Trump releases first picture of Nicolás Maduro in US custody

PresidentDonald Trumpon Jan. 3 released the first photo ofVenezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima after his capture in an overnight U.S. military operation.

The photo,postedto Trump's social media network Truth Social, shows Maduro in a gray sweatsuit, holding a water bottle and wearing what appeared to be sound-suppressing earmuffs and a dark covering over his eyes.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were both captured in the operation that also included strikes on targets in Venezuela, he said. Both are named in a federal indictment accusing them of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and two illegal weapons counts. They will be taken to New York to face the charges, Trump said.

In anews conference, Trump said the United States will "run the country" until a "proper" transition of leadership can take place, without further detailing what U.S. involvement would look like.

Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, pictured here after his capture aboard the USS Iwo Jima, is seen in this handout image posted by U.S. President Donald Trump on Truth Social Jan. 3, 2026. The United States captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife in an overnight military operation on Jan. 3, 2026, President Donald Trump said, as explosions rocked Caracas and targets across the country.

Maduro was pictured on the USS Iwo Jima, a U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship, where he was being held with his wife, Trump said. They were removed from Venezuela by helicopter, he said on Fox News.

"They're on a ship, but they'll be heading into New York," he said in a morning appearance on the network.

Picture of fire at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, after a series of explosions in Caracas on January 3, 2026. Loud explosions, accompanied by sounds resembling aircraft flyovers, were heard in Caracas around 2:00 am on January 3. Smoke rises from explosions in Caracas, Venezuela, January 3, 2026, in this screen grab obtained from video obtained by Reuters. Fire at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, is seen from a distance after a series of explosions in Caracas on January 3, 2026. Helicopters fly past plumes of smoke rising from explosions, in Caracas, Venezuela, January 3, 2026 in this screen grab obtained from video obtained by Reuters. A column of smoke rises during multiple explosions in the early hours of the morning, in Caracas, Venezuela, January 3, 2026 in this screen grab obtained from video obtained by Reuters. A military personnel member walks past debris at La Carlota military air base, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 3, 2026. A destroyed anti-aircraft unit at La Carlota military air base, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 3, 2026. Civilians who were living inside Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex leave the compound, in Caracas on Jan. 3, 2026. A firefighter walks past a destroyed anti-aircraft unit at La Carlota military air base, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela, January 3, 2026. Destroyed vehicles at La Carlota military air base, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela, January 3, 2026. A member of the National Guard stands guard at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, in Caracas on Jan. 3, 2026, after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro after launching a A Colombian soldier stands guard at the border between Venezuela and Colombia, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Cucuta, Colombia, January 3, 2026. Colombian police and military personnel stand guard at the border between Venezuela and Colombia, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Cucuta, Colombia, January 3, 2026. A destroyed anti-aircraft unit at La Carlota military air base, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela, January 3, 2026. A man walks next to military vehicles as Colombian soldiers patrol the border between Venezuela and Colombia, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Cucuta, Colombia, January 3, 2026. Passengers sleep on the floor, after flights were delayed and cancelled when the airspace was closed due to U.S. strikes on Venezuela overnight, at Rafael Hernandez International Airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico January 3, 2026. U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter jets sit parked on the tarmac at the former Roosevelt Roads naval base, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, January 3, 2026. Colombian soldiers in a military vehicle at the border between Venezuela and Colombia, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Cucuta, Colombia, January 3, 2026. A car drives on an empty street, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela January 3, 2026. A cyclist stops to check their phone, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela January 3, 2026. F-22, C-130 and F-35 aircraft are seen at the former Roosevelt Roads naval base, after U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Ceiba, Puerto Rico, January 3, 2026. A supporter of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro holds a flag of Venezuela on an empty street near Miraflores Palace, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured President Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela, January 3, 2026. A person wears a Venezuelan flag, as they and others react to the news after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Miami, Florida, U.S., January 3, 2026. People react to the news after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, on the streets of Miami, Florida, U.S., January 3, 2026. A person wearing a hat that reads A man holds a flag reading

US bombs targets in Venezuela and captures Nicolás Maduro, Trump says

Explosions rocked Venezuela's capital of Caracas early on Jan. 3 and other targets around the country. Videos circulating on social media showed helicopters flying over Caracas and firing at targets.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Picture of Nicolás Maduro in US custody posted by President Trump

byAlpha World
in
January 03, 2026

Trump releases first picture of Nicolás Maduro in US custody

PresidentDonald Trumpon Jan. 3 released the first photo ofVenezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima afte...
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President Donald Trump speaks at his Mar-a-Lago club, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Palm Beach, Fla. Credit - Alex Brandon—Associated Press

President Donald Trump said the United States would "run" Venezuela until it can ensure a political transition following thecapture of President Nicolas Maduroin an extraordinary raid by American special forces early Saturday.

The president's comments suggest the Trump Administration is planning a long-term intervention in the South American country, despite previouslydenyingit was seeking regime change.

"We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition. So we don't want to be involved with having somebody else get in, and we have the same situation that we had for the last long period of years," Trump said in a press conference at Mar-a-Lago.

Read more:Trump Says U.S. Has Captured Venezuelan President Following 'Large-Scale' Strike

Lauding what he described as an "extraordinary military operation" to capture Maduro, Trump signaled that the United States would take control of Venezuela's oil industry, which he claimed had been stolen from the U.S.

"We're going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country," he said.

"We built Venezuela's oil industry with American talent, drive and skill, and the socialist regime stole it from us during those previous administrations, and they stole it through force. This constituted one of the largest thefts of American property in the history of our country," Trump said.

In a meandering speech, Trump diverted from the issue of Venezuela to attack U.S. governors for not supporting his deployment of the National Guard to American cities and attack former presidents.

The extraordinary attack on Venezuela followsmonths of pressurefrom the Trump Administration on Maduro to cede power in the South American country over long-standing accusations of drug trafficking and election rigging.

It represents the largest U.S. military operation in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama, when, as today, the U.S. captured the country's leader, Manuel Antonio Noriega.

Maduro was indicted on corruption and drug trafficking charges in the U.S. in 2020. The State Department had announced a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest or conviction.

Attorney General Pam BondisaidMaduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been indicted in New York and would "soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts."

Contact usatletters@time.com.

byAlpha World
in
January 03, 2026

Trump Says U.S. Will 'Run' Venezuela and Take Control of Oil

President Donald Trump speaks at his Mar-a-Lago club, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in Palm Beach, Fla. Credit - Alex Brandon—Associated Press P...
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More than 100 firefighters battle massive blaze in Denver

More than 100 firefighters battled a massive five-alarm fire Friday evening in Denver at an apartment building construction site -- about the size of a city block -- working for hours to keep the flames from spreading to nearby structures, officials said.

One firefighter was injured battling the fire and taken to the hospital, the Denver Fire Department told ABC News.

There were no other injuries immediately reported.

AP - PHOTO: US Denver Fire

The fire spurred evacuation orders for nearby residents.

By late evening, the fire was largely under control but not fully extinguished. Officials estimated the blaze was about 70% contained, with pockets of deep-seated fire still burning inside the structure. Firefighters were expected to remain on scene through the night to fully suppress hot spots.

Denver Fire Department - PHOTO: This photo provided by The Denver Fire Department shows a large blaze in Denver, Friday evening, Jan. 2, 2026.

The building, which was in the early to mid-stages of construction, was primarily made of wood, with some plastic materials used in wrapping and construction.

There's no word yet on the cause of the blaze.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

byAlpha World
in
January 03, 2026

More than 100 firefighters battle massive blaze in Denver

More than 100 firefighters battled a massive five-alarm fire Friday evening in Denver at an apartment building constru...
Read More
No. 4 UConn, underperfoming Marquette tangle in Big East clash

No. 4 UConn will look to keep its dominant start to Big East conference play rolling along as the Huskies host Marquette on Sunday afternoon in Storrs, Conn.

The Christmas break did nothing to slow down the Huskies (13-1, 3-0), who took down Xavier 90-67 on Wednesday night in Cincinnati.

Alex Karaban led the way with 19 points and seven boards, while Braylon Mullins and Solo Ball each added 17. The Huskies knocked down 13 of their 28 3-point attempts (46.4%).

"I thought Alex set a tone and played a game. He's been Big East Player of the Year, All-American level player for us," Huskies coach Dan Hurley said. "Most under-appreciated great player in college basketball."

Ball leads a balanced scoring attack with an average of 15.5 points per game, with Karaban (14), Tarris Reed Jr. (14) and Mullins (10.2) not far behind. Silas Demary Jr. leads with 5.9 assists per game.

Marquette (5-9, 0-3) meanwhile is coming in off perhaps the most disappointing loss of a season that has been full of such setbacks.

The Golden Eagles held a double-digit lead midway in the second half and led by seven with three minutes left against Seton Hall on Tuesday, putting their first conference win and by far the best win of the season well in reach.

Then, the Golden Eagles missed their final 10 shot attempts and saw Seton Hall go on a 13-0 run to close out a 79-73 win in Milwaukee.

"That was as tough of an ending as I've seen in a while. There was a stretch in the second half where we were as lost in the fight and as present as we've been all season," Marquette coach Shaka Smart said. "That's a bitter, bitter pill to swallow."

With the loss, Marquette's best win on the season remains an overtime struggle against Valparaiso that it won 75-72. The Golden Eagles fell against all five Power Four opponents they faced in nonconference play and have lost second-half leads in two of their three Big East games.

Despite their struggles, Marquette does have one of the brighter talents in the Big East in Chase Ross, who leads the team with an average of 16.6 points per game.

However, even Ross' numbers have taken a dive as he had a rough month of December. Over the past five games, he is shooting 27.9% on 2-point attempts and 20% from deep.

Freshman Nigel James Jr. has led the team in conference play, averaging 17.3 points and 4.3 assists and shooting 50% from the floor across the three contests.

This was becoming one of the strongest rivalries in the Big East after Marquette took two of three from UConn in the 2022-23 season and won both the regular season and conference tournament titles.

However since then, the Huskies have won five in a row over Marquette.

The Golden Eagles have not won in a true road game at Connecticut since the 2011-12 season. UConn leads the all-time series 13-8.

--Field Level Media

byAlpha World
in
January 03, 2026

No. 4 UConn, underperfoming Marquette tangle in Big East clash

No. 4 UConn will look to keep its dominant start to Big East conference play rolling along as the Huskies host Marquet...
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Nancy under extreme pressure at Celtic after loss to fierce rival Rangers but says 'nothing changes'

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Wilfried Nancy's job as Celtic manager came under even more intense scrutiny Saturday after a 3-1 home loss to fierce Glasgow rival Rangers in the Old Firm derby, the biggest match in Scottish soccer.

It was a sixth loss in eight games under Nancy since his arrival at Celtic on Dec. 3 and the Frenchman cut a lonely figure after the post-match handshakes as he walked down the tunnel to a backdrop of jeers that greeted the fulltime whistle.

The result left Celtic on the same points as Rangers — though ahead on goal difference — and three behind surprise leader Hearts in aturbulent campaignin the Scottish Premiership.

Nancyleft Columbus Crew in Major League Soccerfor Celtic but lost his first four matches in charge — including a stunning defeat in theScottish League Cup final. There were then back-to-back wins, only for Celtic to lose at Motherwell on Tuesday and then against its biggest foe to home.

"For me, nothing changes," Nancy said after the game against Rangers. "My focus is to help my players to be better, help my team start to be better, and to find a way to turn things around. We are really close to doing good things but (when) we concede goals sometimes it's difficult."

Trailing 1-0 at halftime, Rangers scored three goals in a 21-minute span from the 50th — leading to audible discontent among Celtic fans throughout the second half.

The BBC reported that Celtic supporters gathered outside their stadium after the game in protest at the club's board. Last month, chairman Peter Lawwell resigned and chief executive Michael Nicholson claimed three of his "colleagues" on the board were "assaulted" after the League Cup final, without disclosing further details.

Nancy cited "details at certain moments" as the reason for Celtic's problems.

"I see many, many good things — that's why the frustration is there because we deserve better," he said. "We have to stay together, and everything is going to move forward."

Celtic has been Scottish champion for 13 of the last 14 years.

Under Nancy, Celtic has conceded two or more goals in seven of his eight games in charge.

AP soccer:https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

byAlpha World
in
January 03, 2026

Nancy under extreme pressure at Celtic after loss to fierce rival Rangers but says 'nothing changes'

GLASGOW, Scotland (AP) — Wilfried Nancy's job as Celtic manager came under even more intense scrutiny Saturday after ...
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