Shocked Venezuelans hunker down, unsure of what comes next reut.rs/4pFW1aV reut.rs/4pFW1aV
— Reuters (@Reuters) Jan 3, 2026
Day: January 3, 2026
BREAKING: President Donald Trump posted a photo on his Truth Social account of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro after the U.S. captured him, along with his wife, in an overnight operation Saturday.
More: tinyurl.com/mrxh85xe
— NewsNation (@NewsNation) Jan 3, 2026
New: Trump administration officials are internally pointing to a 1989 legal opinion and the subsequent US invasion of Panama as precedent to justify the operation that was carried out in Venezuela on Friday night without US congressional authorization, per 3 sources.
The 1989 legal opinion was authored by Bill Barr, who at the time was serving as the head of the Justice Department’s powerful Office of Legal Counsel and later served as Attorney General in President Trump’s first term.
The opinion concluded that the president has the inherent constitutional authority to deploy the FBI to investigate and arrest individuals for violating US law, “even if those actions contravene international law.”
The FBI was on the ground with US Delta Force soldiers during Friday night’s operation to arrest Maduro and his wife.
with @ZcohenCNN @KatieBoLillis— NatashaBertrand (@NatashaBertrand) Jan 3, 2026
President Trump’s feud with Colorado over Tina Peters intensifies while drawing in Lauren Boebert trib.al/9HWIstd
— The Hill (@thehill) Jan 3, 2026
Jags sign OL Cole Van Lanen to 3-year extension reut.rs/49jyxSr reut.rs/49jyxSr
— Reuters (@Reuters) Jan 3, 2026
This morning I was briefed on the developments in Venezuela with Nicolás Maduro, following President Trump’s flagrant abuse of power by acting without congressional approval.
New York is home to a vibrant Venezuelan community, and I stand with families here and abroad in their hopes for a better, more stable future.
While there are no credible threats to New York at this time, State Police are coordinating with our partners in law enforcement to monitor the situation and keep New Yorkers safe.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) Jan 3, 2026