Staff Reports
On January 3, 2026, America showed the world that no one is above the law when U.S. forces captured Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro and brought him to face charges on our soil. This decisive action was the result of a bold operation that removed a drug-trafficking tyrant from power and signaled that the United States will not tolerate narco-dictators exporting chaos to our hemisphere.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were arraigned in New York on January 5, 2026, where both pleaded not guilty to the federal indictments that have followed him for years. For hardworking Americans who watched cartels and corrupt regimes enrich themselves at the expense of law and order, seeing this case move into federal court is vindication for standing up to international criminality.
This was not a political theater stunt; these are narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges rooted in long investigations, and the Department of Justice had previously placed a record bounty on Maduro for a reason. Conservatives should celebrate that our government used its tools to bring alleged perpetrators to justice rather than leaving them free to undermine regional stability and flood our streets with poison.
Predictably, the left and the usual media suspects pivoted to lawfare and hysteria, weaponizing outrage while amplifying manipulated images and AI-generated nonsense to confuse the public. Social media exploded with doctored photos and fake videos in the hours after the operation, proving once again that tech platforms are playgrounds for propaganda unless responsible Americans insist on accountability.
Let’s be honest: many Democrats reacted as if national security and a major narco-trafficking takedown were crimes, not accomplishments. Polls show the nation split on the operation, largely along partisan lines, but true patriots should judge this by results—removing a violent, corrupt regime leader and bringing him to justice is the right outcome for American safety and honor.
Beyond justice, the operation opened strategic opportunities: the administration moved to clamp down on Venezuela’s shadow oil network and seize assets tied to Maduro’s kleptocracy, actions that protect American energy interests and strike a blow against hostile foreign influence. Conservatives who have long warned about weaponized oil and corrupt regimes stealing from their people should applaud actions that prioritize U.S. economic and national security.
Hardworking Americans deserve leaders who act, not hand-wringers who freetext outrage from a safe distance. Remember the dates—January 3, 2026 for the capture and January 5, 2026 for the arraignment—and demand that our institutions see this case through to a lawful conclusion. Hold the media and tech companies accountable for peddling lies, and stand proud that this country still has the courage to defend law, justice, and the American people.
