This blatant pursuit of regime change doesn’t just affect those abroad, it directly impacts New Yorkers,” he continued. The Trump administration has accused Maduro of facilitating the flow of narcotics into the U.S. He’s denied any links to the drug trade, but now stands indicted by Trump’s Department of Justice on narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges. AdvertisementMaduro was expected to arrive in New York City on Saturday and is set to be housed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. Mamdani met with Trump in the Oval Office after winning the mayoral election in November. During his victory speech in November, Mamdani vowed to fight for his constituents and called Trump a “despot.”

Word had begun to circulate that the U.S. was invading Venezuela and would seize its president, Nicolás Maduro. Advertisement“I waited for this moment for so long from within Venezuela, and now that I’m out, it’s like watching a movie,” said Torres Ramirez, a former political activist who opposed Maduro. AdvertisementPeople in Doral, Fla., celebrate the news of the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Jan. 3, 2026. Aguero said there is no valid reason for the United States to attack in the manner it did. Because of the Venezuelan state’s control over media, her relatives had no idea their leader had been seized by U.S. forces.

How relevant is this ad to you? Video player was slow to load content Video content never loaded Ad froze or did not finish loading Video content did not start after ad Audio on ad was too loud Other issues

How relevant is this ad to you? Video player was slow to load content Video content never loaded Ad froze or did not finish loading Video content did not start after ad Audio on ad was too loud Other issues

Back The TruthIf you’re entering the new year wanting facts over noise, accountability over excuses — become a HuffPost member. Already a member? Log in to hide these messages.

Boy rescued from icy pond reunites with hero officers An 8-year-old boy got the chance to thank the officers who rescued him on Christmas Day after falling through ice on a pond.

LOADING ERROR LOADINGThe films of 2026 are filled with romance, action, lots of laughs and Michael Jackson hits — and we can’t wait to see them. ‘Wuthering Heights’ — Feb. 13Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie in "Wuthering Heights." Warner Bros. PicturesThe “Wuthering Heights” trailer sparked a ton of conversation when it was released earlier this year — and for good reason. The film stars Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. — ErinAdvertisement‘Michael’ — April 24Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in "Michael."

LOADING ERROR LOADINGThe New York Times editorial board railed against President Donald Trump’s military strike on Venezuela Saturday, calling the strike and U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro “illegal and unwise.”“Mr. Trump has not yet offered a coherent explanation for his actions in Venezuela. He is pushing our country toward an international crisis without valid reasons,” the board wrote in an editorial published hours after Trump announced the strike had occurred. “If Mr. Trump wants to argue otherwise, the Constitution spells out what he must do: Go to Congress. Without congressional approval, his actions violate U.S. law.”AdvertisementVenezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured during a U.S operation.

Pop icon Beyoncé has officially been named a billionaire by Forbes magazine, confirming what many fans long suspected: her influence extends far beyond music into fashion, film, business and culture. According to Forbes, Beyoncé’s fortune has surged thanks to a combination of successful music tours, record sales, streaming, savvy business ventures and a series of lucrative deals. Her earnings are boosted by her Renaissance and Renaissance World Tour success, merchandising, publishing income, and a share of profits from her high-profile brand partnerships. The billionaire designation is another milestone in Beyoncé’s storied career — one that has seen her evolve from Destiny’s Child superstar to cultural pioneer. Forbes emphasised that Beyoncé’s financial success is built on both creative excellence and business acumen, and called her “one of the most powerful entertainers in the world”.

People carrying banners gather to protest the US attacks on Venezuela, in Washington DC, United States on January 3, 2026. Pan said in Latin America, “neo-Monroe Doctrine”–style intervention exacerbates regional antagonisms and heightens geopolitical conflict risks. Several countries have issued strong condemnations over the US for its attack on Venezuela. Spain and the European Union also called for respect for international law following the latest events. The New York Times ran headlines with “shock and skepticism” to cover the global reaction to US’ seize of Maduro.

California State Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón answers a question during an interview at her office in Santa Barbara on Dec. 3. Sen. Limón, the first Latina California Senate president, was born and raised in Santa Barbara. Since President Trump’s immigration raids began sweeping through California’s cities and farm fields, state Senate President Monique Limón has carried a copy of her passport. The group discussed the impacts of federal immigration policy on the labor force. “We need federal immigration reform,” Limón said.

LOADING ERROR LOADINGSecretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on Saturday delivered a series of bragging comments during a press conference about the overnight U.S. military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. “This is about the safety, security, freedom and prosperity of the American people,” said Hegseth at the Mar-a-Lago presser. Captured during the overnight operation alongside his wife, Cilia Flores, he is expected to arrive in New York on Saturday. AdvertisementHegseth also glowingly championed Trump for his supposed humanitarian efforts in overthrowing Maduro to prevent U.S. drug deaths, noting — a lot — how “deadly serious” the president was. “President Trump is deadly serious about stopping the flow of gangs, of violence to our country, deadly serious about stopping the flow of drugs and poison to our people, deadly serious about getting back the oil that was stolen from us and deadly serious re-establishing American deterrence and dominance in the Western Hemisphere.”

In the immediate hours following US forces bombing Caracas and abducting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Venezuela’s beleaguered opposition was ecstatic. “Venezuelans, the hour of freedom has arrived,” declared María Corina Machado, the leader of Venezuela’s opposition movement and recipient of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. Machado had called for the immediate installation of Edmundo González Urrutia as president, and for the Venezuelan military to fall in behind him. A transition that needs ALL of us.”Then came a press conference from Trump. A regime fixture will “make Venezuela great again”Rather than Machado, Trump has instead appeared to zero in on Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, a regime stalwart.

By Dronelife Features Editor Jim MagillAs artificial intelligence (AI) tools are rapidly driving the pace of technological innovation across a wide swath of industries, a controversy is brewing over which AI tools the commercial drone industry should embrace and how quickly that adoption should take place. But commercial drone operators are not far behind in finding new uses for AI technology. UTM systems will likely rely on AI tools in the development of object-avoidance technology and in locating where each drone is located in the airspace and where it’s going. Such early-detection systems could supplant the decades-old techniques of relying on humans to spot and report wildfires“With AI technology and using drone swarms, you have a hundred drones in the air scanning the forest. Robinson said one area in which AI tools could prove useful to most drone operators is in assisting them in mission planning.

Following the deadly U.S. raid to pluck President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, out of Venezuela, local news organizations reported on the reaction in their communities. Jose Lara, a Venezuelan expat living in West Haven, Connecticut, told Breen he was hopeful that Maduro’s arrest would lead to better days for his home country. “It was a little bit of a shock,” said Pedro Velasquez, whose family runs nonprofit medical clinics in both Memphis and Venezuela. Jackson leads with Andrew Josefchak of the Minnesota Peace Action Coalition and a left-wing supporter of the Maduro government, who joined with more than 200 others to protest Trump’s action on Satuday. “They don’t want war.”The Strib also quotes Democratic opponents of Trump’s action like U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Republican supporters like U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer.