Trump administration has a right to bar people from entering the U.S., they question whether it has the right to pause the immigration casework of those already here.

Telemundo Amarillo [1/5/2026 2:05 PM, Staff, 4K] reports the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denied that the agency’s secretary, Kristi Noem, said that Venezuelans who were protected under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program could apply for refugee status. “This is not what Secretary Noem said. President Trump is bringing stability to Venezuela and bringing to justice an illegitimate narco-terrorist dictator who robbed his own people,” DHS said on the social media platform X. Speaking to Fox News, Kristi Noem apparently said that Venezuelans with TPS could apply for refugee status, raising expectations among many of the 600,000 affected. “All people who were protected by TPS have the opportunity to apply for refugee status, and that evaluation will take place, but we must make sure that our programs are truly effective and that we are complying with the law,” Noem said Sunday morning. In response to an inquiry from Noticias Telemundo , the DHS reaffirmed its position, contrary to Noem’s statements, and emphasized that the only way someone can apply for asylum in the United States is to request it "before entering the country."

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The Washington Post [1/5/2026 6:32 PM, Shayna Jacobs, Tim Craig and Mark Berman, 24149K] reports deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro made his first court appearance Monday in New York and said he was “kidnapped” by the U.S. government, assailing the Trump administration for capturing him and portraying himself as his country’s rightful leader. The brief court proceedings in downtown Manhattan offered the first public opportunity for Maduro to speak since he and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized by U.S. forces Saturday in Caracas. The nighttime raid, which followed months of escalating U.S. pressure on Maduro, set off shock waves across the globe, provoked confusion in Venezuela about that nation’s leadership and prompted fears that President Donald Trump could act on threats he has made to other countries, including Cuba, Colombia and Canada. For Maduro and Flores, Monday’s hearing was the first step in what is likely to be a drawn-out legal process, one that Maduro’s attorney expects will be “voluminous and complicated.” An indictment unsealed after their capture alleged that Maduro “sits atop a corrupt, illegitimate government that, for decades, has leveraged government power to protect and promote illegal activity, including drug trafficking.” The indictment said Maduro has “remained in power despite losses in recent elections,” and accused him, his wife and others in their inner circle of amassing wealth and power while carrying out “a relentless campaign of cocaine trafficking.” Maduro faces four counts, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and gun charges. His wife is charged with cocaine importation conspiracy and related weapons charges. Both entered pleas of not guilty. The hearing, lasting just over 35 minutes, combined the familiar routine of an initial court appearance with the extraordinary sight of Maduro, who only days earlier had been a strongman wielding power over an entire nation, seated at a defense table, clad in jailhouse garb and following instructions from a judge. Maduro used the hearing to protest his presence in an American courtroom. “My name is President Nicolás Maduro Moros,” he said, according to interpreters who translated his remarks from Spanish to English in court. “I am president of the Republic of Venezuela. I am here kidnapped since January 3rd, Saturday. I was captured at my home in Caracas, Venezuela.” The AP [1/5/2026 5:18 PM, Michael R. Sisak, Larry Neumeister and Eric Tucker, 14862K] reports that, asked later for his plea to the charges, he stated: “I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the constitutional president of my country.” Maduro’s court appearance in Manhattan, his first since he and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized from their Caracas home Saturday in a stunning middle-of-the-night military operation, kicked off the U.S. government’s most consequential prosecution in decades of a foreign head of state. She also pleaded not guilty. The criminal case is unfolding against a broader diplomatic backdrop of an audacious U.S.-engineered regime change that President Donald Trump has said will enable his administration to “run” the South American country. Maduro, 63, was brought to court under heavy security early Monday — flown by helicopter to Manhattan from Brooklyn, where he is jailed, and then driven to the courthouse in an armored vehicle. He and Flores were led into court just before noon. Both were in leg shackles and jail-issued garb, and both put on headsets to hear the English-language proceeding as it was translated into Spanish. As Maduro left the courtroom, a man in the audience denounced him as an “illegitimate” president. Maduro’s son and Venezuelan congressman Nicolás Maduro Guerra warned on Monday that his father’s capture could set a dangerous precedent globally and demanded that his parents be returned. “If we normalize the kidnapping of a head of state, no country is safe. Today it’s Venezuela. Tomorrow it could be any nation that refuses to submit. This is not a regional problem. It is a direct threat to global political stability,” Maduro Guerra said. Also Monday, the United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting, with the top U.N. official warning that America may have violated international law with its unilateral action. The world body also spotlighted the profound humanitarian needs in Venezuela. Its people have endured a yearslong, complex economic crisis.

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Bloomberg Law News [1/5/2026 5:24 PM, David Voreacos and Bob Van Voris, 91K] reports ousted Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty on Monday to US charges in a narco-terrorism case against him, kicking off an extraordinary legal battle with major geopolitical ramifications. “I am innocent,” Maduro said through an interpreter. “I am not guilty. I am a decent man,” adding that he is still the president of Venezuela. The US accused Maduro over the weekend of using his positions in government for a quarter of a century to enrich himself and help transport cocaine into the country. The toppling of Maduro reverberated around the world and signaled President Donald Trump’s willingness to reconfigure the global order. After Maduro was captured in the military operation early Saturday, he and his wife were transported to the notorious Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. On Monday morning, he arrived by helicopter at a Manhattan heliport before he was taken to the courthouse for a half-hour hearing where he pleaded not guilty to the four counts he faces. Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, who was also in court, pleaded not guilty to the three charges she faces. Both were wearing headphones to hear their translators. The hearing began with US District Judge Alvin Hellerstein reading the charges against Maduro and his wife.

Los Angeles Times [1/5/2026 2:14 PM, Kevin Rector, 14862K] reports that ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro stood in a Manhattan courthouse Monday a captive criminal defendant: surrounded by heavy security, deprived of his power as a head of state and facing drug, weapon and conspiracy charges likely to keep him behind bars for years. "I was captured," he said in Spanish, before pleading not guilty during a brief arraignment. "I am a decent man, the president of my country." Just two days prior, more than 2,000 miles away in Caracas, Maduro was seated "atop a corrupt, illegitimate government that, for decades, has leveraged government power to protect and promote illegal activity, including drug trafficking," according to a sweeping indictment unsealed Saturday. What preceded Maduro’s swift downfall was not just his weekend capture in what President Trump called "one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays of American military might" in U.S. history, but decades of partnership with "narco-terrorists" from Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico to enrich himself and his family through "massive-scale" cocaine trafficking, the indictment claims. "In most of the high-level narcotics trafficking cases, international narcotics trafficking cases that have been brought and go to trial, the common thread is that you end up with cooperators — individuals who were part of the conspiracy, they were the criminal partners of the defendant, and they ultimately decide, hey, it’s in my self-interest to come forward and testify," McNally said. "They obviously are cross-examined, and they’ll frequently be accused of ... lying for their own self-interest," he said. "But in my experience, cooperators in these types of cases are especially valuable, and the key is to then corroborate them with other witnesses who tell the same story or documentary evidence."

New York Post [1/5/2026 6:00 AM, Jorge Fitz-Gibbon, 42219K] reports fallen Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro could face the death penalty if convicted on federal drug-trafficking and other charges. The strongman was nabbed at his Caracas palace in a daring US raid and is now being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn pending his arraignment Monday on a four-count indictment. If found guilty, Maduro is likely to spend the rest of his life behind bars — or worse. Under federal law, a defendant found guilty of violating the Controlled Substances Act “as part of a continuing criminal enterprise” can be eligible for the death penalty, according to the Library of Congress. Federal capital offenses fall under categories that are, namely, homicide, treason or espionage and drug offenses that do not include a homicide. Still, death sentences for drug offenses are far from common. “Most capital offenses involve a homicide,” the site said. “More defendants are sentenced to death for murder than for all of the other federal capital offenses.” In a post on X on Saturday, US Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, “will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts” but did not mention what sentence the Justice Department would seek if there is a conviction.

New York Times [1/5/2026 5:43 PM, Charlie Savage, 135475K] reports the Justice Department has backed off a dubious claim about President Nicolás Maduro that the Trump administration promoted last year in laying the groundwork to remove him from power in Venezuela: accusing him of leading a drug cartel called Cartel de los Soles. That claim traces back to a 2020 grand jury indictment of Mr. Maduro drafted by the Justice Department. In July 2025, copying language from it, the Treasury Department designated Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist organization. In November, Marco Rubio, the secretary of state and President Trump’s national security adviser, ordered the State Department to do the same. But experts in Latin American crime and narcotics issues have said it is actually a slang term, invented by the Venezuelan media in the 1990s, for officials who are corrupted by drug money. And on Saturday, after the administration captured Mr. Maduro, the Justice Department released a rewritten indictment that appeared to tacitly concede the point. Prosecutors still accused Mr. Maduro of participating in a drug trafficking conspiracy but they abandoned the claim that Cartel de los Soles was an actual organization. Instead, the revised indictment states that it refers to a “patronage system” and a “culture of corruption” fueled by drug money.

FOX News [1/5/2026 1:55 PM, Louis Casiano, 40621K] reports that deportation flights to Venezuela will continue following the arrest of the South American nation’s former leader Nicolás Maduro, Fox News has learned. "Flights are not paused," a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said. During an appearance on "Fox News Sunday," DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said there were no plans on ending the flights, despite the government in Caracas being in transition. The Trump administration has focused on deporting criminal illegal immigrants, including members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang, which President Donald Trump designated a foreign terrorist organization last year. An indictment against Maduro alleges that he partnered with narco-terrorists, including TdA and its leader, to distribute cocaine since at least 1999. "TdA has expanded its criminal network throughout the Western Hemisphere and established a presence in the United States, including New York," the indictment said. "TdA’s criminal activities include human smuggling and other illicit acts. TdA has developed additional revenue sources through a range of other criminal activities, including drug trafficking, firearms trafficking, commercial sex trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, theft, fraud, and extortion. TdA members also commit murder, assault, and other acts of violence to enforce and further the organization’s criminal activities," it continued. Thousands of Venezuelans living in the United States under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) face deportation. Noem ended TPS for Venezuelans last year. "Given Venezuela’s substantial role in driving irregular migration and the clear magnet effect created by Temporary Protected Status, maintaining or expanding TPS for Venezuelan nationals directly undermines the Trump Administration’s efforts to secure our southern border and manage migration effectively," a DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital at the time.

CBS News [1/5/2026 7:53 PM, Charlie D’Agata, 39474K] reportsDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth revealed new details Monday about the U.S. operation to capture and arrest Nicolás Maduro, describing a meticulously planned raid that caught the Venezuelan leader completely off guard. Speaking to sailors aboard the USS John F. Kennedy aircraft carrier in Newport News, Virginia, Hegseth said Maduro had no warning the U.S. was closing in until moments before American forces arrived. "Nicolás Maduro got to meet some great Americans wearing night vision goggles three nights ago," Hegseth said. "He didn’t know they were coming until three minutes before they arrived. In fact, his wife said, ‘I think I hear aircraft outside.’ They didn’t know. You know why? Because every single part of that chain did their job." Roughly 200 Americans carried out the overnight raid Saturday at Maduro’s residence in downtown Caracas, Hegseth said. Fighter jets and bombers struck Venezuelan air defenses, clearing the way for Delta Force commandos to close in on the compound, where they came under heavy fire. Several U.S. soldiers were injured in the operation, according to U.S. officials. Dozens of Venezuelans were killed, along with 32 Cuban citizens who were part of Maduro’s security detail, Cuba’s government said. "There was a lot of death on the other side, unfortunately. But a lot of Cubans were killed yesterday trying to protect him," Trump said. CIA personnel inside Venezuela had been tracking Maduro’s movements since August, including through an agent who penetrated his inner circle and provided key intelligence, according to U.S. officials. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

NewsMax [1/5/2026 8:07 PM, 9:07 PM, 4109K] reports top officials from President Donald Trump’s administration briefed congressional leaders on the U.S. government’s plans for the future of Venezuela in a Monday evening meeting on Capitol Hill. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other officials discussed Venezuela with House and Senate leadership, as well as top members of the intelligence committees and national security committees. House Speaker Mike Johnson said after receiving the briefing he does not expect the United States to deploy troops to Venezuela. Meanwhile, Senate Democrat Leader Chuck Schumer said the briefing "posed far more questions than it answered.” Democrat Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Mark Warner echoed those concerns, saying the meeting lacked clarity. Shaheen said that "there are a significant number of questions that still need to be answered.” Rep. Gregory Meeks, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the briefing was "not good" and offered little clarity about the administration’s next steps in Venezuela. Meeks added his takeaway was that Trump "has the option of putting troops on the ground" and is "not going to take anything off the table.” House Speaker Johnson stressed that U.S. actions there are "not a regime change" operation. Johnson made the remarks after emerging from the nearly two-hour briefing.

Daily Wire [1/5/2026 7:11 AM, Jennie Taer, 2494K] reports that the Trump administration isn’t stopping its mass deportation effort following the arrest of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, The Daily Wire has learned. The Department of Homeland Security told The Daily Wire on Monday that deportation flights to Venezuela have not paused as the United States continues to help the country find stability. The Trump administration’s deportation campaign has focused on Venezuelan nationals after the Biden administration ushered in a record wave of migrants from the South American country. As part of the deportation operation, Trump administration officials previously successfully pushed the Maduro regime to accept removal flights from the United States after they stopped under the Biden administration. "The great news for those who are here from Venezuela on Temporary Protected Status is that they can now go home with hope for their country." @TriciaOhio. President Trump is bringing stability to Venezuela. Secretary Noem ended Temporary Protected Status for more than 500,000… pic.twitter.com/8EmcE1XZ0y. The agency has also encouraged the roughly 500,000 Venezuelans whose Temporary Protected Status was recently revoked to leave the United States on their own. "The great news for those who are here from Venezuela on Temporary Protected Status is that they can now go home with hope for their country," Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Sunday.

CNN [1/5/2026 6:25 PM, Natasha Bertrand, Alayna Treene, Kylie Atwood, Zachary Cohen, Avery Schmitz, 18595K] reports the US is making plans to try to intercept a fleeing oil tanker that Russia has claimed jurisdiction over, according to four people familiar with the matter, setting up a possible confrontation between Washington and the Kremlin over the vessel’s fate. Originally called the Bella 1, the tanker was sanctioned by the US in 2024 for operating within a "shadow fleet" of tankers transporting illicit oil. It was initially headed for Venezuela before turning around to avoid seizure by the US Coast Guard last month. The tanker was in the North Atlantic as of two days ago, heading northeast near the coast of the United Kingdom, according to open-source vessel data from Kpler, a trade intelligence firm. At some point while being pursued, the crew of the tanker painted a Russian flag on its hull and claimed it was sailing under Russian protection. Shortly thereafter, the vessel appeared on Russia’s official register of ships under a new name — the Marinera. Russia filed a formal diplomatic request last month demanding that the US stop pursuing the vessel. By claiming Russian status, the legalities of seizing the tanker could become more complicated. The US is planning to try to intercept other sanctioned oil tankers that have attempted to evade capture in recent days as well, two of the sources said. The plans to intercept the Bella 1 come as US P-8 surveillance aircraft flying out of RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, England, appear to have been surveilling the tanker in recent days, according to open-source flight data. There has also been a broader repositioning of US military assets to the UK, according to two of the sources and open-source flight tracking data. The US used Special Operations Forces and assets to help the US Coast Guard interdict a sanctioned tanker off the coast of Venezuela on December 11, and it would likely need to do so again to intercept a vessel in the north Atlantic, sources said — an operation that would be more complicated given the bad weather in the area and the fact that Russia has claimed ownership of the ship. Seizing the Bella 1 would likely also require a Maritime Special Response Team with experience in boarding vessels that do not submit to seize control of it, CNN has reported.

Reported similarly:
CBS News [1/5/2026 2:43 PM, James LaPorta, 39474K]

Daily Caller [1/5/2026 11:28 AM, Caden Olson, 835K] reports that at least 15 U.S. sanctioned oil tankers have reportedly broken the complete blockade of Venezuelan oil exports since the Saturday capture of ousted socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro, using so-called "dark mode" tactics to evade capture. The now-departed ships had been docked in Venezuelan ports for weeks, the New York Times (NYT) reported Monday. Tankers in the group used techniques employed by the modern "ghost fleet" of sanction skirting ships, including painting names of decommissioned vessels on ships’ hulls, misrepresenting their positions, and leaving in coordinated fashion to escape the blockade. Four tankers, now some 30-miles off port, were tracked by satellite sailing east, according to the NYT. These tankers did not secure authorization from the new interim government led by Maduro’s former vice president, the NYT reported citing internal communications and two anonymous sources in the Venezuelan oil industry. The remaining ships have not been located and are not broadcasting any signals. "The embargo on all Venezuelan oil remains in full effect," President Donald Trump said on Saturday during a press conference detailing Maduro’s capture. "The American armada remains poised in position, and the United States retains all military options until United States demands have been fully met and fully satisfied." All fifteen of the identified tankers are under U.S. sanctions Trump imposed on Dec. 16 against Maduro, according to a Reuters report Monday.

NewsMax [1/5/2026 6:56 PM, Jim Mishler, 4109K] reports Elon Musk’s Starlink announced it will provide free high-speed internet service to people in Venezuela through Feb. 3, following the arrest of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. In a post on X, Starlink said the service would be offered at no cost during the transition period. "Starlink is providing free broadband service to the people of Venezuela through February 3, ensuring continued connectivity," the company wrote. Musk reposted the announcement, adding, "In support of the people of Venezuela," alongside a Venezuelan flag emoji. Townhall reported the move followed the Trump administration’s capture of Maduro after years of U.S. criminal charges related to narcotics trafficking and other alleged offenses. U.S. leaders had previously described Maduro as illegitimate following disputed elections. Musk has publicly commented on Venezuela’s political situation in recent weeks, expressing support for efforts aimed at changing the country’s leadership.

USA Today [1/5/2026 12:18 PM, Kinsey Crowley, 67103K] reports President Donald Trump reaffirmed his assertion that the U.S. is "in charge" of Venezuela following the arrest of its leader Nicolás Maduro. On Jan. 3, U.S. troops captured Maduro and his wife in a surprise attack, after months of mounting U.S. pressure on Venezuela, an oil-rich country. Trump at a press conference later that day said the U.S. would run the country until there would be a "safe, proper and judicious transition.” Pressed on what that meant by Kristen Welker on NBC News’ "Meet the Press" on Jan. 4, Secretary of State Marco Rubio seemed to back off the assertion the U.S. would "run" the country and focused on using "leverage.” "Well, it’s not running the – it’s running policy, the policy with regards to this," he said. Later that day, Trump spoke with reporters on his flight back to Washington, D.C., from a long holiday break in Florida and appeared to stick to his original claim. "Don’t ask me who’s in charge because I’ll give you an answer and it’ll be very controversial," he said. A reporter asked him to elaborate. "That means we’re in charge.”

AP [1/5/2026 1:48 PM, Regina Garcia Cano, 1538K] reports that the Venezuelan government on Monday sought to show its people and the world that the country is being run independently and not controlled by the United States following its stunning weekend arrest of Nicolás Maduro, the authoritarian leader who had ruled for almost 13 years. Lawmakers aligned with the ruling party, including Maduro’s son, gathered in the capital, Caracas, to follow through with a scheduled swearing-in ceremony of the National Assembly for a term that will last until 2031. Delcy Rodríguez, who served as vice president to Maduro and has vowed to work with the Trump administration, was sworn in as interim president. She was sworn in by her brother, Jorge Rodríguez, who was reelected as speaker. "I come with sorrow for the suffering inflicted upon the Venezuelan people following an illegitimate military aggression against our homeland," she said with her right hand up. Venezuelan lawmakers gave speeches focused on condemning Maduro’s capture Saturday by U.S. forces. "If we normalize the kidnapping of a head of state, no country is safe. Today, it’s Venezuela. Tomorrow, it could be any nation that refuses to submit," Maduro’s son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, said at the legislative palace in his first public appearance since Saturday. "This is not a regional problem. It is a direct threat to global political stability."

Politico [1/5/2026 6:12 PM, Nahal Toosi, Felicia Schwartz and Myah Ward, 13586K] reports the Trump administration is demanding that Venezuela’s interim leader take several pro-U.S. actions that her predecessor refused if she wants to avoid a similar fate. U.S. officials have told Delcy Rodriguez that they want to see at least three moves from her: cracking down on drug flows; kicking out Iranian, Cuban and other operatives of countries or networks hostile to Washington; and stopping the sale of oil to U.S. adversaries, according to a U.S. official familiar with the situation and a person familiar with the administration’s internal discussions. U.S. officials also expect Rodriguez — the former vice president now running Venezuela — to eventually facilitate free elections and step aside, the two people said. But the deadlines for the demands are fluid, and U.S. officials stress there are no elections imminent. Two days after the U.S. struck Venezuela and captured its dictator, Nicolás Maduro, much remains unclear about what Washington plans for the aftermath. The White House argues that Maduro’s ouster was a law enforcement move against a drug lord, not a regime change operation or a war — a frame it has leaned on to explain its limited steps so far. But President Donald Trump’s penchant for dramatic action and targeted strikes may face its ultimate test in Venezuela, an economically broken nation of 30 million where missteps could lead to violence and other instability. Rodriguez appears to be the linchpin in any U.S. strategy that may emerge. While she is a longtime ally of Maduro with serious socialist bona fides, the Trump team is nonetheless confident she will do its bidding. If not, she faces significant military action, Trump has warned. “Venezuela, thus far, has been very nice. But it helps to have a force like we have,” Trump told reporters Sunday on Air Force One. “If they don’t behave, we will do a second strike.” The White House declined to comment. The State Department referred POLITICO to earlier comments from Rubio that the administration expects to see more cooperation from Rodriguez than it did from Maduro. Venezuela’s U.N. mission in Geneva did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A senior U.S. official said the focus of the administration right now is on ensuring “that the country remains stable in advancing towards U.S. interests,” but declined to speak to the demands put to Rodriguez. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted at the U.S. message to Caracas on Sunday, telling ABC News the U.S. “will set the condition so that we no longer have in our hemisphere a Venezuela that’s the crossroads for many of our adversaries around the world, including Iran and Hezbollah, is no longer sending us drug gangs, is no longer sending us drug boats, is no longer a narcotrafficking paradise.”

Reuters [1/5/2026 9:22 PM, Patricia Zengerle, 36480K] reports President Donald Trump does not plan to occupy or nation-build in Venezuela, Republican U.S. lawmakers said on Monday after attending a briefing by top officials on the administration’s policy toward the South American nation. "We do not have U.S. armed forces in Venezuela, and we are not occupying that country," Republican House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana told reporters after the classified session with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and other senior officials. "If anybody wants to use the term nation-building, or anything like that, it doesn’t look like anything anybody has seen under President Trump," said Representative Brian Mast, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "They are not the protracted war administration," Mast told reporters after the briefing, which lasted more than 2-1/2 hours, when asked how he would reassure Americans they did not face another ‘endless war,’ like the 20-year conflict in Afghanistan. Trump sent U.S. troops into Caracas early on Saturday to seize Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who pleaded not guilty earlier on Monday to narcotics charges. Maduro’s capture rattled world leaders, left officials in Caracas scrambling to regroup and angered some U.S. Democrats, who said Rubio and other Trump administration officials had lied to them by insisting they were not planning regime change in Venezuela. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Senate’s Democratic leader, told reporters Monday’s briefing had been extensive but posed more questions than it answered. "Their plan for the U.S. running Venezuela is vague, based on wishful thinking and unsatisfying," he said. Schumer said he had not received assurances that Trump would not do the same thing in other countries. Republicans also left open that possibility. "There’s absolutely a continual plan to use the United States military to protect the homeland of the United States of America," Mast said. The Senate is due to vote as soon as this week on whether to block further military action against Venezuela without congressional approval, a resolution co-sponsored by Schumer. Republicans insist the weekend operation did not require congressional approval because it was very short and involved "law enforcement" to bring Maduro to court in New York. Members of Congress, including some Republicans as well as Democrats, have long accused presidents of seeking to sidestep the Constitution’s requirement that Congress, not the president, approve anything other than brief and limited military action needed to defend the United States. Republicans have defeated repeated attempts to pass similar war powers resolutions since Trump four months ago sent U.S. forces to the Caribbean, where they have been firing missiles at vessels Washington says are carrying drugs. Trump’s administration accuses Maduro of overseeing a cocaine-trafficking network that partnered with violent groups including Mexico’s Sinaloa and Zetas cartels, Colombia’s FARC rebels and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang.

Daily Wire [1/4/2026 11:00 PM, Daniel DiMartino, 2494K] reports Venezuelans throughout the world are celebrating after this weekend’s perfectly executed U.S. military operation which captured narco-terrorist tyrant Nicolas Maduro. The morning I woke up to the news of Maduro’s capture was one that I had been dreaming of for my entire life as a Venezuelan who suffered under his regime. This move by President Trump and his team provides justice, advances America’s and Venezuela’s interests, and could unleash prosperity like we have never seen before in the Western Hemisphere. After more than two decades of a socialist regime that started out democratically and gradually took absolute power and rigged elections to remain in charge, Venezuela is starving. The country that once drew immigrants and exported oil bled millions of refugees and imports its own gasoline. The Maduro regime, once it ran out of oil, gold, and companies both foreign and domestic to steal, turned to drug trafficking to profit and fund their repression system. Venezuela, if governed well with a free market economy, has the potential to be wealthier than nations like the United Arab Emirates or Kuwait. It has more oil and it is better positioned, both culturally and geographically. That should explain why Venezuelans abroad are celebrating openly on social media and in the streets, with mass gatherings spotted all over the United States, but especially in the heart of the Venezuelan diaspora of Miami.

CBS News [1/5/2026 1:45 PM, Duarte Dias, 39474K] reports that former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were arraigned Monday in New York on federal drug trafficking and other charges following their capture in a dramatic U.S. military operation over the weekend. But virtually all of the ousted leader’s inner circle — including some with whom he’s accused of running a cartel that has allegedly smuggled tons of cocaine into the U.S. — remain in their posts. The U.S., along with many Venezuelans and other nations, believe the election in Venezuela last year was actually won decisively by the party of 2025 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Maria Corina Machado, a longtime leader of the country’s persecuted political opposition. Maduro declared victory despite widespread allegations of electoral fraud and intimidation. But Machado has lived in exile for many months, and her current location wasn’t clear on Monday. She appeared to have been largely snubbed by Mr. Trump in his immediate plans for Venezuela, with the U.S. leader saying she lacks the popular support to be installed as a new head of government. Machado voiced optimism in a statement on Monday that she and "the brave people of Venezuela" would soon enjoy freedom and "celebrate on our land." But for now, the people holding the guns and ostensibly running the country are not her supporters, but Nicolás Maduro’s.

FOX News [1/5/2026 9:49 PM, Staff, 40621K] reports White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller discusses the Trump administration’s actions in Venezuela amid reports he is being considered for a role in a post-Maduro government on ‘Hannity.’ [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [1/5/2026 1:10 PM, Louis Casiano, 40621K] reports that Venezuelan authorities have been ordered to find and arrest anyone involved in supporting the military operation that led to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro. A state of emergency decree issued Saturday, but published Monday, orders police to "immediately begin the national search and capture of everyone involved in the promotion or support for the armed attack by the United States," according to the text of the decree, Reuters reported. It was not clear what charges could be levied against those taken into custody. Maduro made his first court appearance Monday in New York, days after he and his wife were arrested by U.S. forces over the weekend. Both have been charged by the Justice Department with narco-terrorism and other offenses. "I am innocent. I am not guilty of anything that is written here," Maduro said in court as the charges against him were read. In Maduro’s absence, Delcy Rodríguez, his former number two, has been sworn in as the interim president of Venezuela. Rodriguez, 56, has long been a confidant and backer of Maduro. She was the country’s vice president from 2018 through Sunday. Despite denouncing the U.S. military operation, Rodriguez said in a Sunday social media post that the country aspires towards balanced and respectful international relations between Caracas and Washington.

Daily Signal [1/5/2026 10:37 AM, Virginia Allen, 549K] reports President Donald Trump did not rule out U.S. operations against other nations following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday. Talking to reporters on Air Force One Sunday, Trump suggested the U.S. is keeping a close eye on Colombia, Greenland, Cuba, Mexico, and Iran, and might even consider conducting military operations in some of the nations. "Colombia is very sick too, run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States," Trump said, referring to Colombian President Gustavo Petro. "And he’s not going to be doing it very long, let me tell you," Trump added before a reporter pressed him to clarify his comments. "It sounds good to me," Trump said when asked if there might be a U.S. operation in Colombia. Similar to Venezuela, the criminal cartels operate in Colombia and traffic drugs into the U.S., often through Mexico. While Trump spoke with greater appreciation for President of Mexico Claudia Scheinbaum, telling reporters she is "a terrific person," he also said she is "a little afraid" to allow U.S. troops into her country to address cartel activity.

New York Post [1/5/2026 12:44 PM, Ronny Reyes, 42219K] reports Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Monday that he is ready to "take up arms" if the US attacks his country following threats from President Trump. Following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro over the weekend, Trump suggested Colombia — and Petro — may be America’s next target in his war on drug trafficking. "I swore not to touch a weapon again since the 1989 Peace Pact, but for the homeland, I will take up arms again," Petro wrote on X. "Know that you are facing a commander of the people. Free Colombian forever," he added. Petro also stressed that his forces have been tasked with defending him and all Colombian cities from foreign forces, with orders given to shoot "the invader.” The leftist leader, who has clashed with Trump in the past, argued that his government was leading the charge against the illegal drug trade in the country, telling Trump an attack on him would only embolden the cartels. Petro also warned Trump that bombing the cartels would endanger children and civilians that the groups use as human shields, which would spark a humanitarian crisis. "If you bomb even one of these groups without sufficient intelligence, you will kill many children," Petro said. "If you bomb peasants, thousands of guerrillas will return in the mountains. "And if you arrest the president whom a good part of my people want and respect, you will unleash the popular jaguar," he added, referencing the Colombian people. Petro’s comments were a direct response to Trump’s warning that his Colombian counterpart should "watch his a–" after US troops raided Caracas and arrested Maduro and his wife.

Reported similarly:
New York Post [1/5/2026 6:37 AM, Patrick Reilly, 42219K] r
NewsMax [1/5/2026 10:47 AM, Charlie McCarthy, 4109K]
Breitbart [1/5/2026 1:20 PM, Frances Martel, 2416K]

Washington Post [1/6/2026 5:00 AM, Karen DeYoung and David Ovalle, 24149K] reports no place was hit harder than Cuba by the shock waves that Saturday morning’s U.S. military seizure of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro sent throughout Latin America and the world. Within hours of the operation — long before the government in Havana acknowledged it — phone calls and texts across the island spread the news that dozens of elite Cuban security forces had been killed guarding Maduro. But by the time it finally released a statement late Sunday saying that 32 of its military and security personnel were dead in Caracas, the Cuban government had bigger problems on its hands. Both President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio made clear over the weekend that the collapse of Cuba’s communist government was not only a likely side benefit of Maduro’s ouster but a goal. “I don’t think we need [to take] any action,” Trump said as he flew back to Washington from his extended Florida holiday break. Without Maduro and the oil supplies Venezuela provided, he said, “Cuba looks like it’s ready to fall.” Rubio went further, indicating that the United States might be willing to give it a push. “I’m not going to talk to you about what our future steps are going to be,” he told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. But, he added, “If I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I’d be concerned.” Their words resonated with many in the Miami-centered exile community, where the struggle to free Cuba from communist rule has dominated politics for decades. On Saturday, South Florida Cuban exiles — some wearing red Trump hats and Cuban flags as capes — joined hundreds of revelers at spirited, impromptu celebrations from Little Havana to Doral, a city nicknamed “Doralezuela” because of its large population of Venezuelans. Cuban American leaders, most of them Republican, issued statements as Venezuela coverage dominated local TV stations. Cuba is the “root” of problems with Venezuela, Nicaragua and other leftist regimes in the region, said Dariel Fernandez, Miami-Dade County’s elected tax collector. “Now the time has come … for the Castro communist and socialist assassin regime to be held accountable as well, and for the Cuban people to finally be free.” Absent direct U.S. intervention, however, Cuba experts here and on the island were less certain. “If you’re asking if the Cuban government will just collapse on its own because the economic pain is bound to increase” without shipments of Venezuelan oil, “I’m very skeptical,” said Michael J. Bustamante, associate professor of history and director of the Cuban studies program at the University of Miami. Aside from an economic uptick during the Obama administration, when the resumption of diplomatic relations between Washington and Havana led to increased tourism and slender openings for private ownership and outside investment, the Cuban economy has never really recovered from the Soviet fall. The nation has been on a steady slide into economic chaos for years, owing to U.S. sanctions and what even many of its supporters see as mismanagement by a sclerotic Cuban Communist Party.

FOX News [1/5/2026 10:54 AM, Leo Briceno, 40621K] reports the top lawmaker on the House Intelligence Committee believes that the weekend capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro may have a domino effect in Cuba. Chairman Rick Crawford, R-Ark., called it "the beginning of the end" for the regime there. "Cuba and Venezuela have had a symbiotic relationship for a long, long time. Cuba needs Venezuelan oil. They no longer have the resources that will be provided by Venezuela," Crawford said on Fox News’ "The Big Weekend Show.” According to Crawford, Venezuela also benefited from the partnership by receiving medical assistance from Cuba and military protections used by Maduro. President Miguel Díaz-Canel leads Cuba’s government — a one-party Communist state that has long been at odds with the United States. The U.S. has an economic embargo on the country, restricting exports to and from Cuba as well as travel restrictions that limit tourism. Those measures have been in place for 63 years.

USA Today [1/5/2026 11:33 AM, Joey Garrison, 67103K] reports President Donald Trump predicted Cuba’s communist government is on the verge of collapse following the United States’ capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Trump on Jan. 4 also threatened United States military intervention to oust Colombian President Gustavo Petro and reaffirmed his desire for the United States to annex Greenland, which is controlled by Denmark. Trump suggested Venezuela won’t be the only Latin American country to face upheaval as he addressed reporters on Air Force One on the flight back to Washington from Florida, where he spent the holidays. "Cuba is ready to fall," Trump said. "Cuba looks like it’s ready to fall. I don’t know if they’re going to hold out. But Cuba now has no income. They got all of their income from their Venezuela, from the Venezuelan oil. They’re not getting any of it. And Cuba is literally ready to fall.” Trump added: "You have a lot of great Cuban Americans who are going to be very happy about this.” A recent blockade the Trump administration imposed on Venezuela oil cut Cuba off to a critical energy supply that the island nation relies on. Trump has said U.S. companies will soon take over Venezuela’s oil supplies following the capture of Maduro, a close ally of the Cuban government. Several Cubans died during the U.S. attack on Venezuela that led to Maduro’s capture. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants and a key architect of the Venezuela attack, is a longtime critic of the Cuban government led by President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who condemned the U.S. actions in Venezuela. Rubio issued a warning to Cuba in a Jan. 3 news conference as Trump and his top officials discussed the Venezuelan attack. "If I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I would be concerned ‒ at least a little bit," Rubio said.

NewsMax [1/5/2026 6:25 PM, Solange Reyner, 4109K] reports Cuba’s communist regime is on the way out, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Sunday. "You just wait for Cuba. Cuba is a communist dictatorship that’s killed priests and nuns. They’ve preyed on their own people. Their days are numbered," Graham told reporters Sunday while traveling to Washington, D.C., with President Donald Trump aboard Air Force One. "Cuba looks like it’s ready to fall. I don’t know if they’re going to hold out," Trump himself said, adding: "Cuba only survives because of Venezuela.” "It’s very similar [to Venezuela] in the sense that we want to help the people in Cuba, but we want to also help the people that were forced out of Cuba and are living in this country.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants to the U.S., made similar comments following the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He told NBC News that Cuba’s government has been a "huge problem" for the U.S. when he was asked if the Trump administration would go after its government next. "I think they’re in a lot of trouble, yes. I’m not going to talk to you about what our future steps are going to be and our policies are going to be right now in this regard, but I don’t think it’s any mystery that we are not big fans of the Cuban regime, who by the way, are the ones that were propping up Maduro," Rubio said.

FOX News [1/5/2026 12:37 PM, Ashley Carnahan, 40621K] reports Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday condemned what she described as U.S. intervention in Venezuela and rejected the idea of American troops entering Mexico, reaffirming her government’s commitment to national sovereignty. "We categorically reject intervention in the internal affairs of other countries," Sheinbaum said at a press conference in Mexico City, according to an official transcript of the speech released by her office. "The history of Latin America is clear and forceful, the intervention has never brought democracy, it has never generated well-being or lasting stability. Only people can build their own future, decide their path, exercise sovereignty over their natural resources and freely define their form of government," she said. Sheinbaum said that following the capture of Venezuela’s leader and his wife, and amid warnings from President Donald Trump that Mexico must "get their act together," Mexican sovereignty and self-determination remain non-negotiable. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he thinks Sheinbaum is a "terrific person," but the cartels are "running Mexico.” "We’re going to have to do something. We’d love Mexico to do it, they’re capable of doing it, but unfortunately the cartels are very strong in Mexico," Trump said. Sheinbaum said her country is cooperating with the United States to help fight against drug trafficking, organized crime and the flow of fentanyl. "I don’t believe in an invasion. I don’t even think it’s something they’re taking very seriously," Sheinbaum told reporters in Spanish when asked about a potential U.S. intervention, according to Reuters’ translation of her remarks. She said Trump has repeatedly insisted during their phone conversations that the U.S. Army be allowed to enter Mexico. "We have said no very firmly — first because we defend our sovereignty, and second because it is not necessary," Sheinbaum told reporters.

NBC News [1/5/2026 11:00 AM, Janis Mackey Frayer and Jennifer Jett, 34509K] reports an attack on a country after a military buildup and embargo at sea. A leader deposed by a superpower that views them as illegitimate. While some are drawing parallels between the United States’ dramatic action in Venezuela and China’s ambitions for Taiwan, experts say Beijing is less concerned about the self-ruled island’s sovereignty and instead views the attack as an opportunity to undermine America’s global leadership. As the Trump administration withdraws from global institutions and upends long-standing norms, Beijing has sought to cast itself as the true champion of the rules-based international order. Chinese state media commentaries on the Venezuela attack argue that the U.S. is now one of the biggest threats to that order, and that its actions have undermined its credibility in Latin America. "This is a country which just behaved like a hegemon, right?" said Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai. "How can you trust a country that would deal with its weak neighbors this way?". China has strongly condemned the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, saying it violated international law and threatens peace and security in Latin America. It said the U.S. should immediately release Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who are set to appear Monday in a New York court on drug trafficking and other charges. On Monday, Chinese leader Xi Jinping appeared to refer to the attack on one of his country’s main South American allies, saying the world was experiencing turbulence and that "unilateral bullying seriously impacts the international order.” "All countries should respect the development path independently chosen by other peoples, abide by international law and the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter, and major countries should take the lead," he said during a meeting in Beijing with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, without mentioning the U.S. by name. His comments came a day after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said no country "can play the role of world policeman, nor do we agree that any country can claim itself to be an international judge.”

Politico [1/5/2026 1:12 PM, Eric Bazail-Eimil, Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing and Megan Messerly, 13586K] reports President Donald Trump is lobbing increasingly direct threats at multiple countries in Latin America following the U.S. operation in Venezuela this weekend. But rather than banding together, the reeling region is splintering over what sort of defense to mount — if any. In Mexico, where Trump has said he is considering bombing cartels trafficking fentanyl to the United States, President Claudia Sheinbaum is trying to downplay the risk. Responding to reporters’ questions on Monday, she said “I don’t believe in an invasion,” adding “I don’t even think it’s something they’re taking very seriously.” By contrast, Colombian President Gustavo Petro is going on the offensive. He has sought to rally his people in the face of threats from Trump that he too could be arrested like ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro for drug trafficking. Petro said in a lengthy social media post Monday that he “called on the people to defend the president against any illegitimate violent act” and denied allegations he’s a “narco.” Colombia also deployed thousands of troops to its border with Venezuela over the weekend. In Cuba, where Trump has predicted that the island’s communist government will soon collapse, officials are simply hoping to avoid complete economic collapse. Trump has predicted that Havana will fall without any intervention from the U.S. ahead of an expected drop off in support from Venezuela, its longtime patron. Officials are already acknowledging that the capture of Maduro will disrupt vital economic support from Caracas and exacerbate shortages of electricity and basic goods. The atmosphere is one of anxiety bordering on panic. “All nations of the region must remain alert, as the threat hangs over all,” the Cuban government said in a Saturday statement. And in a rare move given state-sponsored repression on the island, ordinary Cubans have publicly expressed their worries to news outlets that the Cuban economy, stagnant in the face of punishing U.S. sanctions, will buckle. In the wider region, meanwhile, even some of these countries’ allies are refusing to engage, leaving Trump’s targets to fend for themselves. Regional blocs — or even larger countries such as Brazil — have not condemned the president’s threats against Colombia and Mexico. Sympathetic governments have also declined to publicly increase their support for Cuba. “The return of the Monroe Doctrine is coming at a very inconvenient time for Latin America given the divisions in the region,” said Benjamin Gedan, who served as South America director on the Obama administration National Security Council. “It’s a low point of regional cooperation and the U.S. is taking advantage of this. The instinct right now is for leaders to keep their head down since they know they’re likely alone if they protest, and therefore a target.”

New York Post [1/5/2026 10:47 AM, Ariel Zilber, 42219K] reports news organizations including the New York Times and the Washington Post deliberately held back reporting on the US raid that captured Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro, a decision Secretary of State Marco Rubio said likely saved American lives. Rubio publicly thanked the press Sunday for keeping quiet about the secret operation until US forces were safely out of Venezuela, praising news outlets that chose restraint over scoops during a high-risk military mission. The Gray Lady and WaPo were tipped off about the raid before it began late Friday but refrained from publishing after being warned that doing so could expose the members of US armed forces pulling off the operation, according to a source familiar with the matter. "[T]he number one reason is operational security," Rubio said on ABC’s "This Week," discussing the rationale for keeping the stunning undertaking secret. "It would have put the people who carried this on in very — in harm’s way. And frankly, a number of media outlets had gotten leaks that this was coming and held it for that very reason, and we thank them for doing that or lives could have been lost. American lives," the secretary of state told host George Stephanopoulos. The comments marked a rare instance of praise from a top White House official for legacy media outlets that President Trump has repeatedly derided as hostile and untrustworthy. The decision to hold off on publishing news about the raid was first reported by news site Semafor.

New York Times [1/5/2026 3:17 AM, Emiliano Rodríguez Mega, 135475K] reports Venezuelan authorities detained at least 14 members of the news media on Monday as they were working inside or outside the National Assembly building in the capital, Caracas, according to the country’s main union for journalists and media employees. Most are employees of global news organizations, Venezuela’s National Press Workers’ Union said in a statement, and at least one works for a Venezuelan television network. By Monday afternoon, all 14 had been released, the union said, adding that one of the reporters had been deported. The reporters were covering the first meeting of the Venezuelan legislature since the U.S. raid that left dozens of dead, ousted President Nicolás Maduro and took him out of the country to face prosecution in the United States. Legislators condemned the capture of Mr. Maduro and demanded his return. Mr. Maduro’s former vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, was sworn in as the interim president of Venezuela. “I come with sorrow for the suffering inflicted upon the Venezuelan people following an illegitimate military aggression against our homeland. I come with pain for the kidnapping of two heroes,” she said, referring to Mr. Maduro and his wife, who was also seized. Members of the media at the National Assembly were told not to record, take photos or livestream the session, the union said in a statement. At some point, military counterintelligence officers approached three journalists and took them away, the statement added. A person with knowledge of the events told New York Times that at least two, a photographer and a videographer, were working for The Associated Press. “Officials searched their cellphones, demanding access codes to inspect their photos, contacts, conversations, voice notes, Instagram accounts, emails and cloud-stored files,” the union said. The union identified only one reporter by name, Daniel Álvarez, a Venezuelan journalist who works for Televen, a private television network based in Caracas. The group said he “lost custody of his phone while the officers left the room where he was being held before eventually releasing him.” “This type of action not only violates privacy and the protection of sources but also forms part of a pattern of criminalizing the practice of journalism,” the union said.

NBC News [1/5/2026 6:16 PM, Dareh Gregorian, 34509K] reports Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche on Monday shrugged off concerns about the legality of the arrests of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, saying the Trump administration "did everything within the law.” The U.S. didn’t do "anything that violates international law," Blanche said on NBC News NOW’s "Top Story with Tom Llamas" when he was asked whether the military attack and the subsequent arrests violated the United Nations charter, as some foreign governments have alleged. "Absolutely, positively not," Blanche said. "The United States has an absolute legal right to go and arrest people charged with horrible crimes," he said, later adding that "what we did was not only right and not only legal, but it’s what the American people expect us to do when we file charges against individuals like him.” Maduro faces a narco-terrorism conspiracy charge. He and his wife, Cilia Flores, were both charged with cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons offenses. They pleaded not guilty at a court hearing in New York earlier Monday. Asked by Llamas whether the Justice Department had received guidance from its Office of Legal Counsel about the legality of the attack on Venezuela and the two arrests, Blanche said he wasn’t "going to get into any discussions" that occurred but insisted that "there’s no doubt what we did was legal.” Maduro and Flores both have attorneys and "will get their day in court," said Blanche, a former federal prosecutor who later worked as Trump’s defense attorney. Asked what he considered to be the key evidence in the case, Blanche instead spoke about the allegations in the indictment. Maduro was "helping to orchestrate a major international infrastructure that brought tons and tons of cocaine to the United States," he said.

Federalist [1/5/2026 1:51 PM, Brianna Lyman, 785K] reports that many of the Democrats condemning President Donald Trump’s decision to arrest Nicolas Mauduro over the weekend once complained that the president wasn’t tough enough on the Venezuelan dictator. On Saturday, Trump announced that U.S forces had captured Maduro and his wife on charges of narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and conspiracy to import cocaine. The furious reaction from Democrats was immediate (and so was the hypocrisy). Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., was among the loudest critics, with Murphy posting on X: "The invasion of Venezuela has nothing to do with American security. Venezuela is not a security threat to the U.S.. This is about making Trump’s oil industry and Wall Street friends rich. Trump’s foreign policy – the Middle East, Russia, Venezuela – is fundamentally corrupt." "Every dictatorship is not a ‘legitimate government.’ That does not give you or any president the constitutional power to invade the country without the consent of Congress and the people," Murphy posted in a separate X post. Of course Murphy’s anger was nonexistent just seven years ago, when in 2019 he criticized Trump for apparently not doing enough. "If Trump cared about consistency, he would make the realist case for intervention in Venezuela (getting rid of Maduro is good for the United States) rather than trying to pretend his Administration all of the sudden cares about toppling anti-Democratic regimes."

FOX Business [1/5/2026 10:28 AM, Staff, 10085K] reports Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to react to President Donald Trump’s decisive action in Venezuela, warn adversaries like China and Iran and lay out the America first priorities facing Congress in 2026. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

USA Today [1/5/2026 1:53 PM, Melina Khan, 67103K] reports that protesters both opposing and celebrating the capture of Nicolás Maduro rallied outside a federal courthouse in New York as the deposed Venezuelan leader was arraigned on Jan. 5. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured by U.S. forces in a surprise attack on Jan. 3 and indicted on charges connecting them to a narco-terrorism conspiracy. They pleaded not guilty in court on Jan. 5. "I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still president of my country," Maduro said through an interpreter in court. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein ordered Maduro held until a March 17 hearing. During the arraignment, demonstrators of opposite stances gathered outside the lower Manhattan courthouse, separated by a police barricade. On one side, flags backing President Donald Trump flew. On the other, calls to free Maduro rung out. Some of those gathered were Venezuelan natives themselves. Protesters outside the courthouse where Maduro was arraigned were split into two distinct groups: those who support freeing the deposed Venezuelan leader, and those who are celebrating his arrest. Federal courthouses don’t allow photography, video or audio recording inside, so Maduro and Flores’ arraignments were not televised.

Breitbart [1/5/2026 6:58 PM, Staff, 2416K] reports deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are the latest high-profile inmates held in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, the largest federal pre-trial holding facility in the United States. After the pair pleaded not guilty Monday to drug trafficking and other charges, a federal judge in New York ordered Maduro and Flores be confined in the hulking lockup until further notice. With the capacity for 1,600 inmates, MDC Brooklyn is the only prison in New York City designated to hold suspects facing federal trial. Recent detainees include disgraced rap mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s former accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, and another former Latin American president charged with drug trafficking: Juan Orlando Hernandez of Honduras, who recently received a pardon from US President Donald Trump. The heavily used MDC Brooklyn has faced accusations of mismanagement, and is regularly criticized for its aging facilities and consistent issues with administering health care for those held inside. The jail has been plagued by a series of high-profile incidents, including a devastating power outage in the middle of a freezing winter in 2019 and the stabbing deaths of two inmates in 2024.

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USA Today [1/5/2026 9:26 AM, Jay Stahl, 67103K]

FOX News [1/5/2026 10:58 AM, Emma Colton Fox, 40621K] reports the Democratic Socialists of America, the nation’s largest socialist group with ties to left-wing leaders such as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, published a lengthy rebuke of the U.S. capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, demanding he and his wife be returned to power as they face criminal charges on U.S. soil. "The Trump Administration has started an illegal war against Venezuela," the DSA published in a rebuke Saturday. "This is a nakedly imperialist war to install a US puppet government that will give Venezuela’s oil resources over to US corporations and to force US hegemony over Latin America — the new ‘Trump Corollary’ to the Monroe Doctrine. This war is illegal both under international law and the laws governing the declaration of war within the United States.” President Donald Trump confirmed a successful strike on Venezuela Saturday morning in a military operation that did not kill any U.S. military personnel, did not damage U.S. military equipment, and yielded the arrests of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on sweeping narcotics charges. The dictatorial president of Venezuela, who was first elected in 2013, is accused of working with cartels and narco gangs in South America and Mexico to distribute millions of pounds of cocaine to the U.S. Trump had vowed to curb the flow of illicit drugs into the U.S. while on the campaign trail. When he took office for his second term nearly a year ago, he imposed tariffs on nations such as China over deadly fentanyl or boat strikes in the Carribean targeting suspected drug traffickers from Venezuela. The DSA hit back in its statement, saying, "Trump’s war has nothing to do with drug trafficking.” "There is no substantiated evidence that high-level members of the Venezuelan government are ‘narco-terrorists,’" the DSA wrote. "Yet, the Trump administration is using this claim as the pretext for this illegal war. This is another regime-change war to steal another country’s oil, just like the failed war against Iraq, and to crush any resistance to US imperialism. Trump’s war will only impoverish the people of Latin America.”

Breitbart [1/5/2026 10:49 AM, Bob Price, 2416K] reports anti‑Trump protesters took to the streets shouting "No kings!" on the very day U.S. forces captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro — a socialist strongman who literally ruled like royalty. As American troops hauled a real tyrant into custody, activists insisted the actual threat to democracy was President Donald J. Trump, turning their demonstrations into a masterclass in political irony. Reports indicate that anti-Trump protesters took to the streets of Democrat-run cities, where many shouted "No Kings" after President Trump ordered the execution of an arrest warrant against Maduro. These cities include: New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Denver, Philadelphia, Boston, Austin, and others. The U.S. Department of War assisted the Drug Enforcement Administration special agents in serving the warrant and taking the Venezuelan dictator, who ignored the results of a legitimate democratic election, into custody. On AM 770 in Seattle, Jason Rantz reported, "Seattle’s activist class has perfected a strange moral contortion. They scream ‘No Kings’ at a democratically elected U.S. president while demanding freedom for an actual dictator." Protesters went further by calling for the deposed dictator to be freed from U.S. Department of Justice custody.

Univision [1/6/2026 2:24 AM, Jensser Morales, 5000K] reports among the thousands of demonstrations held across the country following the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, one took place in the city of Norcross, where participants demanded an “end to the war in Venezuela.” Andrés Bermudez Portillo confronted the protesters and realized that none of them were Venezuelan. He claims he challenged them with figures and facts, but that “they remained silent because they had nothing to say to me,” and not only that, “they started telling me they were going to call ICE.” [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [1/5/2026 4:37 PM, Breanne Deppisch, 40621K] reports lawyers for the Trump administration asked a federal judge for additional time this week to detail its plans to provide due process for nearly 150 Venezuelan migrants that it deported to the Salvadoran CECOT prison in March, citing the removal of Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan leader who was captured by U.S. troops during a surprise raid in Caracas. In the motion for an extension, submitted to U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, lawyers for the Justice Department cited the "substantial changes on the ground in Venezuela" and the "fluid nature of the unfolding situation" in the wake of the U.S. capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. They requested an additional seven days to comply with the court’s order. Boasberg, in response, told the Justice Department in a minute order that it had not complied with a local court rule requiring defendants in a civil case to first notify opposing counsel before asking the court for a delay – leaving the matter temporarily unresolved. The Justice Department’s request for a seven-day extension did not challenge the underlying merits of the order. Instead, they cited only the changing circumstances on the ground in Venezuela, which they said necessitate the additional time. Boasberg responded in a terse minute order, noting only that the Justice Department’s request "fails to comply" with the local rule in question, which requires parties to first confer with opposing counsel. He ordered the DOJ to file the relevant notice to opposing counsel by the end of the day. The update further stalls an ongoing court inquiry that has been on ice for months as the result of appeals court rulings, efforts to shield certain information from the court for national security purposes, and a separate, but related, contempt inquiry.

NewsMax [1/5/2026 1:57 PM, Eric Mack, 4109K] reports Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democrats’ 2024 candidate for vice president, has ended his bid for a third term as governor less than four months after launching a reelection campaign. Walz said in a statement Monday he decided "that I can’t give a political campaign my all" after what he described as an "extraordinarily difficult year for our state.” The 61-year-old cited ongoing investigations into fraud in the state’s child-care programs and the fact that President Donald Trump has used the issue as a political cudgel. "Donald Trump and his allies – in Washington, in St. Paul, and online – want to make our state a colder, meaner place," Walz said, referring to the Trump administration withholding funds for the programs. "They want to poison our people against each other by attacking our neighbors. And, ultimately, they want to take away much of what makes Minnesota the best place in America to raise a family.” Walz also shared an announcement on X, linking to the full statement. "Minnesota has to come first – always," he wrote. "Today, I’m proud of the work we’ve done to make Minnesota the best place to live and raise kids. I’ve decided to step out of the race and let others worry about the election while I focus on the work.” Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsmax on Friday night that Walz might already be under federal investigation for knowledge of Minnesota’s Somali child care fraud exposed last month by independent journalist Nick Shirley. "I’m not going to get too far ahead of it," McLaughlin told Friday night’s "Finnerty," "but he should be aware that we’re looking at culpability in this.” House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., said in a televised interview Sunday that "Tim Walz better lawyer up.” "I don’t think Walz has really comprehended the severity of this issue," Comer said, adding that Walz declining to appear before the Congress he once served in would ostensibly amount to an admission of guilt.

Federal Newswire [1/5/2026 9:15 PM, Staff] reports House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer has issued a statement regarding Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s decision not to seek re-election amid an ongoing billion-dollar fraud scandal involving the state’s social services programs. “Massive fraud of taxpayer dollars occurred on Tim Walz’s watch. He’s either complicit in this theft or grossly incompetent in preventing it. Though Tim Walz is not running for governor again, he cannot run from accountability. The House Oversight Committee demands that he appear for a public hearing on February 10 to expose this fraud and begin the process of accountability. The American people deserve answers, and they deserve them now,” said Chairman Comer. The committee is currently investigating significant money laundering and fraudulent activities within Minnesota’s social services, as revealed by the U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota. As part of its inquiry, Chairman Comer has requested that Governor Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison submit relevant documents, communications, and records related to the alleged widespread fraud during their administration. Both officials have also been asked to attend a public hearing scheduled for February 10, 2026. In addition to seeking cooperation from state officials, Chairman Comer has asked the U.S. Department of the Treasury to provide all pertinent Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) to assist with the investigation into fraudulent activities in Minnesota’s programs. He has also requested transcribed interviews with several state officials from Minnesota.

Daily Caller [1/5/2026 5:07 PM, Jason Hopkins, 835K] reports two illegal migrant truck drivers accused of hauling millions in cocaine across the country had obtained their commercial driver’s licenses in California. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has lodged detainer requests for 25-year-old Gurpreet Singh and 30-year-old Jasper Singh, both of whom are Indian nationals living unlawfully in the U.S., according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Indiana State Police arrested the two men after they were allegedly caught hiding over 300 pounds of cocaine inside a semi-truck in Putnam County on Saturday. The Trump administration, which has increasingly sparred with California officials over the growing crisis of illegal migrants in the U.S. trucking industry, placed blame on Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom over the latest incident. "Thanks to Gavin Newsom’s reckless policies, these two criminal illegal aliens were granted commercial licenses by the state of California and were arrested for trafficking a whopping 300 pounds of cocaine inside a semi-truck," Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation. The massive drug bust took place during a routine traffic stop by the Indiana State Police, according to local reports. The Indian nationals — who were on their way to Richmond, Indiana, from Joplin, Missouri — were reportedly hiding $7 million worth of cocaine in the sleeper berth of their semi-truck. The amount confiscated was enough to kill more than 113,000 Americans, per a DHS statement. The major arrests mark the latest in an ongoing crisis of illegal migrants employed within the U.S. trucking industry. The Department of Transportation has zeroed in on California for its purported failure to comply with federal regulations concerning commercial driver’s licenses.

AP [1/5/2026 2:14 PM, Mike Schneider, 31753K] reports that Florida is awaiting approval from federal officials to open a third immigration detention center, following "Alligator Alcatraz" and "Deportation Depot," and the state also is looking into a potential fourth detention facility, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday. Florida officials were waiting for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to sign off on the third detention center in the state’s Panhandle, DeSantis said at a news conference outside the facility which was Florida’s second immigration detention center, dubbed "Deportation Deport," at the former Baker Correctional Institution in northeast Florida. "So, if they approve, we will open," DeSantis said. "If they don’t, then we will stand by, and that’s fine. But I think it should be approved since I don’t think they’re where they need to be on detention space." The governor said there was "another option potentially" in South Florida, where state officials already have constructed an immigration detention center dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" at a remote airstrip in the Florida Everglades. When asked by email about the specific locations of the two potential detention facilities, DeSantis press secretary Molly Best said the Panhandle location would be announced once it’s approved by federal officials. "Until this and the proposed additional South Florida location have been approved and finalized, we are unable to provide additional details. Stay tuned!" Best said.

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Bloomberg [1/5/2026 2:07 PM, Michael Smith, 18207K]

Politico [1/5/2026 5:55 PM, Kyle Cheney, 2100K] reports federal judges are increasingly exasperated by the Trump administration’s effort to lock up nearly everyone facing deportation proceedings — a draconian expansion of decades-old policies that hundreds of courts have rejected as illegal or unconstitutional. More than 300 federal judges, including appointees of every president since Ronald Reagan, have now rebuffed the administration’s six-month-old effort to expand its so-called “mandatory detention” policy, according to a POLITICO analysis of court dockets from across the country. Those judges have ordered immigrants’ release or the opportunity for bond hearings in more than 1,600 cases. And dozens more federal judges have ordered the administration to release immigrants yanked off the street without due process or held for prolonged periods even though no country has agreed to accept them. The legal rejections are so frequent that one judge compared the Trump administration’s effort to Sisyphus rolling a rock uphill. Others have become so familiar with the cases that they’ve begun issuing terse, carbon-copy rulings to dispense with the deluge. Immigrant advocates say the administration’s win-loss record is beside the point; the goal appears to be making the process so onerous that many choose to give up rather than face weeks or months of detention. Despite the overwhelming legal consensus, there has been no successful nationwide block on the policy. That’s partly because most of the cases are filed on an emergency basis by individuals in the hours after they’re arrested — with little time to assemble large groups that could mount a broad challenge. Department of Homeland Security officials have argued that they’re exercising maximal detention authority that other administrations simply chose not to employ. They say it’s an antidote to years of “catch-and-release” policies by the Biden administration, a practice in which immigrants crossing the border were briefly detained and then paroled into the country. “Regarding decisions from federal courts about mandatory detention, judicial activists … have been repeatedly overruled by the Supreme Court on these questions,” Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. “ICE has the law and the facts on its side, and it adheres to all court decisions until it ultimately gets them shot down by the highest court in the land.”

NewsMax [1/5/2026 3:16 PM, Staff, 4109K] reports California Gov. Gavin Newsom is drawing sharp criticism after his administration extended thousands of commercial truck-driver’s licenses for foreign nationals flagged in a federal audit, defying the Trump administration’s demand that the permits be revoked by Monday. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned Wednesday that California "does not have an extension" and that the deadline to revoke what he called "illegally issued, unvetted foreign trucker licenses" remains Monday, according to Fox Business reporting on his public post. Duffy said California could lose nearly $160 million in federal transportation funding if the state fails to comply, Fox Business reported. The California Department of Motor Vehicles, however, announced it was delaying cancellations until March 6, 2026, saying it needed additional time to avoid wrongly canceling drivers who may still be legally qualified, according to an Associated Press report published Wednesday. California officials have not publicly clarified whether they will reverse course before Monday or risk escalating penalties. The standoff now sets up a major test of whether the federal government can force blue-state officials to comply with lawful immigration-linked verification requirements in a critical public safety industry.

New York Post [1/5/2026 8:49 PM, Caitlin McCormack, 42219K] reports an illegal immigrant trucker accused of causing a pile-up that left three people dead in California appeared in court wearing a turban — a request that went unfulfilled during each of his prior appearances. Jashanpreet Singh, a 21-year-old Indian migrant, is accused of causing a collision involving eight vehicles on the westbound 10 Freeway in San Bernardino County in October. His Monday court hearing was delayed by a staggering three hours as officials waited for Singh’s Punjabi translator. Singh appeared in standard orange jail scrubs – now complete with his Sikh turban on his head. He had requested to wear the traditional religious garb, but his head remained bare during each of his prior hearings. He was permitted to keep it on when police took his mugshot photo after his arrest. Singh’s hearing was speedy, despite the elongated wait. He never directly questioned or addressed the judge, and he was granted a continuance at his attorney’s behest. He is set to appear in court again on Jan. 16. Singh faces three counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and reckless driving. He was originally slapped with a charge for vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated and driving under the influence, but it was dropped as no alcohol or drugs were detected in his blood immediately following the crash. He pleaded not guilty to all charges. Singh had faced up to 17 years behind bars under the prior more serious charges. He now faces up to 10 years if convicted. The harrowing crash footage showed the moment Singh’s big rig plowed into the back of an SUV, before both vehicles lurched forward and slammed several other vehicles that burst into flames – including another semi truck. "This accident follows a disturbing trend of illegal aliens driving 18-wheelers and semi-trucks on America’s roads," Homeland Security’s assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin added. Homeland Security officials believe that Singh illegally entered the US through the southern border in 2022.

Federalist [1/5/2026 7:24 AM, Nathanael Blake, 785K] reports Americans do not need illegal immigrants to raise our children. Atlantic writer Olga Khazan disagrees. She is angry at President Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration because it is disrupting the easily exploited servant class that provides cheap childcare. As she explains, “Millions of parents in the United States … rely on immigrants to take care of their kids. … Immigrants make up at least 21 percent of the child-care workforce — and this may be an undercount.” So? Americans are not obligated to set aside our immigration laws just so women such as Olga Khazan can have cheaper, more subservient nannies and daycare workers. Perhaps aware that demanding lower-paid servants is a bad look, Khazan attempts to concern-troll conservatives, arguing that importing childcare workers is a crucial pro-natal policy. As she puts it, “In his first public address as vice president, Vance said it should be ‘easier to raise a family’ in America. His administration’s immigration policies could make doing so much harder.” She argues that more immigrants, legal or illegal, mean cheaper childcare, which means more working American mothers. In contrast, “When fewer immigrants are in the American workforce, economic research suggests, women may work less or have fewer babies — possibly both.” She leans into the latter point, though she’s forced to admit that the “relationship between affordable child care and fertility is fuzzy.” Indeed, that is putting it mildly. European nations with generous childcare benefits and subsidies are not notably fecund.

Politico [1/5/2026 5:26 PM, Sophia Cai, Irie Sentner and Ben Johansen, 2100K] reports the federal office charged with protecting the United States against weapons of mass destruction is half the size it was a year ago — and could soon be broken up into pieces. The Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, which began last year with roughly 280 federal employees, now has about 140, according to two people familiar with the matter who were granted anonymity to discuss personnel issues. The office, created in 2018 during Trump’s first term, continues to rely on about 500 contractors, a level that’s remained steady, the people said. The staffing collapse, primarily through employees taking the Trump administration’s buyout offer as well as some reassignments, comes as the weapons office faces growing demands. The office deploys and maintains nuclear detection equipment along the U.S. border, sends mobile detection units to high-security events such as the Super Bowl and World Cup matches, and during the pandemic procured personal protective equipment and plexiglass for airports, among other responsibilities. More recently, the office was tasked with developing a plan to address fentanyl after President DONALD TRUMP classified the drug as a weapon of mass destruction. Officials and congressional staff warned that the losses, and potential plans to scatter the office’s functions across DHS — spelled out in the president’s budget and in a House-approved bill — could erode the institutional knowledge that underpins its mission. Already, the five-person human resources staff has been reassigned to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the people said. “CWMD is executing 100% of its statutorily assigned missions,” DHS spokesperson TRICIA MCLAUGHLIN said in a statement, adding that CWMD has streamlined its staffing in keeping with Trump’s and DHS Secretary KRISTI NOEM’s commitment to getting Americans the most value for their tax dollars.

Washington Post [1/5/2026 6:30 AM, Staff, 24149K] reports the precariousness of Venezuela is overshadowing another failed state in another troubled Caribbean country: Haiti, lacking oil, is the poorest nation in the hemisphere and probably the most dangerous. That’s why the State Department issued a “Do Not Travel” order. Simultaneously, however, the Trump administration insists it’s safe enough to force around 350,000 Haitians legally living and working in the United States to return home by next month. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued formal notice that Haitians will be stripped of their temporary protected status (TPS) on Feb. 3. “Certain conditions in Haiti remain concerning,” the agency said. “Armed groups operate with impunity, enabled by a weak or effectively absent central government.” That’s an understatement. More than 1.4 million people in Haiti, or 12 percent of the population, are displaced. A new U.S.-proposed “Gang Suppression Force” is floundering due to few countries committing the needed funds or manpower. Yet the administration is ordering Haitians to self-deport. They have been offered a free one-way plane ticket and a $1,000 check if they agree to leave before the February deadline. The Department of Homeland Security tries to explain this contradiction by saying, because there’s no functioning government, Haiti has no central authority to help the U.S. vet migrants. That’s a loophole big enough to drive an oil tanker through. The agency also claims that, while the capital isn’t safe, “parts” of the country are suitable for return. They don’t bother to identify any such enclaves. And they note that a Haitian gang member who had previously been convicted of drug and weapons crimes was arrested last year in the U.S. The truth is that many Haitian immigrants in the U.S. are employed and filling job vacancies in crucial areas. Haitian TPS recipients contribute an estimated $5.8 billion to the U.S. economy annually and pay $1.5 billion in taxes.

The Hill [1/5/2026 11:30 AM, Steven Lubet, 12595K] reports Chief Justice John Roberts has never had much use for legal scholarship, but a new article about birthright citizenship may well cause him to change his mind. An exhaustive study by two researchers from the University of Virginia significantly undermines the Trump administration’s theory for excluding the children of temporary residents and so-called illegal entrants. On the first day of his current term, President Trump issued an executive order ostensibly restricting birthright citizenship to children with at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Cases challenging that order have now reached the Supreme Court, where the justices will have to decide whether to uphold a 129-year-old precedent, conferring citizenship on all children born in the U.S., with only a few extremely narrow exceptions, or to accept Trump’s contention that the parents’ immigration status can deprive their American-born children of citizenship. Under the 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, "All persons born … in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States.” In 1897, in Wong Kim Ark, the Supreme Court noted that the "main purpose" of the provision was to "establish the citizenship" of African Americans, thus overruling the infamous Dred Scott decision. The limitation of the "subject to jurisdiction" clause, the court held, applied only to the children of foreign diplomats and the children of "alien enemies" born during "hostile occupation.” The Trump administration’s novel argument is that "jurisdiction" actually means "primary political allegiance," which excludes "the children of temporary visitors or illegal aliens," even if they are fully subject to U.S. law. It seems virtually certain that the three liberal justices will opt for the time-honored view of birthright citizenship, finding no reason to upset the rule established by Wong Kim Ark.

San Francisco Chronicle [1/5/2026 12:30 PM, Erwin Chemerinsky, 4722K] reports the United States’ invasion of Venezuela is just the latest unilateral military action taken by a president without consulting with Congress and without congressional approval. This is fundamentally at odds with a Constitution based on checks and balances that was meant to require that two branches of the federal government be involved in any major action. It is imperative that Congress now assert its constitutional prerogatives and exercise oversight, and be fully involved, in what comes next for the United States in Venezuela and in any other military actions. Over the course of American history, and especially since World War II, there have been several instances of presidents deploying troops without any semblance of congressional authority. For example, in 1958, President Dwight Eisenhower sent troops to Lebanon to protect American economic interests. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson used the military in the Dominican Republic to safeguard Americans there. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan used the military in Grenada to protect American students there and to establish a new government. In 1989, President George H.W. Bush invaded Panama to depose its de facto ruler, Gen. Manuel Noriega, who was wanted by U.S. authorities for racketeering and drug trafficking. In March 2011, President Barack Obama authorized the bombing of Libya. There have also been instances in which a president used military force after seeking congressional approval. In 1965, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, authorizing military force to repel North Vietnamese aggression, which led to the expansion of the Vietnam War. After 9/11, Congress passed the Authorization for the Use of Military Force of 2002 to respond to the attack by al Qaeda. This was the authority for the invasion of Iraq to depose Saddam Hussein and for the military action in Afghanistan. It thus cannot be said that President Donald Trump’s use of the military in a foreign country is unprecedented. But that does not make it any less disturbing. To begin with, it is clearly illegal. The United States violated international law by invading a sovereign state and capturing its president. The United Nations Charter, which the United States signed in 1945, prohibits countries from using or threatening force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any nation. What Trump described as a “large-scale strike” on Venezuela was not in response to any aggression by that country or to protect the national security of the United States.

AP [1/5/2026 12:47 PM, Ali Swenson, 31753K] reports that the nation’s health department starting Monday can resume sharing the personal data of certain Medicaid enrollees with deportation officials, according to a federal judge’s ruling, in a blow to states that had sued the administration over privacy concerns. But the judge’s decision, issued last Monday, strictly limits the scope of data from the 22 plaintiff states that can be shared — for now only allowing the agency to hand over basic biographical information about immigrants residing in the United States illegally. The states’ lawsuit came after an Associated Press report identified the data sharing policy. The ruling from U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria in San Francisco comes after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said it planned to share the data again as part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. Chhabria in August had initially blocked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from sharing the personal data, which includes home addresses, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. In December, he extended that temporary order. Then, last week, Chhabria ruled that after the temporary order expires on Jan. 5, HHS can resume sharing "basic biographical, location and contact information" about immigrants living in the U.S. illegally with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers. He wrote in a court filing that this sharing "is clearly authorized by law and the agencies have adequately explained their decisions."

Yahoo News [1/5/2026 11:50 AM, Carl Samson, 59943K] reports a Chinese father and his 6-year-old son who were separated for weeks after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrest in New York City have been deported to China following their reunion. Fei Zheng and his son Yuanxin were deported on Dec. 17 and arrived in China three days later, according to federal records. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin confirmed the family’s removal, saying “We are happy to report we were able to remove the family back to their home country.” Speaking with community activist Jennie Spector before their departure, Zheng said he agreed to deportation to end the separation from his child, whose location had never been disclosed throughout their detention. Despite fears about what awaited him in China, he reportedly felt some relief knowing he would soon reunite with Yuanxin.

Daily Wire [1/5/2026 11:01 AM, Jennie Taer, 2494K] reports two illegal immigrant truckers from India were arrested Saturday for allegedly hauling 309 pounds of cocaine inside a semi-truck they were driving through Putnam County, Indiana, The Daily Wire has learned. Gurpreet Singh, 25, and Jasveer Singh, 30, were driving from Joplin, Missouri, when they were pulled over by Indiana State Troopers, who observed that their truck was drifting, according to FOX59. The troopers brought in a drug-sniffing K9, who helped them locate 140-kilogram packages containing approximately 309 pounds of cocaine that were concealed in the truck’s sleeper berth. The cache of drugs is worth an estimated $7 million, according to reports. During the traffic stop, the illegal immigrant pair presented the troopers with their California-issued commercial driver’s licenses. In a statement shared with The Daily Wire, the Department of Homeland Security blamed Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom for the alleged drug smuggling attempt. "Thanks to Gavin Newsom’s reckless policies, these two criminal illegal aliens were granted commercial licenses by the state of California and were arrested for trafficking a whopping 300 pounds of cocaine inside a semi-truck," Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement shared with The Daily Wire. "Gavin Newsom and his fellow sanctuary politicians even refused to honor an arrest detainer on one of these criminal illegal aliens in December. Sanctuary policies put American lives at risk. ICE law enforcement lodged arrest detainers to ensure these drug traffickers are not allowed back into American communities," she said.

Washington Times [1/5/2026 9:08 AM, Alex Swoyer, 852K] reports the Wisconsin judge who was convicted of obstructing federal agents from arresting an illegal immigrant in her courthouse has officially resigned from the bench. Judge Hannah Dugan resigned via a letter she sent to Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers over the weekend. “As you know, I am the subject of unprecedented federal legal proceedings, which are far from concluded but which present immense and complex challenges that threaten the independence of our judiciary. I am pursuing this fight for myself and for our independent judiciary,” Dugan wrote in the letter, according to The Associated Press. A jury found Dugan guilty last month for obstructing the arrest of a Mexican illegal immigrant who was trying to evade authorities. Dugan interfered with agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which is a felony. She had served as a county judge for nine years before resigning amid pressure over her felony conviction. The appeal of her conviction is pending. Republicans had vowed to impeach her if she did not resign. State Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, a Republican, praised the resignation, according to The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I’m glad Dugan did the right thing by resigning and followed the clear direction from the WI Constitution,” Mr. Vos said.

Houston Chronicle [1/5/2026 1:25 PM, Abby Church and Matt deGrood, 2983K] reports that Houston City Council Member Edward Pollard penned a letter to the city’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office Monday asking the agency to adopt a policy that would prohibit agents from wearing face coverings during enforcement operations and require agents to identify themselves "as soon as reasonably practicable." In his letter, Pollard said the agency’s tactics, like using face coverings and lack of identification, have damaged his constituents’ trust and made encounters with law enforcement less safe. He cited a recent example where a father and son were pulled over by ICE agents who started banging on their vehicle’s windows. The pair fled in fear and found refuge in a nearby store, only for agents to track them down, allegedly tackling and beating the father. Pollard listed numerous benefits to implementing the policy, like lessening confusion between ICE and local officers to avoid negative interactions and adding a layer of prevention so residents don’t try to impersonate federal agents. "I am a strong advocate of having a secure border and responsible pathway to citizenship, and I am a strong advocate for ensuring all people, regardless of background, are afforded basic human rights and are treated with dignity and respect," Pollard wrote to Houston’s Field Office Director Bret Bradford.

Breitbart [1/5/2026 2:41 PM, John Binder, 2416K] reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested 118 illegal aliens in San Luis Obispo County and Santa Barbara County in California, a sanctuary state. Several of the illegal aliens are registered sex offenders, drunk drivers, or pedophiles, among other crimes. "ICE ended 2025 with a surge operation in California targeting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens," the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Tricia McLaughlin told Breitbart News. "One hundred and eighteen illegal aliens were arrested, including pedophiles, registered sex offenders, burglars, domestic abusers, and serial drunk drivers." The ICE operation took place from December 26 – 31, 2025, and saw the likes of Juan Perez Tello and Rogelio Sanchez Hidalgo arrested, among others. Tello, a 42-year-old illegal alien from Mexico, has been convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old and is a registered sex offender. Hidalgo, a 41-year-old illegal alien from Mexico, has been convicted of lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years old, is a registered sex offender, and has been convicted of illegal re-entry.

New York Post [1/5/2026 4:35 PM, Jeremy Louwerse, 42219K] reports an off-duty ICE agent who shot his rifle-wielding neighbor dead in Northridge on New Year’s Eve was defending himself against an "active shooter," officials said — as the dead man’s friends claimed he was only celebrating the holiday with gunfire. The unidentified agent confronted Keith Porter, 43, outside their apartment complex after he heard the sound of "multiple" gunshots from within his home that seemed to be getting closer and closer, Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told CBS News. The agent found Porter outside on the building’s ground level armed with a long rifle — and fired a shot to try to "disarm" him when Porter didn’t comply, she added. Porter returned at least three shots before the agent fatally shot him, officials said. The agent called the LAPD, who arrived and found Porter dead. A police report on the deadly clash obtained by Fox 11 said the agent "confronted Porter, identified himself as law enforcement, and claims Porter fired toward him, prompting the officer to return fire." But Porter’s kin and Black Lives Matters activists pushed back on that narrative at a Sunday vigil at the apartment complex. No details were released about the race of the ICE agent. No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.

Reuters [1/5/2026 7:21 PM, Dietrich Knauth, 36480K] reports a U.S. appeals court on Monday agreed to expedite an appeal of a court loss by U.S. business and research groups that are challenging President Donald Trump’s $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s largest business lobbying group, had argued that a speedy review was needed in order to preserve employers’ rights ahead of the once-annual H-1B visa lottery scheduled to begin in March. The Trump administration did not oppose the quicker timeline, and the court agreed to a plan that will allow oral arguments to proceed in February. The Chamber of Commerce and White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The annual process is the only opportunity for most U.S. employers that wish to hire skilled workers through the H-1B program to apply for the visas, according to the Chamber’s court filings. "Those employers’ ability to participate in the H-1B program this year therefore hinges on the outcome of this appeal; without relief by March, it will be too late,” the Chamber said in court papers filed on Friday. The Chamber is appealing a December 24 decision by a U.S. district judge, who concluded that the new fee fell within the president’s broad powers to regulate immigration. Before Trump imposed the new $100,000 fee in September, H-1B visas had typically come with about $2,000 to $5,000 in fees depending on various factors. The H-1B program allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers with training in specialty fields. Technology companies in particular rely heavily on workers who receive H1-B visas. The program offers 65,000 visas annually, with another 20,000 visas for workers with advanced degrees, approved for three to six years. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has separately issued a new regulationthat replaces the random selection of the lottery with a new allotment system that prioritizes visas for higher-skilled and higher-paid foreign workers. The rule is scheduled to go into effect on February 27. The Trump administration has said that the H1-B program has been abused by U.S. employers who seek to replace American workers with lower-paid foreign workers. The Chamber said in its lawsuit that the new fee would force businesses that rely on the H-1B program to choose between dramatically increasing their labor costs or hiring fewer highly-skilled foreign workers. A group of Democratic-led U.S. states and a coalition of employers, nonprofits and religious organizations have also filed lawsuits challenging the fee. The case is Chamber of Commerce v. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, No. 25-5473 For the Chamber of Commerce: Paul Hughes of McDermott Will & Schulte; and Daryl Joseffer of the U.S. Chamber Litigation Center For the Association of American Universities: Lindsay Harrison of Jenner & Block For DHS: Tiberius Davis, Glenn Girdharry and Alexandra McTague of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Washington Post [1/6/2026 1:22 AM, Niha Masih, 24149K] reports foreign travelers from seven additional countries are now required to pay up to $15,000 for a reimbursable bond when applying for a U.S. visitor visa, as the Trump administration continues to tighten entry requirements to the country. As of Jan. 1, Bhutan, Botswana, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Namibia and Turkmenistan are required to pay the assurances as part of a State Department pilot program launched in August. Thirteen countries are now affected by the program, most of them in Africa. The bond deposits — which the department has said are aimed at deterring visitors from staying in the United States longer than they are allowed for business or tourism — range between $5,000 and $15,000, and do not guarantee that a visa will be issued. The payment will be refunded if visitors depart the U.S. within the time specified on their visas, according to the policy. Applicants whose visas are approved can only enter the U.S. from three designated airports: Boston Logan International Airport, New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport, the State Department notice said. The program is not applicable to those on student visas. Travelers from 42 countries that are part of the visa waiver program — who don’t need a visa to enter the U.S. — including much of Europe, Australia, Qatar and Israel, are also exempt. The administration has said the program is aimed at countries with high visa overstay rates, citing a Department of Homeland Security report to Congress. However, some of the countries newly added to the list have low overstay numbers. The department suspects that two of the 137 visitors from the Central African Republic (or about 2 percent) overstayed their nonimmigrant business and tourist visas in fiscal year 2024, while about 4 percent from Namibia are suspected of overstaying. The pilot was launched in August with Malawi and Zambia. An estimated 234 visitors from Malawi (or 14 percent) overstayed their nonimmigrant visas in fiscal year 2023, as did 365 (11 percent) from Zambia. Four countries were added to the list in October. For couples or families, the potential up-front cost of $10,000 or $15,000 per person could be prohibitive. At the time of its launch, the State Department predicted the year-long pilot program would cost travelers around $20 million, based on 2,000 potential travelers paying an average bond of $10,000. The State Department had planned a six-month visa bond pilot in 2020, but did not implement it as global travel dwindled during the coronavirus pandemic.

AP [1/5/2026 3:58 PM, Staff, 31753K] reports the United States on Monday reached a deal with Dominica to start sending foreigners seeking U.S. asylum to the small Caribbean nation. Dominica’s Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit described the deal as “one of the primary areas of collaboration” after the country was recently hit with partial U.S. visa restrictions. Dominica’s government has been in talks with U.S. officials to try to resolve the U.S. entry limitations. Skerrit did not provide any other details, including how soon the U.S. would start sending asylum seekers to Dominica.

Roll Call [1/5/2026 7:00 AM, Chris Johnson, 548K] reports President Donald Trump’s recently launched Gold Card initiative has generated interest among foreign nationals, immigration attorneys say, even though many details are uncertain and wealthy applicants face pros and cons in pursuing this path to the United States. The Trump administration created the Gold Card to allow foreign nationals to purchase legal status in the United States for $1 million, and the portal for applications went online on Dec. 10. Steven Reingold, a trial attorney with law firm Saul Ewing, said the Green Card substantively appears to be an alternative to the EB-5 visa, which grants foreign investors permanent residency in the United States if they agree to invest high-level capital into a U.S. commercial enterprise that creates or preserves jobs. One key difference between the two, however, is the Gold Card isn’t a job creation initiative and is essentially a $1 million gift to the United States, while the EB-5 payment requires an $800,000 minimum investment in a U.S. business, although the federal government extracts some of that money for fees. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security referred a request for comment on inquiries related to the Gold Card to the Commerce Department, which didn’t respond to a request to comment.

Newsweek [1/5/2026 9:42 PM, Billal Rahman, 52220K] reports immigration attorneys are warning couples that living apart could jeopardize marriage-based green card applications, as the Trump administration increasingly scrutinizes the legitimacy of marriages. "While all green card applications are now facing heightened scrutiny, cohabitation has always been one of the most important factors in proving that a marriage is bona fide. USCIS looks at living together as primary evidence of a valid marriage, and the agency does scrutinize couples living apart more closely," immigration attorney Kevin J. Stewart told Newsweek. "However, because it is sometimes necessary to live apart for work, education, or other reasons, couples should provide as much additional evidence of the need to live apart to explain their situation," Stewart said. Brad Bernstein, an immigration attorney with Spar & Bernstein, highlighted the importance of cohabitation for couples seeking permanent residency. "If spouses do not share a home, then their green card case is already going down," Bernstein told NDTV. "Being in a relationship does not get you a green card. Living together gets you a green card."

Techdirt [1/5/2026 7:29 PM, Mauricio Rodrguez Pons, 193K] reports it was a chilly afternoon in January, just a week after President Donald Trump returned to the White House, when I met Yineska, a Venezuelan mother who had been living in the United States for nearly two years. Trump’s election, she told me, had put her in a bind. On his first day back in office, Trump announced that he planned to end the humanitarian parole program that had allowed her, her children and more than 100,000 other Venezuelans to come to the United States in recent years. She feared that the new life she had worked so hard to build was about to unravel. I went to her home and we talked for hours in the small kitchen. She told me about her two boys, Sebastián and Gabriel, and about Eduard, her partner, who worked as a cook in a restaurant nearby in Doral, Florida, a city beside Miami. She described how difficult it had been to leave her family and small business behind in a once-thriving part of Venezuela, now hollowed out by years of economic decline. The journey to the U.S. was grueling. It took almost seven months for Yineska, her boys and a nephew to cross the dangerous Darién Gap and then Mexico before reuniting with Eduard in Miami. They managed to rent a safe space to live on the edge of Doral, found work and enrolled the boys in school. Yineska’s oldest was excited about getting an American high school diploma. And then, with the swipe of his pen, the president threatened to take away the stable lives they had finally begun to build. I could hear the fear in her voice as we spoke. I introduced myself to Yineska because I knew she wasn’t alone. I’m a journalist and filmmaker at ProPublica, and I moved to the U.S. from Venezuela nearly a decade ago. I was fortunate to arrive with a visa that allowed me to work legally. As I watched Trump’s second presidential campaign, I sensed what might be coming. His return to office would thrust so many Venezuelans who had recently settled in the U.S. between two storm clouds: an American government turning against them and a repressive regime back home that offered no future. Many of my Venezuelan friends saw something entirely different. They believed his return would be a blessing for our community, that he would cast out only those who had brought trouble and shield the rest. When I left Yineska’s house that first night, I wrote in my notebook: “This is a good family. A working family. They represent so many Venezuelans who came here seeking safety and opportunity — and, in many ways, they represent me, too.”

New York Times [1/6/2026 3:17 AM, Ana Ley and Stefano Montali, 135475K] reports that, as news of the seizure of Nicolás Maduro rippled across New York City, dozens of Venezuelan migrants gathered inside a Methodist church on the Upper West Side to try to make sense of their future. Many celebrated the arrest. One woman praised President Trump. Some mused about going back to their homeland. Others worried that the United States would use the intervention to force out asylum seekers. With the aid of a slide deck, a community organizer offered updates while the group debated the consequences of America’s attack on their homeland. New York was a central point of the Venezuelan immigration crisis that began under President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Between 2022 and 2024, thousands of migrants from Venezuela made up the largest share of new arrivals in the city, reshaping one corner of the ethnically diverse borough of Queens. Many have been caught in legal limbo as they await the outcome of their immigration cases. After Mr. Trump returned to power last year, he stripped their protections in his campaign to deport more people. Inside St. Paul & St. Andrew United Methodist Church on Monday, migrants lined up to pick out clothes and snacks — bananas, Hawaiian rolls, yogurt, cheese sticks — as Niurka Meléndez, a Venezuelan asylum holder who helped organize the event, led the group in conversation with a microphone. Afterward, she held a raffle for strollers, suitcases and potted poinsettias. Xiomara, 25, sat at a front pew, her baby bouncing on her lap as she listened to Ms. Meléndez. Xiomara arrived from Venezuela three years ago and lives in a shelter in Manhattan with two of her four children. She spoke on the condition that she be identified by only her first name because she fears retaliation against her and her family by the Venezuelan government. She praised Mr. Trump for giving her hope for a better life at home. “I’m confused, but happy and thankful because he did something that nobody could do,” Xiomara said in Spanish. “I think we owe him our lives.” About seven miles east at El Budare Café, a Venezuelan restaurant in Jackson Heights, Queens, a heavily Latino neighborhood, patrons dined on scrambled eggs and cachapas as they reflected on the weekend’s events. At one table, Eladio Castañeda, a 47-year-old Jackson Heights resident, said that he hoped to return to Venezuela within a few months so he could visit his daughters, whom he has seen only on FaceTime since leaving his homeland. Mr. Castañeda has lived in the United States for the past 25 years. “They have to clean up the government,” Mr. Castañeda said in Spanish. “It’s full of rats. It’s like the subway here.”

Houston Chronicle [1/5/2026 1:53 PM, Julián Aguilar, 2983K] reports that Houston immigration attorneys said Venezuelans with valid asylum claims could see their cases dismissed amid assertions the South American country has been liberated following the ouster of former president Nicolás Maduro. The attorneys argue the Trump administration should reinstate Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans until the future of the country becomes clearer, and while officials aligned with the Maduro regime still cling to power. Even as hundreds of Houston-based Venezuelans celebrate the former strongman’s removal from power, the future of the country remains unclear as remnants of his regime remain in place. President Donald Trump did not rule out having U.S. “boots on the ground” in Venezuela, and some argue the country lacks the infrastructure to accept an influx of expats. Despite that turmoil, the attorneys say they worry that the U.S. removal of Maduro could lead immigration judges to rule that country safe enough for asylum seekers to return. “If they have a claim for asylum, well, now all of those are going to fall off the grid because there’s no longer Maduro,” said Houston immigration lawyer Raed Gonzalez. “So, if the regime is completely changed, then they have no fear of returning.” After the pre-dawn operation Saturday that resulted in Maduro’s arrest, the Trump administration said it will “run” Venezuela, though it’s unclear what role the remnants of the Maduro administration will play.

USA Today [1/5/2026 6:31 PM, Kathleen Wong, 67103K reports with over 45 million travelers screened by the Transportation Security Administration this holiday season, many may have learned firsthand what a REAL ID is and isn’t. Passed by Congress in 2005 and not enforced until May 7, 2025, the REAL ID Act required individuals over 18 to present a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or state-issued identification card to pass through TSA checkpoints, access certain facilities, and generally have their identity verified. "REAL ID establishes security standards for license issuance and production and prohibits federal agencies from accepting certain official purposes noncompliant driver’s licenses and identification cards," the Department of Homeland Security told USA TODAY in a statement. "Secure driver’s licenses and identification documents are a vital component of our national security framework, as they prevent fraud, terrorism, and create more effective security standards.” Older ID cards and driver’s licenses without a REAL ID-compliant marking – identified by a gold or black star (or bear in states like California) in the top portion of the card – are no longer accepted by federal agencies. However, certain alternative forms of identification, such as a passport or DHS Trusted Traveler cards, are also REAL-ID compliant. REAL ID-compliant cards have been required for less than a year. Many people may find it confusing to understand how these cards differ from accepted alternatives. Remember, these cards cannot be used interchangeably.

CNN [1/5/2026 10:33 PM, Gabe Cohen, 18595K] reports Federal Emergency Management Agency leaders were told to prepare for a possible gutting of their workforce — by as much as half — in the coming months, according to an internal email sent to top FEMA officials last month. On December 23, dozens of senior FEMA leaders received a message notifying them that the agency was launching a "workforce capacity planning exercise." The instructions were blunt: Identify which jobs are absolutely essential to keep FEMA running, and which could be cut. A spreadsheet attached to the message noted the goal would be to cut FEMA’s staff by more than 50% — over 11,500 jobs — by the next fiscal year, which starts in October. The email to agency leaders stressed that no final decisions about workforce reductions have been made yet, and that the exercise is just for planning. Now, a FEMA spokesperson tells CNN that the White House and Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the agency, have not approved such steep cuts, indicating that the 50% reduction target was included in error. "Any numerical assumptions reflected in that draft were not approved, were not adopted, and do not represent FEMA policy or leadership direction," the spokesperson said in a statement to CNN.

Washington Post [1/5/2026 7:53 PM, Brianna Sacks, 24149K] reports the Department of Homeland Security drafted plans to drastically cut the Federal Emergency Management Agency workforce in 2026, according to documents obtained by Washington Post that detail potential reductions to thousands of disaster response and recovery roles. Terminations are likely to come in waves, according to three people familiar with the plans who, like some others interviewed for this report, spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. They said cuts began on New Year’s Eve with the elimination of about 65 positions that were part of FEMA’s largest workforce, known as the Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery (CORE) — staffers who are among the first on the ground after a disaster and often stick around for years to help communities recover. Independent journalist Marisa Kabas and CNN earlier reported a portion of the New Year’s cuts. Emails sent to senior agency leadership in late December include detailed tables identifying roles that can be cut from the agency’s divisions. These tables include a 41 percent reduction in CORE disaster roles, more than 4,300 positions. They also list reductions in surge staffing, standby workers who are often the first on the ground when a disaster strikes, by 85 percent, or nearly 6,500 roles. In a statement, FEMA spokesperson Daniel Llargués said the agency has “not issued and is not implementing a percentage-based workforce reduction.” “The materials referenced from the leaked documentation stem from a routine, pre-decisional workforce planning exercise conducted in line with OMB and OPM guidance,” Llargués added. “The email outlining that exercise did not direct staffing cuts or establish reduction targets.” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem has long wanted to cut back on CORE staffing, according to two former senior officials. While FEMA does need reforms, losing a large number of disaster-specific workers over a short period of time “would mean greater delays in processing, and survivors not being dealt with as quickly as they had been before,” said Cameron Hamilton, who led FEMA as acting administrator in the early months of Trump’s second term. Internal agency emails and documents, as well as people familiar with the plans, suggest Noem is spearheading the drastic reductions, which may impede FEMA’s ability to fulfill its legal obligation to help the nation respond to disasters, according to three FEMA officials. Noem, who has exercised a tight grip over FEMA since taking over its parent department, has repeatedly expressed a desire to shrink or eliminate FEMA. The Post reported that she previously made recommendations to cut agency staffing by about half. The documents call the staffing reduction an “exercise” and say it “is pre-decisional in nature; no staffing actions or personnel decisions are being directed or implemented as part of this request.” But two officials familiar with the situation said the tables reflect Noem’s targets for the agency.

NPR [1/5/2026 2:07 PM, Tonya Mosley, 28013K] reports that on New Year’s Eve 2024, journalist Jacob Soboroff was sitting around a campfire with a friend when he made an offhand comment that would come back to haunt him: The last thing he wanted to do in the new year, Soboroff said, was cover a story that would require donning a fire-safe yellow suit. Just one week later, Soboroff was dressed in the yellow suit, reporting live from a street corner in Los Angeles as fire tore through the Pacific Palisades, the community where he was raised. "This was a place that I could navigate with my eyes closed," Soboroff says of the neighborhood. "Every hallmark of my childhood I was watching carbonize in front of me… There were firefighters there and first responders and other journalists there, but it was an extremely lonely, isolating experience to be standing there as everything I knew burned down around me in real time." In his new book, Firestorm: The Great Los Angeles Fires and America’s New Age of Disaster, Soboroff offers a minute-by-minute account of the catastrophe, told through the voices of firefighters, evacuees, scientists and political leaders. He says covering the wildfires was the most important assignment he’s ever undertaken. "The experience of doing this is something that I don’t wish on anybody, but in a way I wish everybody could experience," he says. "It’s given me insane reverence for our colleagues in the local news community here, who, I think, definitionally were exercising a public service in the street-level journalism that they were doing and are still doing. ... It was actually beautiful to watch because they are as much a first responder on a frontline as anybody else." [Editorial note: consult audio at source link]

The AP [1/5/2026 2:45 PM, Staff, 14862K] reports a man who broke windows at Vice President JD Vance’s Ohio home and caused other property damage was detained early Monday, the U.S. Secret Service said. The man was detained shortly after midnight by Secret Service agents assigned to Vance’s home, east of downtown Cincinnati, agency spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press. The vice president and his family were not at home, having returned to Washington on Sunday after a weekend there, his office said. The Secret Service heard a loud noise at the house around midnight and found a person who had broken a window with a hammer and was trying to get in, according to two law enforcement officials who were not publicly authorized to discuss the investigation into what happened and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The man had also vandalized a Secret Service vehicle on his way up the home’s driveway, one of the officials said. A law enforcement official identified the suspect as William Defoor, 26, who public records list as living in Cincinnati. Calls to the listings for possible relatives and an attorney who previously represented Defoor were not immediately returned. Defoor is set to be arraigned Tuesday on misdemeanor charges of vandalism, criminal trespass, criminal damaging and obstruction of official business, court records show. Defoor is set to be arraigned Tuesday on misdemeanor charges of vandalism, criminal trespass, criminal damaging and obstruction of official business, court records show. Vance expressed gratitude to the Secret Service and Cincinnati police for responding quickly to the incident in a post on the social platform X. “I appreciate everyone’s well wishes about the attack at our home,” Vance tweeted. “As far as I can tell, a crazy person tried to break in by hammering the windows.” The New York Times [1/6/2026 3:17 AM, Billy Witz, Kevin Williams and Ali Watkins, 330K] reports William Defoor, 26, was charged with damaging government property, engaging in physical violence against a person or property in a restricted building or grounds, and assaulting, resisting or impeding federal officers, prosecutors said. His arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday. Mr. Defoor was arrested outside the home in Cincinnati, which is one of Mr. Vance’s personal residences, shortly after midnight, according to a statement by the U.S. Secret Service. Officials said that Mr. Defoor, who was armed with a hammer, also tried to break the window of a federal law enforcement vehicle that was blocking the driveway to Mr. Vance’s home and that he had refused law enforcement officers’ commands to drop his weapon. They said the damage to the home included broken windows. The vice president often stays with his family at the Naval Observatory in Washington, but he occasionally stays at the home in Cincinnati. Mr. Vance returned there after monitoring the military action in Venezuela last week. But he and his family had already returned to Washington at the time that the home was vandalized. The white, two-story, Colonial-style house, which is set back behind an iron fence, sits on a busy thoroughfare. Aside from the presence of Secret Service officials around the property, the neighborhood was mostly a picture of normalcy as the post-holiday workweek began. A green recycling container was at the end of Mr. Vance’s driveway and a repair man was working on the window that was apparently damaged during the night. The Cincinnati Police Department did not respond to a request for comment. It was not immediately clear whether Mr. Defoor had legal representation. Messages left with family members, including his parents, were not returned. Mr. Defoor has been diagnosed as schizophrenic, according to the arrest report. He was charged with criminal trespassing and failure to disclose personal information in late 2023 and was arrested on vandalism charges in 2024.

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New York Post [1/5/2026 10:52 AM, Samuel Chamberlain and Josh Christenson, 42219K]
Washington Post [1/5/2026 10:09 AM, Jennifer Hassan, 24149K]
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ABC News [1/5/2026 10:50 AM, Luke Barr, 30493K]
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(B) NBC News Daily [1/5/2026 2:53 PM, Staff]
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Washington Examiner [1/5/2026 12:16 PM, Emily Hallas, 1394K]
NewsMax [1/5/2026 10:52 AM, Staff, 4109K]
Daily Caller [1/5/2026 7:58 AM, Jason Hopkins, 835K]
Blaze [1/5/2026 12:00 PM, Joseph MacKinnon, 1442K]

NewsMax [1/5/2026 10:43 AM, Brian Freeman, 4109K] reports Vice President JD Vance praised the Secret Service and local police for responding quickly to Monday’s attempted break-in at his Ohio home. "I appreciate everyone’s well wishes about the attack at our home," Vance wrote on X. "As far as I can tell, a crazy person tried to break in by hammering the windows. I’m grateful to the Secret Service and the Cincinnati police for responding quickly.” The vice president did not provide details about the suspect, who the Secret Service said was detained. The Cincinnati Police Department said the suspect is Hyde Park resident William DeFoor, 26, who was charged with obstructing official business, criminal damaging or endangering, criminal trespassing, and vandalism. Vance emphasized that no one was injured and wrote that "we weren’t even home as we had returned already to DC.” In the same post, Vance made a direct appeal to news organizations, urging restraint in coverage that could further expose his family, particularly his children, to public scrutiny.

USA Today [1/5/2026 3:37 PM, Nathan Diller, 67103K] reports when a 5-year-old girl went overboard from a Disney Cruise Line ship over the summer, a special alert system played a key role in her swift rescue. Disney Cruise Line ships are equipped with overboard detection systems. After the child lost her balance on June 29 and fell backward through a porthole on Deck 4, her father jumped in after her, according to a Broward County Sheriff’s Office report. Neither were named by police. She fell about 49 feet to the water at 11:29 a.m., per the report, and the overboard alarm was activated at 11:30. By 11:31, an overboard alert was broadcast on the ship’s communication system, and the U.S. Coast Guard was notified. A rescue boat retrieved the father and daughter from the water at 11:49. The technology can notify crew members of overboard incidents and help reduce response times. One such system called MOBtronic "uses a multi-sensor fusion approach combining best-in-class thermal cameras and radar technology," according to Frederik Giepmans, Managing Director of MARSS Maritime. "​​Our system leverages the strengths of radar detection, thermal imaging and video analytics to provide more reliable performance – increasing detection and minimising false alarms – across varying maritime conditions," he told USA TODAY by email. "This sensor fusion approach has been refined and enhanced over successive generations of the system.”

High North News [1/5/2026 1:08 PM, Malte Humpert] reports the U.S. Coast Guard awarded two major contracts on December 26 to construct medium polar icebreakers, a move designed to expand U.S. presence in the Arctic and to finally bring the service’s icebreaker fleet into the 21st century. Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) Oy of Rauma, Finland, will build two Arctic Security Cutters (ASCs) with the first unit expected to be delivered in 2028, while Bollinger Shipyards of Louisiana will construct up to four cutters at its Houma, Louisiana, facilities, with the first U.S.-built vessel slated for 2029. The awards come after years of delays in U.S. icebreaker procurement and formalize a strategic international partnership with Finland, one of the world’s leading builders of ice-going vessels. The contracts, part of a broader initiative under the so-called ICE Pact framework, position the United States to acquire up to 11 Arctic Security Cutters in total over the next decade. It was the Biden Administration that initiated the ICE Pact in 2024, with up to $8.6 billion in funding secured by the Trump White House as part of the “Big Beautiful Bill” during summer 2025. “Revitalizing the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaking capabilities is crucial for our security and prosperity,” Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a Coast Guard press release announcing the awards. “America has been an Arctic nation for over 150 years, and we’re finally acting like it.”

CyberScoop [1/5/2026 6:05 AM, Jim Langevin and Mark Montgomery, 122K] reports China’s campaign to break into our critical infrastructure and federal government networks is persistent and growing. Beijing is stealing information while also planting tools and maintaining access in key systems, giving it the option to pressure the United States in the future. Russia also continues to test our critical infrastructure with increasingly sophisticated operations, support criminal operations, gather intelligence, and possibly prepare for future disruption of essential services. Iran and North Korea are also ramping up disruptive attacks on hospitals, schools, local governments, and global commerce. Our adversaries’ offensive cyber operations are not slowing down. But America’s cyber defenses are falling behind. When Congress created the Cyberspace Solarium Commission in 2019, our mandate was clear: prevent a cyber catastrophe before it strikes. We remember sitting with the commissioners — Republicans, Democrats, industry leaders, and national security veterans — knowing we were attempting something no country had tried before: to build a strategy for defending a digital society at scale. We delivered that strategy, along with 116 actionable recommendations. Many of those reforms reshaped federal cyber policy, and for a time, the United States was gaining ground. Today, we are seeing erosion across core pillars of America’s cyber posture. Cybersecurity mission capacity is strained; public-private collaboration is losing momentum; federal agencies are operating without stable leadership; and coordination with allies — once one of our greatest strategic advantages — is failing to keep pace with our adversaries who now operate globally and relentlessly. These are not routine dips in activity. They are symptoms of strategic drift. To reverse that drift, we must recover the clarity and urgency that guided the commission. The entire architecture of layered cyber deterrence depends on stable leadership, predictable budgets, continuous cross-sector collaboration, strong norms, international partnerships, and a healthy cadence of congressional oversight.

Washington Examiner [1/6/2026 5:00 AM, Kaelan Deese, 1394K] reports on the fifth anniversary of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Senate Republicans released new investigative findings alleging the Biden administration improperly placed the wife of a federal air marshal on a terrorist watchlist based on unverified information. The report, released by Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-KY) Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, centers on documents obtained from Biden-era FBI detailing how Christine Crowder, a Catholic school teacher and the wife of senior federal air marshal Mark Crowder, was placed on a federal terrorist watch list and surveilled for over two years following an anonymous tip tied to her participation in the Washington, D.C. protest on Jan. 6, 2021. According to the committee’s findings, an anonymous “former friend” contacted the FBI in early 2021, alleging Crowder had unlawfully entered the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot. However, internal records reviewed by the committee revealed the FBI failed to corroborate the allegation through geolocation data, facial recognition, criminal history, or other evidence linking Crowder to extremist activity. Despite those gaps, the bureau recommended she be added to federal watchlists and flagged to the Transportation Security Administration.

Daily Caller [1/6/2026 5:00 AM, Ashley Brasfield, 835K] reports Republican Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul released new findings Tuesday on how a case of mistaken identity landed a Catholic schoolteacher on a terror watch list. The release comes on the five-year anniversary of Jan. 6, 2021, and it is part of Paul’s investigation into Quiet Skies, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) domestic surveillance program, which he describes as an example of the federal government’s weaponization of "watchlisting.” The newly obtained Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) documents detail the case of Christine Crowder, a Texas Catholic schoolteacher who traveled to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, to attend a Trump rally. "A free society cannot tolerate a system in which programs and authorities intended to keep the public safe are instead weaponized against them due to mere suspicion," Paul stated in a press release. The FBI labeled Crowder a domestic terrorist for allegedly entering the U.S. Capitol, even though her phone data placed her elsewhere, facial recognition returned no match, and she had no criminal record or history of extremist activity, Paul previously revealed in a September hearing. Her attendance at the rally was enough to keep her watchlisted for over two years, during which her family was subjected to air-travel surveillance, according to Paul’s findings. "The records released today show how an unverified tip that the FBI failed to substantiate led to nearly two years of surveillance of an innocent American," Paul’s statement continued. "I am grateful for FBI Director Kash Patel’s cooperation in producing these records, and I appreciate Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem for ending the Quiet Skies program. The conduct revealed by these documents underscores the need to limit the power of faceless bureaucrats who have too often infringed on the rights of the people.” Christine Crowder’s husband and Senior Federal Air Marshal Mark Crowder testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Sept. 30, 2025, that his wife was mistakenly placed on a terrorist watchlist and surveilled by the FBI and the Federal Air Marshal Service for more than two years. The FBI allegedly conducted physical surveillance of Crowder’s home at least four times in an effort to identify her and her property, according to Paul’s Tuesday release. The investigation began with an anonymous tip from a "former friend" who claimed to have recognized Crowder from Jan. 6 news coverage. In June 2021, the FBI formally opened the case and recommended placing Crowder on a watchlist, even though initial checks found no concerning geolocation data, facial recognition matches, criminal history or links to extremist activity. Despite those findings, the bureau alleged Crowder had unlawfully entered the U.S. Capitol and recommended adding her to the watchlist and assigning her "selectee" status.

AP [1/5/2026 9:02 PM, Valerie Gonzalez, 31753K] reports a Texas judge seated a jury Monday in the trial of a former school police officer in Uvalde who was part of the hesitant law enforcement response to one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history and has been charged with failing to protect children from the gunman. Adrian Gonzales, one of the first officers to respond to the 2022 attack, is charged with 29 counts of child abandonment or endangerment in a rare prosecution of an officer accused of not doing more to save lives. Authorities waited more than an hour to confront the teenage shooter who killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary. Gonzales has pleaded not guilty, and his attorney has said the officer tried to save children that day. The panel of 12 jurors and four alternates were seated Monday evening by Judge Sid Harle, after hundreds of prospective jurors were asked what they knew about the response and their impressions of what happened. The judge had said the court was not looking for jurors who knew nothing about the shooting but wanted those who could be impartial. About 100 people were dismissed after saying they already formed opinions. One man said more officers should be on trial, while a teacher said she would throw herself in front of her students to protect them. Bill Turner, a special prosecutor, told potential jurors they would would need to consider whether the inaction of the officer proved harmful. "If there is a duty to act and you fail to act, that’s child endangerment," he said. The judge said the trial was expected to last about two weeks.

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New York Times [1/5/2026 3:15 PM, Edgar Sandoval, 153395K]

Houston Chronicle [1/5/2026 6:33 PM, Peggy O’Hare, 2983K] reports as jury selection continued Monday for the trial of a former Uvalde school police officer charged for his response to the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School, some potential jurors expressed strong emotions and argued they could not set aside their beliefs to hear the case in an unbiased manner. Adrian Gonzales, 52, was indicted last year by a Uvalde County grand jury on 29 counts of abandoning or endangering a child for his conduct during the emergency. Gonzales, who has pleaded not guilty, is accused of failing to intervene immediately to stop a gunman who opened fire at the Uvalde elementary school on the morning of May 24, 2022, killing 19 fourth graders and two teachers. The trial is taking place in Corpus Christi after Gonzales’ attorneys successfully argued he could not get an impartial jury in Uvalde, which is about 200 miles away. Among those voicing anger or frustration in the jury room Monday were two teachers and a man who is married to a teacher. "I could’ve been the one waiting for help, scared," said one man in the jury pool who identified himself as a teacher. "The cops did nothing. It makes me biased.” A woman who identified herself as an elementary school teacher told attorneys on the case that her profession would affect how she listened to the case. "My mind is made up," she said. "If a shooter came into my classroom, I want to be the teacher that throws myself in front of the children to protect them.” Others in the jury pool clapped when they heard the remarks. Another man questioned why Gonzales was the only one standing trial when nearly 400 law enforcement officers showed a lackluster, confused and chaotic response to the emergency that day. "You’re saying this man is the whole problem? Sticking it on his shoulders alone?" he asked about Gonzales. "How many of them were out there? All of them should be sitting with him.”

USA Today [1/5/2026 8:41 PM, Perry Vandell, Stacey Barchenger, Thao Nguyen, 67103K] reports the Arizona Supreme Court building near downtown Phoenix was evacuated on Jan. 5 as law enforcement agencies investigated a package that tested positive for explosives, authorities said. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms’ Phoenix branch were on scene investigating the package that contained a "suspicious substance," the agency said in a post on X. The agency directed all further inquiries to local law enforcement. The Arizona Department of Public Safety was contacted at 8 a.m. local time regarding the package and launched an investigation alongside local, state, and federal agencies, according to Bart Graves, a spokesperson for the department. Graves said the package contained multiple vials — two of which tested positive for a "homemade explosive substance." Multiple buildings in the area were evacuated, including the Arizona Supreme Court building. The state Department of Public Safety said there was no indication of terrorism in connection with the incident, and the package will be disposed of off-site. No injuries were reported, according to the department. The buildings remained closed into the afternoon as law enforcement conducted additional sweeps, Graves said. The investigation into the incident remains ongoing. The Arizona Supreme Court building was evacuated at around 10:30 a.m. local time, according to Alberto Rodriguez, communications director with the Arizona Supreme Court. Rodriguez noted that the building has about 150 personnel, but could not provide an "accurate count of those individuals that were in the building this morning" as some may have been working remotely. "The majority of our staff has remote access, so court operations are continual," Rodriguez said during an update earlier on Jan. 5. The Arizona Department of Administration advised other state agencies, which have buildings around the Capitol mall, of the situation shortly before 2 p.m. local time. The agency did not order evacuations, but said state staff could be allowed to work remotely for the remainder of the day.

NewsMax [1/5/2026 9:51 AM, Eric Mack, 4109K] reports amid the pending Supreme Court decision on tariffs, President Donald Trump said "$600 billion" in tariffs income was a success and vital to "national security.” He also ripped the "fake news media" for smearing the efforts. "We have taken in, and will soon be receiving, more than 600 Billion Dollars in Tariffs, but the Fake News Media refuses to talk about it because they hate and disrespect our Country, and want to interfere with the upcoming Tariff decision, one of the most important ever, of the United States Supreme Court," Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday morning. In a New Year’s Eve interview on Newsmax, Steve Forbes predicted the Supreme Court will act to unwind Trump’s tariffs actions, albeit allowing the income to date to be kept. Forbes and Trump administration officials have noted Trump may have some alternatives to enforce some form of tweaked tariffs to rebalance global trade and leverage national security. Those moves have not been stated explicitly by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick or Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, outside of saying the actions are in their hip pockets in the event of a negative result from the Supreme Court. The Trump administration got a chilly reception in November at the Supreme Court, where a majority of the court questioned Trump’s novel use of an emergency powers law to impose worldwide tariffs. The court, with three justices Trump appointed and generally favorable to muscular presidential power, could find that he exceeded his authority. A potential majority in a ruling against the tariffs would almost certainly bring together the court’s three liberal justices and at least two conservatives. Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch, both Trump appointees, and Chief Justice John Roberts appeared to be the likeliest to rule against the president.

NewsMax [1/5/2026 12:36 PM, Jim Mishler, 4109K] reports that Newport News, Virginia, Democrat Mayor Phillip Jones said a visit by War Secretary Pete Hegseth underscores the central role shipbuilding plays in the local economy and national security. Local news outlet 13NewsNow reported that Hegseth visited Huntington Ingalls Industries in Newport News on Monday as part of a national tour focused on War Department programs, industrial capacity, and military personnel. The visit drew attention to Hampton Roads as a hub for U.S. naval shipbuilding and defense manufacturing. "There’s so much military apparatus here in Hampton Roads that whatever happens in D.C. is going to affect the entire region, not only Newport News," Jones said. Jones said workforce needs are one of the region’s most pressing challenges as shipbuilding demand increases. A recent workforce report estimates that Hampton Roads will need 40,000 additional workers in the coming years to remain competitive with global shipbuilding leaders, including China. According to Jones, the city is facing a shortage of workers. "So, unlike other mayors and other cities, we actually have more jobs than people," he said. "We look forward to plugging in our citizens, not only in Newport News, but across the region to these high-paying jobs. We need to build more ships. It is a national security priority." Jones said long-term success depends on more than simply expanding ship production. He said the city is investing in quality-of-life improvements aimed at supporting shipyard workers and Navy personnel.

AP [1/5/2026 3:39 PM, Farnoush Amiri and Jennifer Peltz, 1538K] reports both allies and adversaries of the United States on Monday used an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to voice opposition to the audacious U.S. military operation in Venezuela that captured leader Nicolás Maduro. Before the U.N.’s most powerful body, countries critiqued — if sometimes obliquely — President Donald Trump’s intervention in the South American country and his recent comments signaling the possibility of expanding military action to countries like Colombia and Mexico over drug trafficking accusations. The Republican president also has reupped his threat to take over the Danish territory of Greenland for the sake of U.S. security interests. Denmark, which has jurisdiction over the mineral-rich island, carefully denounced U.S. prospects for taking over Greenland without mentioning its NATO ally by name. “The inviolability of borders is not up for negotiation,” said Christina Markus Lassen, Danish ambassador to the U.N. While French President Emmanuel Macron recently endorsed Maduro’s capture, its U.N. envoy was slightly more critical Monday, saying any violations of international law by the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, which include the U.S., erodes “the very foundation of the international order.” “If the kidnapping of a head of state, the bombing of a sovereign country and the open threat of further armed action are tolerated or downplayed, the message sent to the world is a devastating one: namely that the law is optional, and that force is the true arbiter of international relations,” Moncada said. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement that he is “deeply concerned that rules of international law have not been respected with regard to the 3 January military action.” He said the “grave” action by the U.S. could set a precedent for how future relations between nations unfold. Even with the strong support for Venezuela’s sovereignty, its envoy called on the U.N. to go beyond veiled comments and condemnation. Ambassador Samuel Moncada urged the Security Council to demand that Washington release Maduro and his wife. “If the kidnapping of a head of state, the bombing of a sovereign country and the open threat of further armed action are tolerated or downplayed, the message sent to the world is a devastating one: namely that the law is optional, and that force is the true arbiter of international relations,” Moncada said.

Breitbart [1/5/2026 5:20 AM, Christian K. Caruzo, 2416K] reports the leftists governments of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, and Spain released a joint statement over the weekend rejecting the American law enforcement operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro. In the statement, published in Spanish by the group’s five Spanish-speaking nations and in Portuguese by Brazil, the group of nations expressed their "deep concern and rejection of the military actions carried out unilaterally in Venezuelan territory," denouncing the United States’ actions to be in contravention of the Charter of the United Nations. Far-left President of Colombia Gustavo Petro published a copy of the statement on official X account. "These actions set an extremely dangerous precedent for peace and regional security and put the civilian population at risk," the statement read in part. "We reiterate that the situation in Venezuela must be resolved exclusively through peaceful means, through dialogue, negotiation, and respect for the will of the Venezuelan people in all its expressions, without external interference and in accordance with international law," the statement continued. "We reaffirm that only an inclusive political process, led by Venezuelans, can lead to a democratic, sustainable solution that respects human dignity." The six leftist governments continued their joint statement by reaffirming that Latin America and the Caribbean is a "zone of peace," a designation repeatedly espoused since 2014 by CELAC — a 33-regional bloc founded by Venezuela’s late socialist dictator Hugo Chávez in 2011 that excludes the United States and Canada. The statement urged U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and member states of U.N.-relevant institutions to use "their good offices to contribute to the de-escalation of tensions and the preservation of regional peace."

Reuters [1/5/2026 6:42 AM, Julia Payne, 36480K] reports the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by the United States on Saturday creates an opportunity for a democratic transition in the country, a European Commission spokesperson said on Monday. "It is too early to look into and assess all the implications in terms of legal assessment", the spokesperson said. She did not comment on how the EU would characterise the U.S. action, but said it "created an opportunity for a democratic transition, led by the Venezuelan people." "It’s worth recalling that Nicolas Maduro lacked the legitimacy of a democratically elected leader," she added. The spokesperson declined to comment on the question if the EU thinks U.S. President Donald Trump is interested in a democratic transition in Venezuela.

Reuters [1/5/2026 3:21 PM, Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen, 36480K] reports Greenland is seeking to strengthen ties with the United States, and its citizens should not fear an imminent American takeover, Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Monday, following renewed interest in the Arctic island by U.S. President Donald Trump. European powers rallied behind Greenland on Monday, after the U.S. military operation in which Venezuela’s leader was seized, rekindling concerns that the island, an autonomous Danish territory, might face a similar scenario. "We are not in the situation where we are thinking that a takeover of the country might happen overnight," Nielsen said at a press conference in the capital Nuuk, speaking via a translator. "You cannot compare Greenland to Venezuela. We are a democratic country." Trump, who said the U.S. was taking temporary control of oil-producing Venezuela, has said repeatedly he wants to take over Greenland and told The Atlantic magazine on Sunday: "We do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defence." Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One early on Monday, Trump said he would revisit the topic in a few weeks. In a Facebook post late on Sunday, Nielsen said: "Enough is enough... No more fantasies about annexation." The Daily Caller [1/5/2026 10:55 AM, Melissa O’Rourke, 835K] reports Trump’s remarks set off alarm bells in Copenhagen, prompting Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to urge Trump to "stop the threats.” "The Kingdom of Denmark — and thus Greenland — is part of NATO and is therefore covered by the alliance’s security guarantee. We already have a defense agreement between the Kingdom and the United States today, which gives the United States wide access to Greenland," Frederiksen said in a Sunday statement. "I would therefore strongly urge the United States to stop the threats against a historically close ally and against another country and another people who have said very clearly that they are not for sale."

The Hill [1/5/2026 1:43 PM, Sarah Fortinsky, 12595K] reports that Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned on Monday that the long-standing NATO alliance would end if President Trump ordered an attack on Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. In an interview on the Danish broadcaster TV2, Frederiksen responded to Trump’s renewed threats to take over the resource-rich island. "I believe one should take the American president seriously when he says that he wants Greenland," Frederiksen said in the interview, according to a translation from Bloomberg. "But I will also make it clear that if the U.S. chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops, including NATO and thus the security that has been established since the end of the Second World War," she continued. Trump has frequently toyed with the possibility of taking over Greenland, noting its potential usefulness for U.S. security interests. But those threats took on greater weight this weekend, after the Trump administration carried out a stunning military operation, capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and bringing them to New York to face charges. Amid questions about which country could face a similar fate, Trump told reporters Sunday about Greenland: "It’s so strategic right now. Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place." "We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it," the president said. Frederiksen noted Greenland, by virtue of being part of Denmark, is part of the NATO alliance and pointed to Denmark’s agreement granting the U.S. broad access to Greenland. The New York Times [1/5/2026 2:34 PM, Amelia Nierenberg and Maya Tekeli, 153395K] reports Denmark’s prime minister said on Monday that President Trump “should be taken seriously when he says he wants Greenland,” a day after Mr. Trump repeated his threats — following the U.S. military raid on Venezuela — to also take the semiautonomous Danish territory. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen of Denmark made her comments in an interview with DR, the Danish broadcaster, calling his threats “unacceptable pressure.” “If the United States were to choose to attack another NATO country, then everything would come to an end,” she said in another interview, with Live News, a Danish news channel, adding, “The international community as we know it, democratic rules of the game, NATO, the world’s strongest defensive alliance — all of that would collapse if one NATO country chose to attack another.” Ms. Frederiksen’s warnings came a day after she put out a statement directly urging Mr. Trump to “stop the threats” to take over Greenland, which he made in the fragile hours after the American raid on Venezuela. Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen of Greenland also rejected Mr. Trump’s comments, writing on social media that his rhetoric was “utterly unacceptable” and that comparing Greenland to Venezuela in that regard was “wrong” and “disrespectful.” The two leaders spoke after Mr. Trump repeated his desire to control the island in an interview with The Atlantic magazine. But just hours after their joint condemnations, Mr. Trump doubled down. “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security,” he told reporters on Air Force One, adding that he thought Denmark was not doing enough to safeguard the vast mineral-rich territory.

FOX News [1/5/2026 8:22 PM, Alexander Hall Fox, 40621K] reports White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller defended President Donald Trump’s bullish attitude about acquiring Greenland on Monday, questioning the validity of Denmark’s territorial claim. The Trump administration’s daring operation capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro sent geopolitical shockwaves around the world over the weekend, with leaders questioning what he might do next. Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, went on to hint at possible geopolitical shakeups for Colombia and Greenland as well. Miller was questioned by CNN’s Jake Tapper about his wife Katie’s social media post saying "SOON" as the caption alongside a map of Greenland in American flag colors. Tapper then asked Miller if he would rule out the prospect of Trump moving to acquire Greenland by force. "Well, let me go back a step. The president has been clear for months now," Miller said. "So I know you’re treating this as breaking news. The president has been clear for months now that the United States should be the nation that has Greenland as part of our overall security apparatus.” He added further, "It has been the formal position of the U.S. government since the beginning of this administration, frankly, going back into the previous Trump administration, that Greenland should be part of the United States. The president has been very clear about that. That is the formal position of the U.S. government.” "Right. But can you say that military action against Greenland is off the table?" Tapper asked. Miller scoffed at the idea, noting Greenland has a tiny population. "It wouldn’t be military action against Greenland," he said. "Greenland has a population of 30,000 people, Jake. The real question is by what right does Denmark assert control over Greenland? What is the basis of their territorial claim? What is their basis of having Greenland as a colony of Denmark?". He went on to argue that the United States, as the major military power of the NATO alliance, is securing the best interests of all involved by acquiring the territory. "For the United States to secure the Arctic region, to protect and defend NATO and NATO interests, obviously, Greenland should be part of the United States," he said. "And so that’s a conversation that we’re going to have as a country. That’s a process we’re going to have as a community of nations.”

Reuters [1/5/2026 6:21 AM, Matthias Williams, 36480K] reports German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Monday that Greenland belonged to Denmark and that the NATO alliance could discuss strengthening its protection if necessary. Wadephul was speaking after U.S. President Donald Trump made renewed threats to take over Greenland, a prospect that alarmed NATO allies and has taken on a new urgency after Trump followed through on threats to topple Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Trump has repeatedly said he wants to take over Greenland, an ambition first voiced in 2019 during his first presidency. On Sunday, he told The Atlantic magazine in an interview: "We do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defence.” Speaking to reporters in Lithuania, Wadephul said Germany had questions about Maduro’s removal and stressed the Venezuelan people should determine their country’s future in free and fair elections, after Trump said the U.S. would run the country. On Greenland, Wadephul stressed it was part of Denmark. "And since Denmark is a member of NATO, Greenland will, in principle, also be subject to NATO defence," he said.

AP [1/5/2026 8:51 AM, Abby Sewell and John Leicester, 31753K] reports officials from Syria and Israel are set to resume U.S.-mediated talks in Paris in hopes of reaching a security agreement to defuse tensions between the two countries, officials said Monday. A Syrian official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly, told The Associated Press that the delegation on the Syrian side will be headed by Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani and the head of the General Intelligence Directorate, Hussein Salameh. The official said that Syria’s main aim in the talks is to reactivate a 1974 disengagement agreement that established a U.N.-patrolled buffer zone in southern Syria and to secure the withdrawal of Israeli forces, which seized control of that buffer zone more than a year ago. A French diplomat said that Syria-Israel talks would take place on Tuesday in Paris, with the U.S. mediating and said that France’s foreign minister was also meeting Monday evening with his Syrian counterpart. The diplomat, who wasn’t authorized to give details about the discussions publicly, spoke with the AP on condition of anonymity.

AP [1/5/2026 12:35 PM, Illia Novikov, 4109K] reports President Volodymyr Zelenskyy replaced the head of Ukraine’s security service Monday, continuing a top-level reshuffle ahead of a trip to Paris where he hoped to finalize agreements with allies on how to ensure that Russia doesn’t repeat its invasion if a peace agreement is signed. Zelenskyy is trying to revamp his administration as the grinding war of attrition with Russia marks its fourth anniversary next month. He is keen to keep up the momentum of U.S.-led peace talks as well as sharpen Ukraine’s focus on defense if those efforts collapse. The Paris talks are expected to include the leaders of about 30 countries, dubbed the “coalition of the willing,” which are ready to provide security guarantees to keep Ukraine safe in the future. Key issues include whether countries are prepared to deploy troops inside or close to Ukraine and what the remit of any force overseeing a ceasefire might be. Russia has said it won’t accept troops from NATO countries on Ukrainian soil. Zelenskyy also announced the appointment of Canada’s former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland as Ukraine’s economic development adviser, describing her as an expert on the issues with “significant experience in attracting investment and carrying out economic transformations.” Amid Ukraine’s biggest top-level reshuffle in about six months, Lt. Gen. Vasyl Maliuk, the head of the Security Service, or SBU, announced his resignation on the agency’s website. Zelenskyy published a decree on the presidential website appointing Ievhen Khmara, former head of the “A” Special Operations Center of the Security Service, as the agency’s acting head. Under Maliuk, the SBU produced some stunning successes against Russia, including Operation Spiderweb, which Ukraine said damaged or destroyed 41 Russian military aircraft in coordinated strikes on four air bases. On Friday, Zelenskyy appointed the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence as his new chief of staff. Announcing the appointment of Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov, Zelenskyy said Ukraine needs to focus on security issues, developing its defense and security forces, and peace talks — areas that are overseen by the office of the president.

Washington Post [1/5/2026 11:45 AM, David L. Stern, Serhii Korolchuk and Serhiy Morgunov, 24149K] reports Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday dismissed Vasyl Maliuk, the powerful head of the nation’s security services and the architect of Operation Spiderweb, one of the most audacious attacks on Russian territory since Moscow’s 2022 invasion, which destroyed Russian aircraft sitting on the tarmacs of air bases. Reports of Maliuk’s imminent ouster — part of a sweeping shake-up in the Ukrainian leadership at the start of the new year — emerged over the weekend, angering top military officials, who warned that his removal as head of the security services, or SBU, risked destabilizing the chain of command as Russia continues to grind forward on the battlefield. Among other personnel changes, Zelensky named the head of military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, as chief of the presidential office, and he tapped the digital transformation minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, to be defense minister. Zelensky, posting on the Telegram online platform, said Monday that he had met with Maliuk and "suggested that he focus" on his "combat work." Maliuk confirmed that he was stepping down in a statement on the SBU website. Maliuk’s new title was not announced, but Zelensky indicated he would continue to oversee special operations against Russia as Ukraine seeks to maintain its beleaguered defenses. "There should be more Ukrainian asymmetric operations against the occupier and the Russian state, more of our strong results in destroying the enemy," Zelensky wrote. "[Maliuk] knows how to do this best and will continue to do so within the SBU system.”

Breitbart [1/5/2026 10:36 AM, Staff, 2416K] reports U.S. President Donald Trump said U.S. intelligence had determined that Kremlin claims Ukraine attempted to attack Russian President Vladimir Putin’s state residence with drones last week were false. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said that while the investigation found evidence of something unrelated nearby they did not find that Putin’s residence in Novgorod province, some 300 miles northwest of Moscow, was targeted. "I don’t believe that strike happened, now that we’ve able to check," said Trump, a week after Moscow accused Kyiv of targeting the residence with more than 90 drones and threatened retaliation and consequences for talks aimed at ending the war with Ukraine. "There is something that happened fairly nearby but had nothing to do with this… nobody knew at that moment. I mean, that was the first I heard about it. He said that his house was attacked," Trump said.

NewsMax [1/5/2026 9:21 AM, Staff, 4109K] reports the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly conducted missile and air defense exercises near Tehran and Shiraz on Sunday evening, amid ongoing protests across the Islamic Republic. Several social media accounts posted pictures of apparent missile launches and Iranian military aircraft involved in the exercises, starting late Sunday evening. While Iranian regime-affiliated news sites did not confirm the exercises, on Monday morning, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei said that the Iranian Armed Forces remain vigilant and are strengthening their preparedness to defend the country against a possible Israeli attack. Baqaei’s comments came during his weekly press conference in Tehran. He also accused Israel and Iran’s enemies of engaging in a psychological warfare strategy to pressure Iran.

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