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The United States carried out a surprise military operation today inside Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, an escalation that U.S. President Donald Trump said would lead Washington to temporarily administer the country despite immediate resistance from Venezuelan officials.

Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump said U.S. Special Forces detained Maduro during a nighttime raid that disrupted electricity in parts of Caracas and targeted one of the president’s secure locations. With Maduro now in U.S. custody, Trump said Washington would assume control during a transition period. “We will run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” he said. “We can’t take a chance that someone else takes over Venezuela who doesn’t have the interests of Venezuelans in mind.”

Video footage showed an aircraft landing at Stewart International Airport, roughly 60 miles northwest of New York City, where U.S. personnel wearing FBI and other agency gear boarded the plane. Multiple television networks, including CNN, Fox News and MS Now, identified the individual seen exiting the aircraft as Maduro.

Despite Trump’s declaration, it remains unclear how the United States intends to exert authority inside Venezuela. U.S. forces do not control the country, and the existing government appears to remain operational while signaling no willingness to cooperate with Washington.

A Justice Department official said Maduro, who faces U.S. indictments including allegations of narco-terrorism conspiracy, is expected to appear initially in federal court in Manhattan on Monday.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, viewed as Maduro’s apparent successor, appeared on state television today alongside senior officials, condemning what she described as an abduction. “We demand the immediate release of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores,” Rodriguez said, insisting that Maduro remains “the only president of Venezuela.”

Her remarks came hours after Trump said his administration had been in contact with Rodriguez and that she seemed willing to cooperate. “She really doesn’t have a choice,” Trump said.

Inside Venezuela, conditions were largely quiet today. Security forces patrolled certain areas, and small groups of Maduro supporters gathered in parts of Caracas.

Some residents, however, voiced relief. “I’m happy, I doubted for a moment that it was happening because it’s like a movie,” said Carolina Pimentel, a 37-year-old merchant in Maracay. “It’s all calm now, but I feel like at any moment everyone will be out celebrating.”

At his press conference, Trump—flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth—declined to provide specifics about how the United States would administer Venezuela. He suggested that senior officials around him would manage the effort. “The people that are standing right behind me” would oversee the country, he said.

Trump also left open the possibility of deploying U.S. troops inside Venezuela. “We’re not afraid of boots on the ground,” he said.

The removal of Maduro, who critics have labeled a dictator after more than a dozen years in power, raises concerns about a potential power vacuum in a nation bordering Colombia, Brazil, Guyana and the Caribbean.

Trump ruled out cooperation with opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, widely regarded as Maduro’s strongest political challenger. He said Washington had no contact with her. “She doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country,” he said.

Those comments angered some of Machado’s supporters. She has backed U.S. action against alleged drug trafficking and dedicated her Nobel Prize win to Trump and the Venezuelan people. Pedro Burelli, a former board member of state oil company PDVSA, pushed back online, saying Machado “is the most respected politician in the country,” adding, “Venezuela is broke and needy, but it is not about to surrender to absurd whims.”

Reuters has previously reported that members of Machado’s team assisted the Trump administration in shaping a tougher approach toward Caracas, despite concerns about potential repercussions for Venezuelan immigrants living in the United States.

Trump’s remarks about a potentially open-ended U.S. military presence echoed language used during past interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, conflicts that ultimately ended with U.S. withdrawals after years of fighting and heavy casualties.

Today, Trump said that during his presidency, including his first term, military operations he oversaw were “only victories,” though none involved removing a foreign head of state. In the past, he criticized such actions, calling the Iraq invasion “a big fat mistake” during a 2016 debate and saying in 2021 that he was “especially proud to be the first president in decades who has started no new wars.”

The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to convene on Monday to discuss the U.S. action.

Before today, the last comparable U.S. intervention in the region was the 1989 invasion of Panama to oust military leader Manuel Noriega over drug trafficking allegations. U.S. authorities have leveled similar accusations against Maduro, claiming he oversaw a “narco-state” and manipulated the 2024 election.

Maduro, 63, a former bus driver chosen by Hugo Chavez as his successor in 2013, has rejected those allegations, accusing Washington of seeking control over Venezuela’s vast oil reserves—the largest in the world.

Trump’s move has drawn comparisons to the Monroe Doctrine of 1823 and the era of “gunboat diplomacy” under Theodore Roosevelt. Trump acknowledged the parallels at his press conference, joking that a modern version might be called the “Don-roe Doctrine.”

While several Latin American governments oppose Maduro and say he stole the 2024 election, Trump’s comments about controlling Venezuela and exploiting its oil have revived memories of past U.S. interventions in the region that remain deeply unpopular.

Argentina’s President Javier Milei praised what he described as Venezuela’s new “freedom,” while Mexico condemned the operation. Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the action crossed “an unacceptable line.”

A former diplomat warned that the unilateral move would resonate far beyond the region. “For Latin America, it basically says no leader is safe if deemed illegitimate by the U.S.,” said Tyson Barker, a senior associate fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations. “For the world, it flattens any moral credibility we have vis-à-vis China and Russia.”

Trump insisted that a U.S. occupation would be financially self-sustaining. It “won’t cost us a penny,” he said, arguing that the United States would be reimbursed through revenue from Venezuela’s oil resources—a comparison that recalls claims made ahead of the 2003 Iraq war, which ultimately cost the United States an estimated $2 trillion.

The president’s focus on foreign intervention has given Democrats an opening ahead of November’s midterm elections, where control of Congress is at stake and Republicans hold narrow majorities. Polls show voters are more concerned about high domestic prices than foreign policy. “How does going to war in South America help regular Americans who are struggling?” Democratic Senator Chris Murphy wrote on X.

Outside the White House, roughly 100 demonstrators organized by the ANSWER Coalition and the Party for Socialism and Liberation gathered to demand Maduro’s return to Venezuela, denouncing the U.S. action as a “kidnapping.”

{Matzav.com}

The Jewish community in Switzerland reported that three women are still missing in the aftermath of the deadly fire that broke out in the country. At this stage, no official information has been released regarding the whereabouts of the missing women, and it remains unclear whether they were at the site of the fire when […]

After months of growing military pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, President Donald Trump ordered an 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 […]

US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has ruled the country since 2013, was captured following a large-scale US strike on Caracas. Elite US forces stormed Maduro’s residence during the operation, dragging him and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their bedroom before flying them out of the country. Maduro […]

Independent reporter Nick Shirley said that a forthcoming second chapter of his Minnesota investigation will further unsettle critics in major newsrooms, hinting that the reaction will be intense once it is released.

“Just wait until I post part 2, they are going to go insane,” Shirley wrote.

His comments came amid a wave of responses to a 42-minute report he published last week examining Minnesota daycare facilities that appeared closed or inactive while still receiving large sums of public money. The video exploded online, surpassing 134 million views on X, and quickly drew the attention of federal authorities. In response, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services moved to halt all childcare payments in the state while the matter is reviewed.

As the story gained traction, several legacy media organizations faced criticism for their handling of Shirley’s findings. CNN and others were accused by commentators of minimizing the work by framing it as little more than a “viral video.” Journalist Stella Escobedo wrote on X that the episode amounted to “an indictment” of mainstream outlets, a characterization that Shirley publicly embraced.

Some news organizations went further, directly challenging Shirley’s credibility. PBS described him as a “right-wing influencer” and said he accused Minnesota daycare centers of fraud “without proof.” The New York Times similarly referred to his work as a “single viral video,” while NPR aired an interview with University of Minnesota media law professor Jane Kirtley, who suggested Shirley was primarily promoting a narrative aligned with his own views.

Other critics highlighted how cable news handled the story. NewsBusters contributor Steve Malzberg noted that multiple CNN programs claimed Shirley had previously “shared anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim videos,” without providing specifics. CNN also drew ridicule following a segment on “Anderson Cooper 360” Tuesday night, in which correspondent Whitney Wild questioned Shirley extensively about his reporting process.

During that broadcast, Wild said the network was “looking into” Shirley’s allegations and then demonstrated her own outreach by calling daycare centers on speakerphone. She acknowledged that most did not respond.

“Only one daycare facility answered and said they are a legitimate business,” Wild told viewers.

The segment was quickly criticized online, with many observers arguing that CNN appeared more focused on scrutinizing Shirley himself than examining the alleged misuse of public funds in Minneapolis.

Shirley has previously voiced frustration with that dynamic, writing on X, “Mainstream media is more mad at me than they are at the FACT that billions of YOUR dollars are being used for fraudulent business.”

State officials have also sought to counter the implications of Shirley’s reporting. Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families Commissioner Tikki Brown said earlier this week that inspections conducted in the past had not revealed fraud, while still acknowledging the attention generated by the video.

“We are aware of a video that’s being circulated that has gained local and national attention about childcare centers in Minnesota,” Brown said at a Monday news conference. “While we have questions about some of the methods that were used in the video, we do take the concerns that the video raises about fraud very seriously.”

{Matzav.com}

Iran’s top diplomat issued a sharp response Friday to remarks by President Donald Trump regarding the unrest unfolding across the Islamic Republic, accusing Washington of courting escalation.

Speaking out on social media, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized Trump’s message, framing it as a product of outside forces hostile to negotiations. “Trump’s message today, likely influenced by those who fear diplomacy or mistakenly believe it is unnecessary, is reckless and dangerous,” Araghchi wrote.

He went on to warn against any external involvement in Iran’s domestic affairs, stressing both popular resistance and military readiness. “As in the past, the Great People of Iran will forcefully reject any interference in their internal affairs. Similarly, our Powerful Armed Forces are on standby and know exactly where to aim in the event of any infringement of Iranian sovereignty,” Araghchi added.

The foreign minister also rejected characterizations of the demonstrations as violent, saying the protests were largely peaceful. In doing so, he pointed to Trump’s own actions during periods of unrest in the United States, noting the deployment of the National Guard in American cities.

Araghchi’s comments followed a stark warning from Trump, who said the United States could step in if Iranian authorities resort to lethal force against demonstrators. “If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Meanwhile, Iranian media reported Thursday that the clashes and riots linked to the broader protest movement had resulted in five deaths within a 24-hour period.

Footage from one of the demonstrations showed protesters setting ablaze a statue of Qassem Soleimani, the former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps’ Quds Force, who was killed in a US drone strike in Iraq in January 2020.

{Matzav.com}

A marked improvement has been reported in the condition of Rav Meir Greineman, who was hospitalized last week and has now returned home and resumed his regular Torah schedule.

Rav Greineman, the last surviving nephew of Chazon Ish, was taken to Sheba Medical Center late Friday night after losing consciousness while learning with his grandson. He was admitted to the cardiac intensive care unit, where doctors closely monitored his condition.

After several days of treatment and observation, his health stabilized, and he was now discharged from the hospital to his home in Bnei Brak.

Last night, just one week after the incident, Rav Greineman returned to his established routine and delivered his regular shiur in his home to talmidim of Yeshivas Beis Medrash Elyon.

All are asked to continue davening for Rav Meir ben Tzivia.

{Matzav.com}

Two yeshiva bochurim who had been held in military prison for refusing to report for IDF service were released and greeted by friends with singing, dancing, and a red carpet laid out in their honor.

After ten days in military custody, Yair Saada, a talmid of Yeshiva Kisei Rachamim, was freed on Thursday morning. At the same time, Yitzchak Rebibo, a talmid of Yeshiva Rabbeinu Chaim Ozer, was released after spending 17 days in military prison. Dozens of friends arrived to welcome the two, breaking out in song and dance as the young men emerged.

Saada was arrested on December 25, by military police after refusing to present himself for military service. The arrest took place at his family home in Be’er Sheva. At the time, Saada was unwell, suffering from a high fever, and had been brought home by his parents from yeshiva. Several hours later, military police arrived and arrested him while he was in bed.

Rebibo was arrested earlier, on December 16, 2025, in Ramat Gan, shortly after lighting neiros Chanukah with his family. Three weeks before his arrest, military police had already attempted to detain him on charges of draft evasion but were unsuccessful. He was later tracked by authorities and arrested several weeks afterward.

An earlier attempt to arrest Rebibo on November 26, near the Bnei Brak–Ramat Gan border sparked large demonstrations. Alerts circulated through protest hotlines associated with the Yerushalmi faction, drawing hundreds of demonstrators to the scene. Large numbers of yeshiva students and avreichim, mobilized by assistance organizations, protested the arrest attempt.

{Matzav.com}

Retired NYPD Chief of Department John Chell warns of a ‘massive’ problem if NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani ‘alienates’ himself from police officers due to rhetoric and political appointments on ‘Fox News Live.’

WATCH:

{Matzav.com}

A new survey released Friday in Ma’ariv indicates a modest uptick for Likud, which gained two seats in the latest weekly polling. The findings come after Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s visit to the United States and his meeting with President Donald Trump. The poll was conducted by the “Lazar Research Institute.”

As Likud strengthened, the governing coalition as a whole also improved its standing, rising by two seats to a total of 52. At the same time, the bloc opposing Netanyahu—excluding Hadash-Ta’al and Ra’am—slipped to 58 seats, largely due to a drop in support for Naftali Bennett’s party, which fell from 21 seats to 19.

Based on the poll’s breakdown, if elections were held today Likud would emerge with 27 seats. Naftali Bennett’s party would secure 19 seats, while the Democrats, Yesh Atid, Yisrael Beiteinu, and Otzma Yehudit would each receive 10. Yashar would follow with 9 seats, Shas with 8, and United Torah Judaism with 7. Hadash-Ta’al and Ra’am would each earn 5 seats.

The Religious Zionist Party remains below the electoral threshold, though it is currently the closest among parties that have not crossed it. Trailing further behind in the rankings are the Reservists’ Party, Blue and White, and Balad.

{Matzav.com}

Amid escalating unrest across Iran, President Donald Trump warned Friday morning that the United States could step in if Iranian security forces open fire on demonstrators. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, “If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J.TRUMP,” signaling a readiness to act should the situation deteriorate further.

Reports from Iranian media a day earlier indicated that violence linked to the protests has already proven deadly. According to those accounts, five people were killed over a 24-hour period during clashes tied to the broader wave of demonstrations spreading across the country. The deaths were said to have occurred during confrontations with police in Lorestan, in western Iran.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the unrest by calling for a focus on public welfare, saying the government must guide the nation in assisting all citizens. He stressed that “the livelihood of the people is a red line,” and added, “There is no problem that cannot be solved.”

U.S. officials have also publicly aligned themselves with the demonstrators. Earlier in the week, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz expressed solidarity with those protesting Iran’s leadership. “The people of Iran want freedom. They have suffered at the hands of the Ayatollahs for too long,” Waltz wrote on social media.

He continued by stressing American backing for the demonstrations nationwide, saying, “We stand with Iranians in the streets of Tehran and across the country as they protest a radical regime that has brought them nothing but economic downturn and war.”

{Matzav.com}

Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli issued a forceful response after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani moved to undo executive actions aimed at countering antisemitism that had been put in place by his predecessor, Eric Adams.

Chikli argued that the mayor’s early decisions were deliberate and revealing. “It is no coincidence that one of Mayor Mamdani’s first actions was an attempt to cancel the IHRA definition of antisemitism. He knows very well that, according to that definition, he himself falls under the category of antisemitic,” Chikli said. “Instead of confronting reality, he is trying to change the rules.”

He went on to accuse the mayor of pursuing a broader rollback of policies tied to Israel and antisemitism. “It does not stop there. At the same time, he is working to lift the ban on boycotts of Israel and to erase official statements made by his predecessor, a friend of Israel, Eric Adams, regarding antisemitism in New York. This is a systematic attempt to erase the fight against antisemitism and to legitimize extremist positions under the guise of social justice.”

Chikli warned that the location of these developments heightened their significance. “The fact that such moves are taking place in New York City, the city with the largest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel, is a serious warning sign.”

In closing, he offered a stark assessment of the situation. “We must say things clearly. Today, the mayor of New York is an overt antisemite and a supporter of terrorism. Anyone who tries to obscure this reality or wrap it in polite language is cooperating with a dangerous process that threatens not only the Jewish community of New York but the very legitimacy of the fight against antisemitism in the Western world,” Chikli concluded.

Mamdani was sworn in as mayor shortly after midnight on January 1 and quickly moved to cancel executive orders issued by Adams. Among the actions set to be rescinded was a June 2025 order that formally adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition of antisemitism. Another order, signed last month, barred mayoral appointees and city agency staff from participating in boycotts or disinvestment campaigns targeting Israel.

The mayor’s actions drew swift condemnation from Jewish leaders across the United States. William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said: “Mayor Mamdani’s decision to cancel New York’s adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, along with related presidential orders aimed at addressing antisemitic discrimination, is a troubling indicator of the direction he is leading the city, just one day after taking office.”

Daroff warned that the policy shift could have concrete consequences. “Its cancellation reduces New York’s ability to identify and respond to antisemitism at a time when the number of incidents continues to rise. New York City should clearly lead in moral integrity and determination in confronting antisemitism. This decision signals the opposite direction.”

{Matzav.com}

Federal authorities announced Friday that an 18-year-old from the Charlotte suburbs has been taken into custody on terrorism-related charges tied to an alleged plan to carry out violence on New Year’s Eve.

According to law enforcement, Christian Sturdivant of Mint Hill, North Carolina, is accused of preparing to target a grocery store and a fast food restaurant using knives and hammers. Details of the alleged plot were first reported by WSOC-TV.

Investigators said the case was handled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Charlotte office, which determined that Sturdivant was “directly inspired to act” by ISIS.

Officials drew a connection between the disrupted plot and a deadly attack carried out last year in New Orleans, when an ISIS-inspired assailant drove a truck into crowds celebrating New Year’s Eve on Bourbon Street. That attack, carried out by Shamsud-Din Jabbar, left 14 people dead and 57 others wounded as festivities were coming to an end.

{Matzav.com}

Venezuela is open to negotiating an agreement with the United States to combat drug trafficking, the South American country’s President Nicolás Maduro said in a pretaped interview aired Thursday on state television, but he declined to comment on a CIA-led strike last week at a Venezuelan docking area that the Trump administration believed was used […]

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir publicly aligned himself with demonstrators challenging Iran’s ruling authorities, posting a message of solidarity on X late Friday.

Writing in Farsi, Ben-Gvir addressed Iranians directly, declaring, “The Iranian people deserve to be free, free of the murderous dictator Khamenei.” He closed the message with a statement of support, adding, “We are with you!”

The post also featured an AI-generated image depicting a shattered bust of Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei alongside a noose and a burning flag of the Islamic Republic. Text embedded in the image read “Death to the dictator” in Farsi and “The dictator must fall” in English.

Earlier the same day, President Donald Trump issued a warning tied to the ongoing unrest in Iran, cautioning Tehran against violent repression of demonstrators. “If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” he wrote.

{Matzav.com}

BREAKING: The FBI says it has foiled an ISIS-inspired plot to attack a grocery store in North Carolina on New Year’s Eve. Christian Sturdivant, 18, of Mint Hill, was arrested and charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS after allegedly planning a mass-casualty stabbing attack. Prosecutors say a search of his home uncovered […]

World Zionist Organization Chairman Yaakov Hagoel issued a sharp rebuke of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani after the city moved to revoke its prohibition on boycotts targeting Israel, calling the decision “deeply troubling.”

Hagoel underscored the heightened dangers facing Jews worldwide, saying, “Jews around the world have been facing relentless Antisemitic campaigns since October 7, 2023. Just two weeks ago, 15 people were murdered in a brutal Antisemitic terrorist massacre in Sydney, Australia.” He pointed to that climate as reason for heightened vigilance, not policy reversals he believes could embolden hostility.

Emphasizing public safety, he warned that local leadership carries responsibility for the wellbeing of Jewish residents, stating that “the Jewish communities of New York must be able to live in safety, and I sincerely hope that Mayor Mamdani does not continue down a path that fuels Antisemitism against the Jews living in his city.”

He framed the moment as requiring firm lines rather than accommodation, declaring, “This is the time for zero tolerance toward Antisemitism.”

Hagoel also said the World Zionist Organization is actively coordinating with communities to address threats, adding, “The World Zionist Organization is in close contact with Jewish communities and will do everything in its power to protect Jews in New York and around the world.”

{Matzav.com}

The teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made her first known visit to a sacred family mausoleum, a step that experts say bolstered her status as her father’s potential heir. The visit, which occurred on New Year’s Day on Thursday, even sparked speculation that the girl, reportedly named Kim Ju Ae and […]

Fire and Rescue officials who arrived this week to close a well-known yeshiva in Elad ultimately agreed to delay the shutdown after being deeply impressed by the atmosphere of Torah learning and holding an extended discussion with the rosh yeshiva.

Personnel from Israel Fire and Rescue Authority conducted a safety inspection at Yeshivas Knesses Yechezkel, led by Rav Baruch Mordechai Ettinger. Following the inspection, officials initially determined that the yeshiva did not meet legally required safety standards and ordered its immediate closure.

However, after a lengthy conversation with Rav Ettinger and a visit inside the beis medrash—where they encountered the powerful sound and intensity of ongoing Torah study—the inspectors agreed to postpone the decree for several months. This reprieve is intended to allow the yeshiva time to bring its facilities into compliance with safety regulations.

At the same time, Fire and Rescue officials instructed that most of the dormitories, which are housed in caravans lacking proper fire-safety standards, must be closed within a few months unless significant upgrades are completed.

In response, the yeshiva’s administration has been working around the clock to find immediate solutions and prevent any interruption to the learning. According to information obtained by Matzav.com, the yeshiva is considering launching a matching fundraising campaign to raise the approximately 2.5 million shekels required to carry out the necessary safety renovations and repairs.

{Matzav.com}

Porsche Recalls Over 170,000 Vehicles Over Faulty Rearview Cameras Porsche has issued a recall for more than 170,000 vehicles due to a defect in the rearview camera that could raise the risk of a crash. The recall affects 2019–2025 Cayenne and Cayenne E-Hybrid models, as well as 2020 to 2025, 911 and Taycan vehicles. Owners […]