European countries national security advisers attend a security forum in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)2026-01-03T13:21:25Z KYIV, Ukraine (AP) European national security advisors arrived in Kyiv on Saturday to discuss the latest peace proposals, as a U.S.-led diplomatic push to end the nearly 4-year-old war in Ukraine intensifies. The discussions come ahead of a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders next week.A busy working day lies ahead: security and economic issues, work on framework documents, coordination of further steps with partners, Ukraines chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, said in a post on X. He said representatives of Canada and NATO were attending, in addition to representatives of European countries and bodies.Ukraine is coordinating security guarantee plans with European partners that would include a multilateral framework agreement involving Ukrainian forces as the first line of defense, European-led troops deployed in Ukraine, and American backstop support, according to Ukrainian negotiator Oleksandr Bevz. Zelenskyy on Tuesday announced plans for meetings with officials from about 30 countries, dubbed the Coalition of the Willing, which support Kyivs effort to end the war with Russia on acceptable terms. Saturdays meeting of national security advisers from those countries in is due to be followed by a meeting of the countries leaders on Tuesday in Paris. The latest round of talks comes after Zelenskyy on Friday appointed the head of Ukraines military intelligence as his new chief of staff. The president framed the appointment of Gen. Kyrylo Budanov as part of a broader effort to sharpen the focus on security, defense development and diplomacy.Meanwhile, the death toll from a Russian missile attack in the city of Kharkiv on Friday increased to two, including a 3-year-old boy, Kharkiv regional head Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Telegram Saturday.An overnight Russian drone attack on the Mykolaiv region targeted critical infrastructure and left some communities without electricity Saturday, according to regional head, Vitalii Kim. He said engineers spent the night working to restore power and there were no casualties reported following the attack. RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

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In a call with The New York Times, President Trump called the U.S. operation in Venezuela brilliant" but did not address whether he had consulted Congress.

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President Nicolas Maduro waves a flag during a rally marking the anniversary of the Battle of Santa Ines, which took place during Venezuela's 19th-century Federal War, in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Cristian Hernandez)2026-01-03T13:53:20Z CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) Nicols Maduro, who rose from unionized bus driver to Venezuelan president and oversaw his countrys democratic undoing and economic collapse, was captured Saturday during an attack by U.S. forces on his capital.U.S. President Donald Trump, in an early morning social media post, announced Maduros capture. Venezuelas vice president, Delcy Rodrguez, later announced that the whereabouts of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, remained unknown. Trumps attorney general, Pam Bondi, said Maduro and Flores, would face charges after an indictment in New York. Maduros fall was the culmination of months of stepped-up U.S. pressure on various fronts.He had spent the last months of his presidency fueling speculation over the intentions of the U.S. government to attack and invade Venezuela with the goal of ending the self-proclaimed socialist revolution that his late mentor and predecessor, Hugo Chvez, ushered in 1999. Maduro, like Chvez, cast the United States as Venezuelas biggest threat, railing against Democratic and Republic administrations for any efforts to restore democratic norms. Maduros political career began 40 years ago. In 1986, he traveled to Cuba to receive a year of ideological instruction, his only formal education after high school. Upon his return, he worked as a bus driver for the Caracas subway system, where he quickly became a union leader. Venezuelas intelligence agencies in the 1990s identified him as a leftist radical with close ties to the Cuban government. Maduro eventually left his driver job and joined the political movement that Chvez organized after receiving a presidential pardon in 1994 for leading a failed and bloody military coup years earlier. After Chvez took office, the former youth baseball player rose through the ranks of the ruling party, spending his first six years as a lawmaker before becoming president of the National Assembly. He then served six years as foreign minister and a couple months as vice president. Appointed the political heir to ChvezChvez used his last address to the nation before his death in 2013 to anoint Maduro as his successor, asking his supporters to vote for the then-foreign affairs minister should he die. The choice stunned supporters and detractors alike. But Chvezs enormous electoral capital delivered Maduro a razor-thin victory that year, giving him his first six-year term, though he would never enjoy the devotion that voters professed for Chvez.Maduro married Flores, his partner of nearly two decades, in July 2013, shortly after he became president. He called her the first combatant, instead of first lady, and considered her a crucial adviser.Maduros entire presidency was marked by a complex social, political and economic crisis that pushed millions into poverty, drove more than 7.7 million Venezuelans to migrate and put thousands of real or perceived government opponents in prison, where many were tortured, some at his direction. Maduro complemented the repressive apparatus by purging institutions of anyone who dared dissent. Venezuelas crisis took hold during Maduros first year in office. The political opposition, including the now-Nobel Peace Prize winner Mara Corina Machado, called for street protests in Caracas and other cities. The demonstrations evidenced Maduros iron fist as security forces pushed back protests, which ended with 43 deaths and dozens of arrests.Maduros United Socialist Party of Venezuela would go on to lose control of the National Assembly for the first time in 16 years in the 2015 election. Maduro moved to neutralize the opposition-controlled legislature by establishing a pro-government Constituent Assembly in 2017, leading to months of protests violently suppressed by security forces and the military.More than 100 people were killed and thousands were injured in the demonstrations. Hundreds were arrested, causing the International Criminal Court to open an investigation against Maduro and members of his government for crimes against humanity. The investigation was still ongoing in 2025.In 2018, Maduro survived an assassination attempt when drones rigged with explosives detonated near him as he delivered a speech during a nationally televised military parade. Bedeviled by economic problemsMaduro was unable to stop the economic free fall. Inflation and severe shortages of food and medicines affected Venezuelans nationwide. Entire families starved and began migrating on foot to neighboring countries. Those who remained lined up for hours to buy rice, beans and other basics. Some fought on the streets over flour.Ruling party loyalists moved the December 2018 presidential election to May and blocked opposition parties from the ballot. Some opposition politicians were imprisoned; others fled into exile. Maduro ran virtually unopposed and was declared winner, but dozens of countries did not recognize him.Months after the election, he drew the fury after social media videos showed him feasting on a steak prepared by a celebrity chef at a restaurant in Turkey while millions in his country were going hungry. Under Maduros watch, Venezuelas economy shrank 71% between 2012 and 2020, while inflation topped 130,000%. Its oil production, the beating heart of the country, dropped to less than 400,000 barrels a day, a figure once unthinkable.The first Trump administration imposed economic sanctions against Maduro, his allies and state-owned companies to try to force a government change. The measures included freezing all Venezuelan government assets in the U.S. and prohibiting American citizens and international partners from doing business with Venezuelan government entities, including the state-owned oil company.Out of options, Maduro began implementing a series of economic measures in 2021 that eventually ended Venezuelas hyperinflation cycle. He paired the economic changes with concessions to the U.S.-backed political opposition with which it restarted negotiations for what many had hoped would be a free and democratic presidential election in 2024. Maduro used the negotiations to gain concessions from the U.S. government, including the pardon and prison release of one of his closest allies and the sanctions license that allowed oil giant Chevron to restart pumping and exporting Venezuelan oil. The license became his governments financial lifeline.Losing support in many placesNegotiations led by Norwegian diplomats did not solve key political differences between the ruling party and the opposition. In 2023, the government banned Machado, Maduros strongest opponent, from running for office. In early 2024, it intensified its repressive efforts, detaining opposition leaders and human rights defenders. The government also forced key members of Machados campaign to seek asylum at a diplomatic compound in Caracas, where they remained for more than a year to avoid arrest.Hours after polls closed in the 2024 election, the National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner. But unlike previous elections, it did not provide detailed vote counts. The opposition, however, collected and published tally sheets from more than 80% of electronic voting machines used in the election. The records showed Edmundo Gonzlez defeated Maduro by a more than 2-to-1 margin. Protests erupted. Some demonstrators toppled statues of Chvez. The government again responded with full force and detained more than 2,000 people World leaders rejected the official results, but the National Assembly sworn in Maduro for a third term in January 2025.Trumps return to the White House that same month proved to be a sobering moment for Maduro. Trump quickly pushed Maduro to accept regular deportation flights for the first time in years. By the summer, Trump had built up a military force in the Caribbean that put Venezuelas government on high alert and started taking steps to address what it called narco-terrorism. For Maduro, that was the beginning of the end.

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President Donald Trump talks to the media as he walks to Marine One from the White House, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)2026-01-03T15:25:41Z WASHINGTON (AP) With the capture of Venezuelas Nicols Maduro, President Donald Trump and his allies are calling the audacious military operation a major success as the U.S. leader once again demonstrated a willingness to use U.S. forces for risky missions that come with a potential big payoff.The operation has ousted a South American strongman blasted by Trumps administration as an illegitimate dictator and a narco-terrorist, a scourge responsible for a steady of stream of illegal drugs poisoning U.S. and Europe.It was a brilliant operation, actually, Trump told The New York Times shortly after U.S. forces were cleared from Venezuelan airspace.But the path ahead could certainly be treacherous as the White House faces a series of difficult questions. Who will fill the power vacuum now that Maduro is gone? What lies ahead for a country thats endured years of hyperinflation, food and medicine shortages and brain drain despite its vast oil wealth?What lessons will U.S. adversaries take from Trumps decision to demonstrate American might in its sphere of influence as Chinas Xi Jinping vows to annex the self-ruled island of Taiwan and Russias Vladimir Putins has designs on neighbor Ukraine and diminishing NATOs eastern flank? Trump takes a big riskThe operation to remove Maduro certainly marks another big moment for Trumps foreign policy in his second term, as he hasnt shied away from flexing U.S. military might even as he has vowed to keep America out of war.Trump has now twice used U.S. forces to carry out risky operations against American adversaries. In June, he directed U.S. strikes on key Iranian nuclear sites.With the Venezuela operation, Trump followed through on a promise, spelled out in his National Security Strategy published last month, to assert U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere. More questions than answersRetired Navy Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery said the immediate path ahead for Trump in Venezuela could be more difficult to navigate than what he faced after the Iran strikes.Unlike the (Iran) strikes where Trump did the action and then said fights over, he will not have that luxury here in Venezuela, said Montgomery, an analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a hawkish think tank in Washington. He needs to stay engaged in Venezuela to make sure that Maduros cronies equally guilty of any crime he is are also pushed out of power, and they may want to stay and fight as they dont have too many places to run.Whats next for Venezuela?European allies had expressed concern as Trump built up a massive presence of troops in the Caribbean in recent months and carried out dozens of lethal strikes on suspected drug smugglers many that the administration claimed were effectively an arm of the Maduro government. Maduro was hardly viewed as a choir boy by the international community. His 2018 and 2024 elections were seen as riddled with irregularities and viewed as illegitimate.But many U.S. allies greeted news of Maduros capture with a measure of trepidation.European Commission President Antnio Costa said he had great concern about the situation in Venezuela following the U.S. operation. The EU has repeatedly stated that Mr Maduro lacks legitimacy and has defended a peaceful transition, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas added on X. Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected. We call for restraint.The criticism from some Democrats over Trumps military action to oust Maduro was immediate.This war is illegal, its embarrassing that we went from the world cop to the world bully in less than one year. Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona wrote on X. There is no reason for us to be at war with Venezuela.Russias Foreign Ministry condemned what it called a U.S. act of armed aggression against Venezuela in a statement posted on its Telegram channel Saturday. The ouster of Maduro, who was backed by the Russians, comes as Trump is urging Putin to end his nearly four-year brutal war on Ukraine.Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny without any destructive, let alone military, outside intervention, the statement said. Capture follows months of pressureThe operation was the culmination of a push inside the administration led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other like-minded foes of Maduro who have been urging Trump to take action against the Venezuelan leader for years dating back to Trumps first administration.In south Florida the epicenter of the Venezuelan diaspora opposition to Maduro that has influenced Rubios thinking Saturdays operation was cheered as an era-changing moment for democracy.Rep. Carlos Gimenez, a Florida Republican, said he had spoken to Rubio and thanked Trump for having changed the course of history in our hemisphere. Our country & the world are safer for it, he wrote on X, comparing Maduros ouster to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Maduro had sought a pathway to exit from power, while saving face.Venezuelan government officials had floated a plan in which Maduro would eventually leave office, The Associated Press reported in October.The proposal, which was rejected by the White House, called for Maduro to step down in three years and hand over to his vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, who would complete Maduros six-year term that ends in January 2031. Rodriguez would not run for reelection under the plan. But the White House had rejected the proposal because the administration questioned the legitimacy of Maduros rule and accused him of overseeing a narco-terrorist state.Maduro earlier this week said Venezuela was open to negotiating an agreement with the United States to combat drug trafficking and work with Washington on promoting U.S. further investment in the Venezuelan oil industry.But Trump for months has insisted that Maduros days in power were numbered. Shorty after Trump announced Maduros capture, the White House posted video on one of its social media accounts of Trump in October explicitly telling reporters that Maduro was feeling pressure from the U.S. campaign and trying to cut a deal. He doesnt want to f- around with the United States, Trump said.Elliot Abrams, who served as U.S. special representative for Iran and Venezuela in the first Trump administration, said the president now must decide how invested his administration will be in shaping the next government in Caracas. Venezuelas opposition says the rightful president is the exiled politician Edmundo Gonzlez.I think the real question is whether Trump will claim victory and be satisfied with Delcy Rodriguez making some promises or engaging in negotiations, Abrams said. Or will he insist on Gonzalez.Trump in an appearance on Fox & Friends on Saturday morning said he wasnt ready to commit to a certain leader but pledged his administration would be very involved in Venezuela.We cant take a chance of letting somebody else run it just take over where (Maduro) left or left off, Trump said.___AP writers Matthew Lee in Washington and Elise Morton in London contributed reporting. AAMER MADHANI Madhani covers the White House for The Associated Press. He is based in Washington. twitter mailto

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U.S. military aircraft are parked on the tarmac at Jose Aponte de la Torre Airport in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Alejandro Granadillo)2026-01-03T16:33:53Z WASHINGTON (AP) After months of growing military pressure on Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro, President Donald Trump ordered a brazen operation into the South American country to capture its leader and whisk him to the United States where his administration planned to put him on trial.In a Saturday morning interview on Fox and Friends Weekend, Trump laid out the details of the overnight strike, after which he said Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were flown by helicopter to a U.S. warship.Maduro was in a fortress, Trump saysTrump described Maduro as being highly guarded in a presidential palace that was like a fortress, although the Venezuelan leader was not able to get to a safe room.American forces were armed with massive blowtorches, which they would have used to cut through steel walls had Maduro locked himself in the room, Trump said.It had what they call a safety space, where its solid steel all around, Trump said. He didnt get that space closed. He was trying to get into it, but he got bum-rushed right so fast that he didnt get into that. We were prepared. Part of that preparation, Trump said, included practicing maneuvers on a replica building.They actually built a house which was identical to the one they went into with all the same, all that steel all over the place, Trump said. We turned off all the lightsTrump said that the U.S. operation took place in darkness, although he did not detail how that had happened. He said the U.S. turned off almost all of the lights in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.This thing was so organized, he said. And they go into a dark space with machine guns facing them all over the place.At least seven explosions were heard in Caracas. The attack lasted less than 30 minutes.Venezuelas vice president, Delcy Rodrguez, who under that countrys law takes power, said some Venezuelan civilians and members of the military were killed. Trump says a couple of guys injuredTrump said a few U.S. members of the operation were injured but he believed no one was killed.A couple of guys were hit, but they came back and theyre supposed to be in pretty good shape, he said. The Republican president said the U.S. had lost no aircraft, but that a helicopter was hit pretty hard.We had to do it because its a war, he added.The weather was a factorTrump said U.S. forces held off on conducting the operation for days, waiting for cloud cover to pass because the weather has to be perfect.We waited four days, he said. We were going to do this four days ago, three days ago, two days ago. And then all of a sudden it opened up and we said, go. And Ill tell you, its, it was just amazing.Where is Maduro now?Trump said that Maduro and Flores were flown by helicopter to a U.S. warship and would go on to New York to face charges. The Justice Department released an indictment accusing the pair of having an alleged role in a narco-terrorism conspiracy. Months of escalating actionsThe raid was a dramatic escalation from a series of strikes the U.S. military has carried out on what Trump has said were drug carrying boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since early September. There had been 35 known strikes that killed at least 115 people. On Dec. 29, Trump said the U.S. struck a facility where boats accused of carrying drugs load up. The CIA was behind the drone strike at a docking area believed to have been used by Venezuelan drug cartels. It was the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since the U.S. began its strikes in September.___Kinnard reported from Chapin, South Carolina. MEG KINNARD Kinnard covers national politics for The Associated Press. She lives in South Carolina. twitter instagram mailto MICHELLE L. PRICE Price covers the White House. She previously covered the 2024 presidential campaign and politics, government and other news in New York, Nevada, Utah and Arizona. She is based in Washington. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

2026-01-03T16:09:50Z Embattled Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan, who was convicted of obstruction last month for helping an immigrant evade federal officers, has sent her resignation letter to the governor. The letter was sent Saturday. Republicans had been making plans to impeach her ever since her Dec. 19 conviction. Dugan wrote that over the past decade she handled thousands of cases with a commitment to treat all persons with dignity and respect, to act justly, deliberately and consistently, and to maintain a courtroom with the decorum and safety the public deserves. But she said the case against her is too big of a distraction.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 said in her letter. Last April, federal prosecutors accused Dugan of distracting federal officers trying to arrest a Mexican immigrant outside her courtroom and leading the man out through a private door. A federal jury convicted her of felony obstruction. The case against Dugan was highlighted by President Donald Trump as he pressed ahead with his sweeping immigration crackdown. Democrats insisted the administration was trying to make an example of Dugan to blunt judicial opposition to the operation. JOSH FUNK Funk is an Associated Press reporter who covers transportation including aviation safety and airlines along with all the major freight railroads. Funk also covers Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway, the impact of the ongoing bird flu outbreak, agriculture and other news out of the Midwest. twitter mailto

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From left, Venezuelans David Nuez, Lisbeth Garcia, Victor Gimenez gather outside El Arepazo restaurant with a banner of opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado amid celebrations following news of Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro capture in Doral, Fla., on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Vanessa Alvarez)2026-01-03T18:14:53Z DORAL, Fla. (AP) Revelers chanted liberty and draped Venezuelan flags over their shoulders in South Florida on Saturday to celebrate the American military attack that toppled Nicols Maduros government a stunning outcome they had longed for but left them wondering what comes next in their troubled homeland.People gathered for a rally in Doral, Florida the Miami suburb where President Donald Trump has a golf resort and where roughly half the population is of Venezuelan descent as word spread that Venezuelas president had been captured and flown out of the country. Outside the El Arepazo restaurant, a hub of the Venezuelan culture of Doral, one man held a piece of cardboard with Libertad scrawled with a black marker. It was a sentiment expressed by other native Venezuelans hoping for a new beginning for their home country as they chanted Liberty! Liberty! Liberty! Were like everybody its a combination of feelings, of course, said Alejandra Arrieta, who came to the U.S. in 1997. Theres fears. Theres excitement. Theres so many years that weve been waiting for this. Something had to happen in Venezuela. We all need the freedom. Trump insisted Saturday that the U.S. government would run the country at least temporarily and was already doing so. The action marked the culmination of an escalating Trump administration pressure campaign on the oil-rich South American nation as well as weeks of planning that tracked Maduros behavioral habits. Stay up to date with the news and the best of AP by following our WhatsApp channel. Follow on About 8 million people have fled Venezuela since 2014, settling first in neighboring countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. After the COVID-19 pandemic, they increasingly set their sights on the United States, walking through the jungle in Colombia and Panama or flying to the U.S. on humanitarian parole with a financial sponsor. In Doral, upper-middle-class professionals and entrepreneurs came to invest in property and businesses when socialist Hugo Chvez won the presidency in the late 1990s. They were followed by political opponents and entrepreneurs who set up small businesses. In recent years, more lower-income Venezuelans have come for work in service industries. They are doctors, lawyers, beauticians, construction workers and house cleaners. Some are naturalized U.S. citizens or live in the country illegally with U.S.-born children. Others overstay tourist visas, seek asylum or have some form of temporary status.Niurka Melndez, who fled her native Venezuela in 2015, said Saturday shes hopeful that Maduros ouster will improve life in her homeland. Melndez immigrated to New York City, where she co-founded Venezuelans and Immigrants Aid, a group striving to empower the lives of immigrants. She became a steadfast advocate for change in her home country, where she said her countrymen were facing a humanitarian crisis.She hopes those hardships will end as a result of American intervention.For us, its just the start of the justice we need to see, Melndez said in a phone interview. Her homeland had reached a breaking point due to forced displacements, repression, hunger and fear, she said. She called for international humanitarian support to help in Venezuelas recovery. Removing an authoritarian system responsible for these crimes creates the possibility, not a guarantee, but a possibility, for recovery, she said. A future without criminal control over institutions is the minimum condition for rebuilding a country based on justice, rule of law, and democratic safeguards.___Schreiner reported from Shelbyville, Kentucky. TIM REYNOLDS Reynolds is an Associated Press sports writer, based in South Florida. twitter mailto

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President Donald Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine listen as Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)2026-01-03T19:37:38Z WASHINGTON (AP) The Trump administrations capture of Venezuelas president and plans to run the country are raising stark new questions about the legality of the U.S. moves under a broader campaign against the South American nation.The middle-of-the-night seizure of Nicols Maduro, who was being transported on a U.S. warship to face narcoterrorism conspiracy charges in New York, is beyond even the most high-profile historical examples of aggressive American actions toward autocratic governments in Panama, Iraq and beyond, legal experts said. It came after a surprise U.S. incursion into the Venezuelan capital, rocked with overnight explosions. This is clearly a blatant, illegal and criminal act, said Jimmy Gurule, a Notre Dame Law School professor and former assistant U.S. attorney.Mark Nevitt, a former Navy attorney who now teaches at Emory University School of Law, said, I see no legal basis for us to go into another country and take a leader without an extradition treaty. The stunning development caps months of aggressive U.S. military action in the region, including the bombings of boats accused of trafficking drugs and seizures of oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela. The administration has conducted 35 known boat strikes against vessels, killing more than 115 people since September.Michael Schmitt, a former Air Force lawyer and professor emeritus at the U.S. Naval War College, said the entire operation the boat strikes as well as the apprehension of Maduro are a clear violation of international law. Maduros arrest on anniversary of Noriegas surrenderMaduros arrest came 36 years to the date of the surrender of Panamas strongman Manuel Noriega, a notable milestone in American involvement in the Western Hemisphere. The U.S. invaded Panama in 1989 to arrest Noriega on drug trafficking charges.In Panama, however, U.S. national security interests were directly at stake in the form of the Panama Canal as well as the safety of American citizens and U.S. military installations in the country.By contrast, Congress has not authorized any American military strike or law enforcement move against Venezuela.While U.S. agents have a long history of snatching defendants abroad to execute arrest warrants without authorization, federal courts have long deferred to the White House in foreign policy and national security matters.For example, U.S. bounty hunters, working under the direction of the Drug Enforcement Administration, in 1990 abducted in Mexico a doctor accused of killing DEA agent Enrique Kiki Camarena. Courts give great deference to the president on issues related to national security, said Gurule, who led the prosecution against Camarenas killers. But great deference does not mean absolute deference and unfettered authority to do anything. Congress has yet to authorize or ban US actionsTrumps administration has declared the drug cartels operating from Venezuela to be unlawful combatants and has said the United States is now in an armed conflict with them, according to an administration memo obtained in October by The Associated Press.The memo appears to represent an extraordinary assertion of presidential war powers, with Trump effectively declaring that trafficking of drugs into the U.S. amounts to armed conflict requiring the use of military force. That is a new rationale for past and future actions.Congress, which has broad authority to authorize or prohibit the presidents war powers, has failed to do either, even as lawmakers from both political parties grow increasingly uneasy with the military actions in the region, particularly after it was revealed that U.S. forces killed two survivors of a boat attack with a follow-up strike.Schmitt said there is no other way to characterize what has happened other than as a state of war between the United States and Venezuela.Lawyers call it international armed conflict, Schmitt said. Lay people call it war. So as a matter of law, we are now at war with Venezuela because the use of hostilities between two states clearly triggers an internal armed conflict. War powers vote aheadCongressional leaders of the gang of eight, which includes House and Senate leaders from both political parties as well as lawmakers leading on the Intelligence committees, were notified early Saturday after operations began, according to a person who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter.House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said the administration is working to schedule briefings for lawmakers when they return to Washington next week.But Democratic lawmakers warned that in veering from the rule of law, the administration is potentially greenlighting other countries such as China or Russia to do the same.Once this line is crossed, the rules that restrain global chaos begin to collapse, and authoritarian regimes will be the first to exploit it, said Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee. Americas strength comes from our commitment to the rule of law, democratic norms, and constitutional restraint, he said. When we abandon those principles, even in the name of confronting bad actors, we weaken our credibility, endanger global stability, and invite abuses of power that will long outlast any single presidency.Next week, the Senate is expected to try again to curtail Trumps actions, with a vote expected on a bipartisan war powers resolution that would block the use of U.S. forces against Venezuela unless authorized by Congress.Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he is grateful for the armed forces who carried out this necessary action. He said he spoke to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and wants more information.I look forward to receiving further briefings from the administration on this operation as part of its comprehensive counternarcotics strategy when the Senate returns to Washington next week, Thune said.Rubio said at a briefing Saturday with Trump that because of the nature of the surprise operation, it was not something that could be shared beforehand with the lawmakers.___Goodman reported from Miami. JOSHUA GOODMAN Goodman is a Miami-based investigative reporter who writes about the intersection of crime, corruption, drug trafficking and politics in Latin America. He previously spent two decades reporting from South America. twitter mailto

Japan's Kazuma Okamoto hits a home run during fourth inning of a World Baseball Classic championship game against the United States, March 21, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File)2026-01-03T19:28:40Z TORONTO (AP) Infielder Kazuma Okamoto and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed to a contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced and the person was not authorized to speak publicly about the deal.A six-time All-Star, Okamoto has a .277 average with 248 homers and 717 RBIs in 11 Japanese big league seasons, leading the Central League in home runs in 2020, 2021 and 2023. He homered off Colorados Kyle Freeland to help Japan beat the U.S. 3-2 in the 2023 World Baseball Classic final.Under the posting agreement between Major League Baseball and Nippon Professional Baseball, a deal must be finalized by 5 p.m. EST Sunday.Okamoto, a 29-year-old third baseman and first baseman, hit .327 with 15 homers and 49 RBIs in 69 games last year for the Central Leagues Yomiuri Giants. He injured his left elbow while trying to catch a throw at first base on May 6 when he collided with the Hanshin Tigers Takumu Nakano, an injury that sidelined Okamoto until Aug. 16. With five-time All-Star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first, Okamoto presumably would play mostly at third. Addison Barger had 67 starts there last year, Ernie Clement 66, Will Wagner 22, Isiah Kiner-Falefa six and Buddy Kennedy one. Barger also plays right field, and the addition of Okamoto could mean Andrs Gimnez will move from second to shortstop if free agent Bo Bichette doesnt re-sign. Clement and Davis Scheider could share time at second. Under MLBs posting agreement with NPB, the posting fee would be 20% of the first $25 million of a major league contract, including earned bonuses and options. The percentage drops to 17.5% of the next $25 million and 15% of any amount over $50 million. There would be a supplemental fee of 15% of any earned bonuses, salary escalators and exercised options.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

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A supporter of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro stands on a median strip waving a national flag in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Maduro had been captured and flown out of the country. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)2026-01-03T21:09:10Z BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) Uncertainty gripped Venezuela on Saturday as people scrambled to understand who was in charge of the South American country after a U.S. military operation captured President Nicols Maduro.What will happen tomorrow? What will happen in the next hour? Nobody knows, Caracas resident Juan Pablo Petrone said.President Donald Trump delivered a shocking pick for who would take control: The United States, perhaps in coordination with one of Maduros most trusted aides.Delcy Rodrguez has served as Maduros vice president since 2018, overseeing much of Venezuelas oil-dependent economy as well as its feared intelligence service. But she is someone the Trump administration apparently is willing to work with, at least for now.Shes essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again, Trump told reporters of Rodrguez, who faced U.S. sanctions during Trumps first administration for her role in undermining Venezuelan democracy. Long lines wound through supermarkets and outside gas stations as Venezuelans long used to crises stocked up once again. Small pro-government rallies broke out in parts of Caracas, but most streets remained empty in the nation of 29 million people. In a major snub, Trump said opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who was awarded last years Nobel Peace Prize, didnt have the support to run the country. Trump said Rodrguez had a long conversation with Secretary of State Marco Rubio in which Trump claimed she said, Well do whatever you need.I think she was quite gracious, Trump added. We cant take a chance that somebody else takes over Venezuela that doesnt have the good of the Venezuelan people in mind.Rodrguez tried to project strength and unity among the ruling partys many factions, downplaying any hint of betrayal. In remarks on state TV, she demanded the immediate release of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and denounced the U.S. operation as a flagrant violation of the United Nations charter. There is only one president in this country, and his name is Nicols Maduro, Rodrguez said, surrounded by top civilian officials and military commanders.There was no immediate sign that the U.S. was running Venezuela.No sign of a swearing-inTrump indicated that Rodrguez had been sworn in already as president of Venezuela, per the transfer of power outlined in the constitution. However, state television has not broadcast any swearing-in ceremony. In her televised address, Rodrguez did not declare herself acting president or mention a political transition. A ticker at the bottom of the screen identified her as the vice president. She gave no sign that she would be cooperating with the U.S.What is being done to Venezuela is an atrocity that violates international law, she said. History and justice will make the extremists who promoted this armed aggression pay.The Venezuelan constitution also says a new election must be called within a month in the event of the presidents absence. But experts have been debating whether the succession scenario would apply here, given the governments lack of popular legitimacy and the extraordinary U.S. military intervention. Venezuelan military officials were quick to project defiance in video messages. They have attacked us but will not break us, said Defense Minister Gen. Vladimir Padrino Lpez, dressed in fatigues. Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lpez waves as he leaves the vice presidents office, in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lpez waves as he leaves the vice presidents office, in Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello appeared on state TV in a helmet and flak jacket, urging Venezuelans to trust in the political leadership and military and get out on the streets to defend the countrys sovereignty.These rats attacked and they will regret what they did, he said of the U.S.Caracas residents like Yanire Lucas were left picking up shattered glass and other debris after an early-morning explosion in a military base next to her house.What is happening is unprecedented, Lucas said, adding that her family is scared to leave home. Were still on edge, and now were uncertain about what to do.Strong ties with Wall StreetA lawyer educated in Britain and France, Rodrguez has a long history of representing the revolution started by the late Hugo Chvez on the world stage.She and her brother, Jorge Rodrguez, head of the Maduro-controlled National Assembly, have strong leftist credentials born from tragedy. Their father was a socialist leader who died in police custody in the 1970s, a crime that shook many activists of the era, including a young Maduro.Unlike many in Maduros inner circle, the Rodrguez siblings have avoided criminal indictment in the U.S. Delcy Rodrguez has developed strong ties with Republicans in the oil industry and on Wall Street who balked at the notion of U.S.-led regime change.Among her past interlocutors was Blackwater founder Erik Prince and, more recently, Richard Grenell, a Trump special envoy who tried to negotiate a deal with Maduro for greater U.S. influence in Venezuela. Fluent in English, Rodrguez is sometimes portrayed as a well-educated moderate in contrast to the military hardliners who took up arms with Chvez against Venezuelas democratically elected president in the 1990s.Many of them, especially Cabello, are wanted in the U.S. on drug trafficking charges and stand accused of serious human rights abuses. But they continue to hold sway over the armed forces, the traditional arbiter of political disputes in Venezuela.That presents major challenges to Rodrguez asserting authority. But experts say that Venezuelas power brokers have long had a habit of closing ranks behind their leaders.These leaders have all seen the value of staying united. Cabello has always taken a second seat or third seat, knowing that his fate is tied up with Maduros, and now he very well might do that again, said David Smilde, a sociology professor at Tulane University who has conducted research into Venezuelas political dynamics over the past three decades.A lot depends on what happened last night, which officials were taken out, what the state of the military looks like now, Smilde said. If it doesnt have much firepower anymore, theyre more vulnerable and diminished and it will be easier for her to gain control.An apparent snub of the oppositionShortly before Trumps press conference, Machado, the opposition leader, called on her ally Edmundo Gonzlez a retired diplomat widely considered to have won the countrys disputed 2024 presidential election to immediately assume his constitutional mandate and be recognized as commander-in-chief.In an triumphant statement, Machado promised that her movement would restore order, free political prisoners, build an exceptional country and bring our children back home. Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado addresses supporters at a protest against President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 9, 2025, a day ahead of Maduros inauguration ceremony where he will be sworn in for a third term. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File) Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado addresses supporters at a protest against President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 9, 2025, a day ahead of Maduros inauguration ceremony where he will be sworn in for a third term. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File) Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More She added: Today we are prepared to assert our mandate and take power.Asked about Machado, Trump was blunt: I think it would be very tough for (Machado) to be the leader, he said.She doesnt have the support or respect within the country.Venezuelans expressed shock, with many speculating on social media that Trump had mixed up the two womens names. Machado has not responded to Trumps remarks.___Goodman reported from Miami. Associated Press journalist Juan Arraez in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report. ISABEL DEBRE DeBre writes about Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay for The Associated Press, based in Buenos Aires. Before moving to South America in 2024, she covered the Middle East reporting from Jerusalem, Cairo and Dubai. twitter mailto JOSHUA GOODMAN Goodman is a Miami-based investigative reporter who writes about the intersection of crime, corruption, drug trafficking and politics in Latin America. He previously spent two decades reporting from South America. twitter mailto

Smoke rises from Fort Tiuna, the main military garrison in Caracas, Venezuela, after multiple explosions were heard and aircraft swept through the area, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)2026-01-03T18:42:26Z The U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro and flew him out of the country early Saturday has also disrupted Caribbean travel at a busy travel time for the region.No airline flights were crossing over Venezuela on Saturday, according to FlightRadar24.com. And major airlines canceled hundreds of flights across the eastern Caribbean region and warned passengers that the disruptions could continue for days after the Federal Aviation Administration imposed restrictions.Flights were canceled to and from Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Aruba and more than a dozen other destinations in the Lesser Antilles island group that lies north of Venezuela. The airlines are waiving change fees for passengers who have to reschedule their flights this weekend.At the Queen Beatrix airport in Aruba, a popular holiday destination for U.S. vacationers just 15 miles (24 kilometers) off Venezuelas coast, officials said they expected operations to resume normally on Sunday after a day of canceled flights that stranded travelers or blocked them from flying to the island Saturday. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a social media post that the FAA restricted the airspace in the Caribbean and Venezuela to ensure the SAFETY of the flying public. When appropriate, these airspace restrictions will be lifted, he said on the social platform X. Please work with your airlines directly if your flight has been impacted. Lou Levine, his wife and their three children were due to fly home to the Washington, D.C., area from Puerto Rico on Saturday morning. Instead he woke up to his wife saying their flight was canceled. He found out why when he checked his phone.They first tried calling JetBlue to reschedule. The airline called back about two hours later, but the agent couldnt help them. Levine and his wife saw others messaging JetBlue on social media and did the same. The airline responded and booked them on another flight leaving next Saturday, turning the Levines weeklong New Years holiday into a two-week sojourn. Levine, a manager at a software company, said hes fortunate to have a flexible and understanding employer. But his daughter will be missing a week of high school. And then there are the unexpected expenses.I love it here. But we have dog-sitting and cat-sitting and car rental. Its fine. Its just really painful on the wallet, Levine said. The Levines hope to book an earlier trip back if flights resume early.This weekend was already past the peak 13-day holiday period when AAA projected 122.4 million Americans would travel at least 50 miles from home, but there were plenty of travelers still trying to squeeze in some more time on tropical beaches and resorts before heading back to colder temperatures.The Caribbean is a top destination this time of the year, said AAA spokesperson Aixa Diaz. We do have a lot of people who are trying to get back home this weekend ahead of work and school on Monday.Diaz said its understandable we want to unplug but travelers should keep track of whats going on and allow airlines to send them phone alerts. The FAA had earlier said it imposed a temporary airspace restriction on Puerto Ricos international airport and surrounding regions.An announcement by Luis Muoz Marn International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, that was posted on X said restrictions were put in place because of the security situation related to military activity in Venezuela.As a result most commercial flights to and from the airport that are operated by U.S. airlines were suspended or canceled.Foreign airlines and military aircraft were not included in that restriction, the statement said.JetBlue said it canceled about 215 flights due to airspace closures across the Caribbean related to military activity. It also noted that flights farther west to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica were not affected by the governments restrictions. Customers could rebook their travel or request a refund if the flights were canceled, the company said. United Airlines said it was adjusting its schedule to account for airspace closures. It said customers could change their travel plans in the region for free as it continued to monitor the situation and worked with U.S. aviation authorities.Southwest Airlines said it canceled all Aruba flights for Saturday and suspended Puerto Rico flights until further notice, but flights to the Dominican Republic were unaffected.American Airlines said it was waiving change fees for flights to and from about 20 island destinations, including Anguilla, Antigua, Curacao, Saint Lucia and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands.Delta Air Lines said it has issued a travel waiver for customers traveling to or from 13 impacted airports through Tuesday. Dutch airline KLM said it canceled flights affecting thousands of passengers but planned to resume service Sunday to and from Curacao, Aruba, Bonaire and other islands. The flight disruptions also affected some travelers booked for Caribbean cruises. Cruise operator Virgin Voyages said airline travelers unable to make it to San Juan in time for an upcoming cruise departure would be able to get a full credit for a future trip. MATT OBRIEN OBrien covers the business of technology and artificial intelligence for The Associated Press. mailto JOSH FUNK Funk is an Associated Press reporter who covers transportation including aviation safety and airlines along with all the major freight railroads. Funk also covers Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway, the impact of the ongoing bird flu outbreak, agriculture and other news out of the Midwest. twitter mailto AUDREY McAVOY McAvoy is a Honolulu-based reporter who covers news in Hawaii and beyond. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

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Baker Mayfield threw a touchdown pass to Cade Otton, Chase McLaughlin kicked three field goals and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers avoided elimination with a sloppy 16-14 victory over the Carolina Panthers on a rain-soaked Saturday at Raymond James Stadium.

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