Key Events (10)
The Trump administration conducted a military operation capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, who were flown to New York. Trump stated the US will "run" Venezuela during a transition period, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio defending the action as necessary leverage over the country.
Democratic lawmakers criticized the Venezuela military operation as lacking congressional approval and called it "wildly illegal." By Sunday evening, Trump administration officials agreed to brief Congress on Monday after Democrats demanded information about the action taken without legislative notification.
The US military operation to capture Maduro involved at least 150 aircraft and months of surveillance, completed in approximately two and a half hours. The operation marked a significant escalation in executive military action without advance congressional notification.
Trump claims the US will reclaim Venezuelan oil that he characterizes as "stolen," though experts note the US has no legal claim to the country's natural reserves. Secretary of State Rubio announced a military "quarantine" on some oil exports to pressure Venezuela's acting leadership.
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen responded to renewed Trump threats regarding Greenland, asserting the US "has no right" to take over the territory. The statement came amid heightened tensions following the Venezuela operation.
Venezuela's interim leader Delcy Rodríguez, the former vice president, faces the difficult task of accommodating US demands while maintaining a regime unpopular with many Venezuelans. US officials selected her over Nicolás Maduro's preference for a gilded exile as the new leader.
Maduro was indicted in connection with drug trafficking charges, with the indictment attempting to link him to the Tren de Aragua gang. Co-defendants include alleged gang founder Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, indicted two weeks prior.
2025 was ICE's deadliest year in two decades, with 32 people dying in custody as the Trump administration ramped up immigration enforcement and detained a record number of people.
Canadian officials stated that US health institutions are no longer dependable sources for accurate information, citing misinformation from the Trump administration as fueling Canadian concerns over childhood vaccinations.
Emergency managers and experts stated that the US is less prepared for natural disasters under Trump's administration, describing the situation as "the perfect storm" due to erosion in the nation's capacity to prepare for and respond to natural disasters.