U.S. Military Captures Venezuela’s Maduro; Trump Threatens Regional Leaders with Force – 1/5/2026, 8:28:31 PM

The dominant world news story as of January 5, 2026, is the U.S. military operation capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, with President Trump declaring U.S. control over Venezuela and threatening further actions against regional leaders. This raid, launched late Friday with missiles striking Venezuelan military sites, involved U.S. special forces abducting the couple from their residence, boarding them onto a U.S. warship, and transporting them to New York for federal court appearance.[1][2][3] Trump posted an image of the bound and blindfolded Maduro aboard the vessel and vowed to seize Venezuela’s oil reserves while warning Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Iran, and others of potential military intervention.[1][2][3]

International reactions are sharply divided. Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu praised the operation as “perfect” and noted a regional shift toward U.S. and Israeli alignment.[1] Russia condemned the U.S. attacks as “extremely concerning” and reaffirmed support for Venezuela.[1] In the U.S., House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Maduro a dictator but criticized Trump for acting without congressional approval.[1] Colombia urged peace and dialogue over war.[3]

Related developments include U.S. threats amid Iranian protests, where at least 16 people were killed and 582 arrested over inflation; Trump claimed the U.S. is “locked and loaded” to intervene, prompting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s defiance.[1] Other U.S. reports cover stranded Americans in the Caribbean due to flight cancellations, potential gas price impacts from Venezuelan oil takeover, California mudslide cleanup ahead of thunderstorms, and NFL regular season wrap-up.[2][3]

Minor stories mention ongoing Israeli evictions in East Jerusalem’s Silwan neighborhood and a dog with a new scent-detection career.[1][2] No major European headlines are detailed beyond a general bulletin.[7][8]