The List 7405
To All
Good Saturday Morning January 3, 2026 . The weather guessers are predicting 4-5 days of rain on the way. Our rain is scheduled to begin again at 6 this evening Have a great weekend. The big bobcat was around last night and toured the back yard and the chicken cage. I had to make sure he was gone so that I could escort the dogs out so they could take care of their business.
I have gathered a fair amount of information on the Venezuela strike and it is at the end of this list
.Regards
skip
.HAGD
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This day in Naval and Marine Corps History (thanks to NHHC)
Here is a link to the NHHC website: https://www.history.navy.mil/. Go here to see the director's corner for all 94 H-Grams.
January. 3
1904 - Marines from USS Dixie arrive in Panama.
1909—USS Scorpion arrives to help the survivors of the Messina, Sicily earthquake. With the Great White Fleet making its way through the Suez Canal, President T. Roosevelt orders the U.S. Navy to assist.
1943—USS Humboldt (AVP 21) rescues 10 survivors from the Philippines motor-ship Dona Aurora, which was sunk by Italian submarine Enrico Tazzol on Dec. 25, 1942.
1944—Marine Maj. Gregory Boyington is shot down by Japanese and taken prison of war.
1945—Task Force 38, under Vice Adm. John S. McCain, begins operations against Japanese airfields and shipping in the Formosa area, with aircraft sinking six enemy ships.
1945—USS Kingfish (SS 234) attacks a Japanese convoy in the Bonin Islands sinking a Japanese army cargo ship and two freighters 200 miles north of Chichi Jima.
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Today in World History January 3
1521 Martin Luther is excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church.
1777 General George Washington defeats the British led by British General Lord Charles Cornwallis, at Princeton, New Jersey.
1861 Delaware rejects a proposal that it join the South in seceding from the Union.
1903 The Bulgarian government renounces the Treaty of Commerce tying it to the Austro-Hungarian empire.
1910 The Social Democratic Congress in Germany demands universal suffrage.
1912 Plans are announced for a new $150,000 Brooklyn stadium for the Trolley Dodgers baseball team.
1916 Three armored Japanese cruisers are ordered to guard the Suez Canal.
1920 The last of the U.S. troops depart France.
1921 Italy halts the issuing of passports to those emigrating to the United States.
1924 King Tutankhamen's sarcophagus is uncovered near Luxor, Egypt.
1930 The second conference on Germany's war reparations begins at the Hague, in the Netherlands.
1931 Hundreds of farmers storm a small town in depression-plagued Arkansas demanding food.
1933 The Japanese take Shuangyashan, China, killing 500 Chinese.
1946 President Harry S. Truman calls on Americans to spur Congress to act on the on-going labor crisis.
1958 The British create the West Indies Federation with Lord Hailes as governor general.
1959 Alaska is admitted into the Union as the 49th and largest state.
67 Years Ago Today, Alaska Became the 49th US State
brytta/iStock
For nearly half a century, from 1912 to 1959, the U.S. flag bore 48 stars. But President Dwight D. Eisenhower changed that 67 years ago today, declaring the territory of Alaska the official 49th state (Hawaii would follow later that same year). The largest state in the country by area — and more than double the size of the second-largest state, Texas — Alaska is home to around 740,000 people, more than 100 million acres of protected land, and an abundance of natural resources like gold, fish, and zinc.
The decision to acquire the territory wasn't originally a popular one. Let's travel back in time to 1867, when Secretary of State William Seward bought the land from a nearly bankrupt Russia for $7.2 million (what would be about $153 million today). Critics in Congress and the media called the purchase a number of disparaging names, including "Seward's folly" and "Seward's icebox." New York World announced at the time: "Russia has sold us a sucked orange!"
Alaska's reputation began to shift, however, when gold was discovered in 1896 in Canada's Klondike region, right near the border. Two years later, the precious metal was found in Alaska itself. People flocked to the area, profits skyrocketed, and these factors — combined with the fact that its proximity to the Soviet Union rendered it a strategic defense base in World War II and the Cold War — helped convince the government to secure the Last Frontier's statehood.
1959 Fidel Castro takes command of the Cuban army.
1961 The United States breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba.
1966 Cambodia warns the United Nations of retaliation unless the United States and South Vietnam end intrusions.
1977 Apple Computers incorporates.
1978 North Vietnamese troops reportedly occupy 400 square miles in Cambodia. North Vietnamese Army (NVA) troops were using Laos and Cambodia as staging areas for attacks against allied forces.
1985 President Ronald Reagan condemns a rash of arson attacks on abortion clinics.
1990 Manuel Noriega, former leader of Panama, surrenders to US forces.
On January 3, 1990, Panama's General Manuel Antonio Noriega, after holing up for 10 days at the Vatican embassy in Panama City, surrenders to U.S. military troops to face charges of drug trafficking. Noriega was flown to Miami the following day and crowds of citizens on the streets of Panama City rejoiced. On July 10, 1992, the former dictator was convicted of drug trafficking, money laundering and racketeering and sentenced to 40 years in prison.
The Capture of Manuel Noriega
Experts discuss the events leading up to the capture of Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega in this clip from "America's War on Drugs."
2:30m watch
Noriega, who was born in Panama in 1938, was a loyal soldier to General Omar Torrijos, who seized power in a 1968 coup. Under Torrijos, Noriega headed up the notorious G-2 intelligence service, which harassed and terrorized people who criticized the Torrijos regime. Noriega also became a C.I.A. operative, while at the same time getting rich smuggling drugs.
In 1981, Omar Torrijos died in a plane crash and after a two-year power struggle, Noriega emerged as general of Panama's military forces. He became the country's de facto leader, fixing presidential elections so he could install his own puppet officials. Noriega's rule was marked by corruption and violence. He also became a double agent, selling American intelligence secrets to Cuba and Eastern European governments. In 1987, when Panamanians organized protests against Noriega and demanded his ouster, he declared a national emergency, shut down radio stations and newspapers and forced his political enemies into exile.
That year the United States cut off aid to Panama and tried to get Noriega to resign; in 1988, the U.S. began considering the use of military action to put an end to his drug trafficking. Noriega voided the May 1989 presidential election, which included a U.S.-backed candidate, and in December of that year he declared his country to be in a state of war with the United States. Shortly afterward, an American marine was killed by Panamanian soldiers. President George H.W. Bush authorized "Operation Just Cause," and on December 20, 1989, 13,000 U.S. troops were sent to occupy Panama City, along with the 12,000 already there, and seize Noriega. During the invasion, 23 U.S. troops were killed in action and over 300 were wounded. Approximately 450 Panamanian troops were killed; estimates for the number of civilians who died range from several hundred to several thousand, with thousands more injured.
Noriega, derogatorily nicknamed "Pineapple Face" in reference to his pockmarked skin, died in Panama City, Panama, on May 29, 2017.
1993 George H. W. Bush and Boris Yeltsin sign the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START).
1994 More than 7 million people receive South African citizenship that had previously been denied under Apartheid policies.
1996 The first mobile flip phone, the Motorola StarTAC, goes on sale.
1999 Mars Polar Lander launched.
2000 The last original weekday Peanuts comic strip is published after a 50-year run, following the death of the strip's creator, Charles Schultz.
1924 King Tut's sarcophagus uncovered »
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From the archives 11 years ago
Thanks to Clyde For all the Bubbas. Our memories of those days is still strong and the Bubba breakfast keeps our friends alive in our hearts.
Happy 2014 -A Vietnam Navy carrier pilot sends his best wishes for 2014. A beautifully written letter.
As we face a new year, I recall visiting with three old friends, a few years back, at a park in the nation's capital. It seems like only yesterday that we were all together, but actually it has been 42 years. There was a crowd at the park that day, and it took us a while to connect, but with the aid of a book we made it. I found Harry, Bruce and Paul. In 1970-72 we were gung-ho young fighter pilots on America and Constellation off Vietnam, the cream of the crop of the U.S. Navy, flying F-4J Phantoms. Now their names are on that 500-foot-long Vietnam War Memorial. I am hesitant to visit the wall when I'm in Washington DC because I don't trust myself to keep my composure. Standing in front of that somber wall, I tried to keep it light, reminiscing about how things were back then. We used to joke about our passionate love affair with an inanimate flying object-we flew. We marveled at the thought that we actually got paid to do it. We were not draftees but college graduates in Vietnam by choice, opting for the cramped confines of a jet fighter cockpit over the comfort of corporate America. In all my life I've not been so passionate about any other work. If that sounds like an exaggeration, then you've never danced the wild blue with a supersonic angel. To fight for your country is an honor. I vividly remember leaving my family and friends in San Diego headed for Vietnam. I wondered if I would live to see them again. For reasons I still don't understand, I was fortunate to return while others did not. Once in Vietnam, we passed the long, lonely hours in Alert 5, the ready room, our staterooms or the Cubi O'Club. The complaint heard most often, in the standard gallows humor of a combat squadron, was, "It's a lousy war, but it's the only one we have." (I've cleaned up the language a bit.) We sang mostly raunchy songs that never seemed to end-someone was always writing new verses-and, as an antidote to loneliness, fear in the night and the sadness over dead friends, we often drank too much. At the wall, I told the guys only about the good parts of the years since we've been apart. I talked of those who went on to command squadrons. Those who made Captain and flag rank. I asked them if they've seen some other squadronmates who have joined them. I didn't tell them about how ostracized Vietnam vets still are. I didn't relate how the media had implied we Vietnam vets were, to quote one syndicated columnist, "either suckers or psychos, victims or monsters." I didn't tell them that Hanoi Jane, who shot at us and helped torture our POWs, had married one of the richest guys in the United States. I didn't tell them that the secretary of defense they fought for back then has now declared that he was not a believer in the cause for which he assigned them all to their destiny. I didn't tell them that our commander-in-chief avoided serving while they were fighting and dying. And I didn't tell them we "lost" that lousy war. I gave them the same story I've used for years: We were winning when I left. I relived that final day as I stared at the black onyx wall. After 297 combat missions, we were leaving the South China Sea…heading east. The excitement of that day was only exceeded by coming into the break at Miramar, knowing that my wife, my two boys, my parents and other friends and family were waiting to welcome me home. I was not the only one talking to the wall through tears. Folks in fatigues, leather vests, motorcycle jackets, flight jackets lined the wall talking to friends. I backed about 25 yards away from the wall and sat down on the grass under a clear blue sky and midday sun that perfectly matched the tropical weather of the war zone. The wall, with all 58,200 names, consumed my field of vision. I tried to wrap my mind around the violence, carnage and ruined lives that it represented. Then I thought of how Vietnam was only one small war in the history of the human race. I was overwhelmed with a sense of mankind's wickedness balanced against some men and women's willingness to serve. Before becoming a spectacle in the park, I got up and walked back up to the wall to say goodbye and ran my fingers over the engraved names of my friends as if I could communicate with them through some kind of spiritual touch. I wanted them to know that God, duty, honor and country will always remain the noblest calling. Revisionist history from elite draft dodgers trying to justify and rationalize their own actions will never change that. I believe I have been a productive member of society since the day I left Vietnam. I am honored to have served there, and I am especially proud of my friends-heroes who voluntarily, enthusiastically gave their all. They demonstrated no greater love to a nation whose highbrow opinion makers are still trying to disavow them. May their names, indelibly engraved on that memorial wall, likewise be found in the Book of Life. Remember that throughout the new year.
As an afterthought, I find it funny how simple it is for people to trash different ways of living and believing and then wonder why the world is going to hell. Funny how you can send a thousand 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding life choices, people think twice about sharing. Funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but the public discussion of morality is suppressed in the school and workplace. Funny isn't it? Funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them. Funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what I think of me.
I wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous 2026,
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Thanks to the Bear. We will always have the url for you to search items in Rolling Thunder
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER …
. rollingthunderremembered.com .
Thanks to Micro
A lot of these will be different from previous years as Micro sent me a new update right after Christmas…skip
From Vietnam Air Losses site for ..January 3
January 3: https://www.vietnamairlosses.com/loss.php?id=2681
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This following work accounts for every fixed wing loss of the Vietnam War and you can use it to read more about the losses in The Bear's Daily account. Even better it allows you to add your updated information to the work to update for history…skip Vietnam Air Losses Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
Vietnam Air Losses
Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
This is a list of all Helicopter Pilots Who Died in the Vietnam War . Listed by last name and has other info https://www.vhpa.org/KIA/KIAINDEX.HTM
MOAA - Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Servicemembers Killed in the Vietnam War
The site works, find anyone you knew in "search" feature. https://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ )
Wall of Faces Now Includes Photos of All Service members Killed in the Vietnam War
By: Kipp Hanley
AUGUST 15, 2022
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Thanks to 1440
Good morning. It's Saturday, Jan. 3, and in this weekend edition, we're covering an electric vehicle power shift, a rare free-floating planet, and much more.
One Big Headline
A New EV King
China's BYD has overtaken Tesla as the world's top electric vehicle seller. Elon Musk's Austin-based company yesterday reported selling 1.64 million EVs last year, roughly 9% fewer than in 2024. BYD, meanwhile, delivered approximately 2.26 million EVs in 2025, a nearly 28% year-over-year increase.
BYD, which began as a rechargeable battery manufacturer in the 1990s, surpassed Volkswagen as China's bestselling car brand in 2023. The Shenzhen-based automaker has recently expanded its sales outside China as well; the UK is its largest international market, with year-over-year sales surging 880% in September. Tariffs exceeding 100% effectively bar BYD cars from the US, where overall EV sales in November fell over 40% from a year earlier. Tesla, which remains America's largest EV maker, reported a 16% year-over-year decline in fourth-quarter sales.
The US sales slowdown follows the Sept. 30 expiration of federal EV tax credits. Tesla's third-quarter sales rose 29% from the prior quarter as consumers rushed to beat the deadline. Tesla shares fell 2.6% yesterday, after rising 18.6% in 2025.
Explore what we've learned researching Tesla and electric vehicles.
Quick Hits
Swiss bar fire likely started by sparklers on champagne bottles.
Investigators say they assume a deadly New Year's Eve blaze at Le Constellation bar in the Crans-Montana ski resort in Switzerland likely began when sparklers attached to champagne bottles burned too close to the ceiling. Investigators are looking into whether foam on the ceiling—designed to muffle sound—complied with regulations. The fire killed 40 people and injured 119 others.
Saudi forces strike UAE-backed separatists in southern Yemen.
Saudi warplanes struck Southern Transitional Council forces in an effort to take over the separatist party's camp in the Hadhramaut governorate. The STC, which advocates for southern Yemen's succession from the rest of the nation, moved into Yemen's Hadramout and Mahra governorates last month, pushing out Saudi-affiliated forces and seizing an oil-rich region. The strike reportedly killed 20 STC fighters.
Zelenskyy appoints new chief of staff following corruption scandal.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has named Gen. Kyrylo Budanov as his new chief of staff. Budanov, 39, had led Ukraine's military intelligence agency since 2020. The appointment comes after Zelenskyy dismissed his previous chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, following a raid on his house by anti-corruption officials as part of an investigation into a $100M energy sector corruption scandal.
Separately, Russia said a Ukrainian drone strike on a café and hotel in a Russian-occupied village killed 27 people on New Year's Eve. Kyiv denies attacking civilians.
Researchers recreate lung with single stem cell, advancing personalized medicine.
Scientists recreated a human lung on a plastic chip using stem cells from a single human donor for the first time. Unlike earlier lung-on-chip models that mixed cell sources, this model can better mirror an individual's lung function and disease progression. Researchers could develop patient-specific chips to study how infections such as tuberculosis interact with genetic mutations and evaluate potential treatments.
Saturn-sized free-floating planet first to have its mass measured.
Astronomers have confirmed the existence of a rare free-floating planet about 9,950 light-years from Earth that does not orbit a star, also known as a rogue planet. Using a technique called gravitational microlensing, scientists were, for the first time, able to directly measure the mass of such a planet, finding it to be roughly Saturn-sized and about 70 times larger than Earth.
Venus Williams, 45, to play in Australian Open for first time in 5 years.
The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion is set to be the oldest female to play in the Australian Open main draw after receiving a wild-card entry yesterday. Williams first starred in the tournament in 1998 at age 17, defeating her younger sister, Serena, in the second round before losing in the quarterfinals. Venus finished as a runner-up at the Australian Open in 2003 and 2017, losing to Serena in the finals both times.
Humankind
Off-duty police officer saves a choking baby, about two weeks after another officer did the same. (More)
Reddit community helps a couple find an emergency room doctor who likely saved the husband's life by performing CPR at an airport baggage claim. (More, via Reddit)
Siblings, 8 and 14, jump into action to save their school bus driver suffering a medical emergency. (More, w/video)
Travel writer Rick Steves buys a hygiene center that provides facilities and support for people experiencing homelessness for $2.25M, saving it from closure. (More)
Entrepreneur donates $16.2K to her high school, decades after school administrators awarded her the same amount to help her attend college.
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From the archives
Thanks to Laurel This is one I never heard of before. Two related articles
Here's a story for you, Skip:
WWII fighter pilot who flew THROUGH the Eiffel Tower to take down a German plane dies in Virginia aged 92
http://jalopnik.com/this-man-chased-a-nazi-fighter-plane-under-the-eiffel-t-1494007692
William Overstreet Jr., a former captain in the U.S. Air Corps, passed away on Sunday at a hospital in Roanoke
He famously flew his plane beneath the Eiffel Tower in Nazi-occupied Paris in 1944, lifting the spirits of French troops on the ground
In 2009, he was presented France's Legion of Honor
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From the archives
72 Killed Resisting Gun Confiscation in Boston
Boston – National Guard units seeking to confiscate a cache of recently banned assault weapons were ambushed by elements of a Para-military extremist faction. Military and law enforcement sources estimate that 72 were killed and more than 200 injured before government forces were compelled to withdraw.
Speaking after the clash, Massachusetts Governor Thomas Gage declared that the extremist faction, which was made up of local citizens, has links to the radical right-wing tax protest movement.
Gage blamed the extremists for recent incidents of vandalism directed against internal revenue offices. The governor, who described the group's organizers as "criminals," issued an executive order authorizing the summary arrest of any individual who has interfered with the government's efforts to secure law and order.
The military raid on the extremist arsenal followed wide-spread refusal by the local citizenry to turn over recently outlawed assault weapons.
Gage issued a ban on military-style assault weapons and ammunition earlier in the week. This decision followed a meeting in early this month between government and military leaders at which the governor authorized the forcible confiscation of illegal arms.
One government official, speaking on condition of anonymity, pointed out that "none of these people would have been killed had the extremists obeyed the law and turned over their weapons voluntarily."
Government troops initially succeeded in confiscating a large supply of outlawed weapons and ammunition. However, troops attempting to seize arms and ammunition in Lexington met with resistance from heavily-armed extremists who had been tipped off regarding the government's plans.
During a tense standoff in the Lexington town park, National Guard Colonel Francis Smith, commander of the government operation, ordered the armed group to surrender and return to their homes. The impasse was broken by a single shot, which was reportedly fired by one of the right-wing extremists.
Eight civilians were killed in the ensuing exchange.
Ironically, the local citizenry blamed government forces rather than the extremists for the civilian deaths. Before order could be restored, armed citizens from surrounding areas had descended upon the guard units. Colonel Smith, finding his forces over matched by the armed mob, ordered a retreat.
Governor Gage has called upon citizens to support the state/national joint task force in its effort to restore law and order. The governor also demanded the surrender of those responsible for planning and leading the attack against the government troops.
Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and John Hancock, who have been identified as "ringleaders" of the extremist faction, remain at large.
And this fellow Americans, is how the American Revolution began, April 20, 1775.
On July 4th, 1776 these same extremists signed the Declaration of Independence, pledging to each other and their countrymen their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor. Many of them lost everything, including their families and their lives over the course of the next few years.
Lest we forget…
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'Dinosaur Highway' Discovered
Workers in a limestone quarry in southern England have uncovered almost 200 dinosaur footprints dating to roughly 166 million years ago, researchers revealed yesterday. The tracks are in the vicinity of a similar, previously discovered—but now inaccessible—site found in 1997, leading paleontologists to describe the area as a "Dinosaur Highway."
The recent find includes imprints from at least five different animals, believed to be four large sauropods and one Megalosaurus. The latter, a nearly 30-foot-long carnivore, was the first dinosaur fossil ever to be formally described in 1824. The new discovery sheds light on the behavior of dinosaurs in the region dating to the Middle Jurassic period—at a time when what is now England had a tropical climate and was covered in warm, shallow seas in many areas.
Unlike the previous 1997 discovery, researchers were able to extensively image and create 3D reconstructions of the prints, potentially providing insight into how the animals walked and interacted. Learn about the three epochs of dinosaurs here.
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January 3
This Day in U S Military History
1777 – General George Washington defeats the British led by British General Lord Charles Cornwallis, at Princeton, New Jersey. On the night of January 2, George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, repulsed a British attack at the Battle of the Assunpink Creek in Trenton. That night, he evacuated his position, circled around General Lord Cornwallis' army, and went to attack the British garrison at Princeton. Brigadier General Hugh Mercer of the Continental Army, clashed with two regiments under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood of the British Army. Mercer and his troops were overrun and Washington sent some militia under Brigadier General John Cadwalader to help him. The militia, on seeing the flight of Mercer's men, also began to flee. Washington rode up with reinforcements and rallied the fleeing militia. He then led the attack on Mawhood's troops, driving them back. Mawhood gave the order to retreat and most of the troops tried to flee to Cornwallis in Trenton. In Princeton itself, Brigadier General John Sullivan encouraged some British troops who had taken refuge in Nassau Hall to surrender, ending the battle. After the battle, Washington moved his army to Morristown, and with their third defeat in 10 days, the British evacuated southern New Jersey. With the victory at Princeton, morale rose in the ranks and more men began to enlist in the army. The battle (while considered minor by British standards) was the last major action of Washington's winter New Jersey campaign.
1945 – Third Fleet carriers begin a 2 day attack against Formosa destroying 100 aircraft with loss of only 22 aircraft. VMF-124 and VMF-213 from the USS Essex struck Formosa and the Ryukyu Islands in the first Marine land strike off a carrier.
1945 – In the Ardennes the fighting continues. There are desperate German attacks on the narrow corridor leading to Bastogne which manage to upset the timetable of the US attacks a little but achieve nothing else. Forces from the US Third and now also the First Armies are attacking toward Houffaliza from the south and north. In Alsace the German attacks and the American retreat continue. The US VI Corps is being pressed particularly hard around Bitche. Farther south there is also fighting near Strasbourg.
1951 – As massive numbers of Chinese troops crossed the frozen Han River east and west of Seoul, Eighth Army began evacuating the South Korean capital. The ROK government began moving to Pusan. In one of the largest FEAF Bomber Command air raids, more than sixty B-29s dropped 650 tons of incendiary bombs on Pyongyang. UN forces burned nearly 500,000 gallons of fuel and 23,000 gallons of napalm at Kimpo in preparation for abandoning the base to the advancing enemy. Far East Air Forces flew 958 combat sorties, a one-day record.1958 – The Air Force forms two squadrons of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) armed with medium-range ballistic missiles.
1959 – President Eisenhower signs a special proclamation admitting the territory of Alaska into the Union as the 49th and largest state. The European discovery of Alaska came in 1741, when a Russian expedition led by Danish navigator Vitus Bering sighted the Alaskan mainland. Russian hunters were soon making incursions into Alaska, and the native Aleut population suffered greatly after being exposed to foreign diseases. In 1784, Grigory Shelikhov established the first permanent Russian colony in Alaska on Kodiak Island. In the early 19th century, Russian settlements spread down the west coast of North America, with the southernmost fort located near Bodega Bay in California. Russian activity in the New World declined in the 1820s, and the British and Americans were granted trading rights in Alaska after a few minor diplomatic conflicts. In the 1860s, a nearly bankrupt Russia decided to offer Alaska for sale to the United States, which earlier had expressed interest in such a purchase. On March 30, 1867, Secretary of State William H. Seward signed a treaty with Russia for the purchase of Alaska for $7.2 million. Despite the bargain price of roughly two cents an acre, the Alaskan purchase was ridiculed in Congress and in the press as "Seward's folly," "Seward's icebox," and President Andrew Johnson's "polar bear garden." Nevertheless, the Senate ratified purchase of the tremendous landmass, one-fifth the size of the rest of the United States. Despite a slow start in settlement by Americans from the continental United States, the discovery of gold in 1898 brought a rapid influx of people to the territory. Alaska, rich in natural resources, has been contributing to American prosperity ever since.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
TURNER, GEORGE B.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Battery C, 499th Armored Field Artillery Battalion, 14th Armored Division. Place and date. Philippsbourg, France, 3 January 1945. Entered service at: Los Angeles, Calif. Born: 27 June 1899, Longview, Tex. G.O. No.: 79, 14 September 1945. Citation: At Phillippsbourg, France, he was cut off from his artillery unit by an enemy armored infantry attack. Coming upon a friendly infantry company withdrawing under the vicious onslaught, he noticed 2 German tanks and approximately 75 supporting foot soldiers advancing down the main street of the village. Seizing a rocket launcher, he advanced under intense small-arms and cannon fire to meet the tanks and, standing in the middle of the road, fired at them, destroying 1 and disabling the second. From a nearby half-track he then dismounted a machinegun, placed it in the open street and fired into the enemy infantrymen, killing or wounding a great number and breaking up the attack. In the American counterattack which followed, 2 supporting tanks were disabled by an enemy antitank gun. Firing a light machinegun from the hip, Pfc. Turner held off the enemy so that the crews of the disabled vehicles could extricate themselves. He ran through a hail of fire to one of the tanks which had burst into flames and attempted to rescue a man who had been unable to escape; but an explosion of the tank's ammunition frustrated his effort and wounded him painfully. Refusing to be evacuated, he remained with the infantry until the following day, driving off an enemy patrol with serious casualties, assisting in capturing a hostile strong point, and voluntarily and fearlessly driving a truck through heavy enemy fire to deliver wounded men to the rear aid station. The great courage displayed by Pfc. Turner and his magnificently heroic initiative contributed materially to the defense of the French town and inspired the troops about him.
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for January 3, FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
3 January
1933: General Douglas MacArthur ordered the Air Corps "to conduct the land-based air operations in defense of the US and its overseas possessions." (5)
1935: Lincoln Ellsworth and Herbert Hollick-Kenyon completed an Antarctic flight. (24)
1945: BATTLE OF THE BULGE: American and British forces counterattacked the Germans under the protection of American airpower. (4) TEST FIRE-BOMB RAID. In a test-bombing mission to determine the efficacy of fire bombing over conventional high-explosive bombing, 57 of 97 B-29s bombed Nagoya, Japan,. The results gave the Japanese the mistaken impression that their fire-prevention system was adequate. (17)
1949: Representative Carl Vinson of Georgia introduced a bill to speed guided missile research and to create a 70-group Air Force. (24)
1950 Jacqueline Cochran set a new Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) 500-kilometer close-course speed record of 444 miles per hour. This was only one of the many records established from 1947-1951 by Cochran for which she was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, "for extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight from 1947 to 1951. During this period, Colonel Cochran piloted an F-51 aircraft in which she established six world speed records. At Coachella Valley, California, flying a closed-circuit 100-kilometer course, Colonel Cochran established a new speed record of 469.549 miles per hour. In other flights from Thermal, Indio, and Palm Springs, CA, Colonel Cochran established world speed records for the 3-, 15-, 500-, 1000-, and 2000-kilometer courses. The professional competence, aerial skill, and devotion to duty displayed by Colonel Cochran reflect great credit upon herself and the United States Air Force.1951: KOREAN WAR. In one of the largest Far East Air Forces Bomber Command air raids, more than 60 B-29s dropped 650 tons of incendiary bombs on Pyongyang, N. Korea. UN forces burned nearly 500,000 gallons of fuel and 23,000 gallons of napalm at Kimpo before abandoning the base. Altogether, Far East Air Forces flew 958 combat sorties, a one-day record. (28)
1960: American Airline Boeing 707s set records of 3 hours 39 minutes from Los Angeles, Calif., to Baltimore, Md., and 4 hours 24 minutes from Los Angeles to Boston, Mass. A Transworld Airlines 707 flew from Los Angeles to New York in 3 hours 57 minutes, while Eastern Airlines DC-8 completed a flight Long Beach, Calif., to Miami, Fla., in 3 hours 58 minutes (5)
1963: At Eglin AFB, Fla., a Boeing BOMARC-B missile successfully intercepted its first low-altitude aircraft. (5) PROJECT FARM GATE. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) augmented the Farm Gate detachment in Vietnam with an additional 10 B-26s, 5 T-28s, and 2 C-47s. (17)
1966: The No. 2 XB-70 flew for 3 minutes at 70,000 feet over Edwards AFB, Calif., for the first time. (16)
1978: Lockheed Missiles and Space Company received $34 million to build a spacecraft for the Satellite Infrared Experiment (SIRE) to measure long wave infrared signatures of objects against the stellar background. This craft also carried two secondary payloads, a space sextant and a sensor to measure the isotopic composition of solar flares. (5)
1993: President George Bush and Soviet President Boris Yeltsin signed the second Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) to reduce nuclear bombers, missiles, bombs, and warheads. (16) (26)
2007: Through 4 January, a Wyoming Air National Guard C-130 Hercules and 10 airmen assisted the Colorado National Guard with a cattle feeding operation near Lamar in southeast Colorado after huge snowstorm blanketed the area. Colorado National Guard helicopters and the C-130 dropped hay to cattle. (AFNEWS, "Air National Guard Dropping Hay for Colorado Cattle," 4 Jan 2007.) (32)
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Here is what I have gathered so far on the Venezuela …skip
U.S. strikes Venezuela and captures Maduro; Trump says "we're going to run the country" for now
By Jennifer Jacobs, Joe Walsh, James LaPorta, Tucker Reals
Updated on: January 3, 2026 / 12:50 PM EST / CBS News
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What to know about the U.S. military attack on Venezuela
President Trump said Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were "captured and flown out of the Country" early Saturday morning, confirming a "large scale strike" by the U.S. that drew quick condemnation and concern from across the globe.
Mr. Trump said in a press conference that the U.S. will "run" Venezuela on a temporary basis.
The U.S. Army's Delta Force, an elite special forces unit, carried out the operation to capture Maduro, officials told CBS News.
A Republican senator said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had indicated that Maduro would face criminal charges in the U.S., where he was indicted years ago, and that Rubio "anticipates no further action in Venezuela." The Trump administration has long accused Maduro of drug trafficking and working with gangs designated as terrorist organizations, which Maduro denies.
The strikes follow months of U.S. military buildup in the region, with the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and numerous other warships positioned in the Caribbean.
In recent weeks, the U.S. has seized two oil tankers off Venezuela, launched deadly strikes on more than 30 boats the administration says were carrying drugs, and struck what President Trump called "the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs."
President Trump will hold a news conference at Mar-a-Lago at 11 a.m. ET on Saturday. Watch and stream live on CBSNews.com and Paramount+.
1m ago
Trump on "America First" priorities: "We want to surround ourself with good neighbors"
Mr. Trump, asked how the operation represents his "America First" platform, said, "I think it is because we want to surround ourself with good neighbors."
"We want to surround ourself with energy, we have tremendous energy in that country," he added. "It's very important that we protect it. We need that for ourselves. We need that for the world, and we want to make sure we can protect it."
By Kaia Hubbard
4m ago
Rubio says "this was not the kind of mission that you can do congressional notification"
Rubio, amid some criticism from lawmakers who criticized the Trump administration for not informing Congress about the strikes beforehand, said that "this was not the kind of mission that you can do congressional notification on."
"It was a trigger-based mission in which conditions had to be met," Rubio said, adding, "It's just simply not the kind of mission you can call people and say, 'Hey we may do this at some point in the next 15 days.'"
"But it's largely a law enforcement function," Rubio said. "At its core, this was an arrest of two indicted fugitives of American justice, and the Department of War supported the Department of Justice in that jobs."
Rubio acknowledged that there are "broader policy implications here, but it's just not the kind of mission that you can pre-notify, because it endangers the mission."
Mr. Trump added, "Congress has a tendency to leak."
"This would not be good," he said, adding that if the news leaked, it would have been a "maybe a very different result."
By Kaia Hubbard
14m ago
Trump says of Venezuela "we're going to be running it with a group"
Asked by reporters about how the country would be run, Mr. Trump replied, "We're going to be running it with a group and we're going to make sure it's run properly."
"We're going to rebuild the oil infrastructure, which will cost billions of dollars, it will be paid for by the oil companies directly," Mr. Trump said. "And we're going to get the oil flowing the way it should be."
Mr. Trump said "we're designating various people."
"It's largely going to be — for a period of time — the people who are standing right behind me," Mr. Trump said, pointing to Hegseth, Rubio and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "We're going to be running it, we're going to be bringing it back."
The president, asked by reporters about U.S. troops, said "we're not afraid of boots on the ground," noting that "we had boots on the ground last night."
"We're there now, we're ready to go again if we have to," he added.
By Kaia Hubbard
30m ago
Rubio says Maduro "had multiple opportunities to avoid this"
Secretary of State Rubio said Maduro "had multiple opportunities to avoid this, he was provided multiple very, very, very generous offers, and chose instead to act like a wild man, chose instead to play around.""Nicolas Maduro was indicted in 2020 in the United States. He is not the legitimate president of Venezuela," Rubio said. "He is a fugitive of American justice."
Rubio said, "Don't play games with this president," adding, "it's not going to turn out well."
By Kaia Hubbard
36m ago
Hegseth says Maduro "effed around and he found out"
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, speaking after the president at Mar-a-Lago, praised the U.S. operation, and said of Maduro that he "effed around and he found out."
"Our adversaries remain on notice. America can project our will anywhere, anytime," Hegseth said. "The coordination, the stealth, the lethality, the precision, the very long arm of American justice all on full display in the middle of the night."
"Nicolás Maduro had his chance, just like Iran had their chance, until they didn't and until he didn't," Hegseth said. "He effed around and he found out."
By Kaia Hubbard
44m ago
Trump says Maduro was "kingpin of a vast criminal network" trafficking drugs into U.S.
The president called Maduro an "illegitimate dictator" and alleged he "was the kingpin of a vast criminal network responsible for trafficking colossal amounts of deadly and illicit drugs into the United States."
"Maduro and his wife will soon face the full might of American justice and stand trial on American soil," Mr. Trump said. "Right now they're on a ship that will be heading to ultimately New York."
The president said, "Now, Maduro will never again be able to threaten an American citizen or anybody from Venezuela."
"The dictator and terrorist Maduro is finally gone in Venezuela," the president said. "People are free."
By Kaia Hubbard
49m ago
Trump says U.S. is ready to conduct second, "much larger attack if we need to do so"
The president said "we are ready to stage a second and much larger attack if we need to do so," saying the U.S. had assumed that a second wave would be necessary, but "now it's probably not."
"The first attack was so successful, we probably don't have to do a second," Mr. Trump said. "But we're prepared to do a second wave — a much bigger wave, actually. This was pinpoint, but we have a much bigger wave that we probably won't have to do."
Mr. Trump also said U.S. oil companies would go into Venezuela and "spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure and start making money for the country."
By Kaia Hubbard
53m ago
Trump on Venezuela: "We're going to run the country"
The president said the U.S. will "run" Venezuela on a temporary basis.
"We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition," Mr. Trump told reporters.
The president said "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."
"So, we are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition, and it has to be judicious," he added.
Mr. Trump said "we want peace, liberty and justice for the great people of Venezuela."
The president outlined that "all Venezuelan military capacities were rendered powerless as the men and women of our military, working with U.S. law enforcement, successfully captured Maduro in the dead of night."
The president said Venezuela was in a "ready position," but he said "they were completely overwhelmed and very quickly incapacitated."
"It was an incredible thing to see," he said.
Mr. Trump said no American service members were killed and no U.S. equipment was lost in the operation.
Read more here.
By Kaia Hubbard
11:46 AM
Trump lauds "extraordinary military operation" in Venezuela
The president praised the military operation in Venezuela, speaking at a news conference at his estate at Mar-a-Lago.
"Late last night and early today at my direction, the United States armed forces conducted an extraordinary military operation in the capital of Venezuela," Mr. Trump said, in opening remarks that began at about 11:40 a.m. "Overwhelming military power, air land and sea, was used to launch a spectacular assault, and it was an assault like people have not seen since World War II."
The president said "it was a force against a heavily fortified military fortress in the heart of Caracas to bring outlaw dictator Nicolás Maduro to justice.""This was one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays of American military might and confidence in American history," Mr. Trump said.
By Kaia Hubbard
11:40 AM
Trump shares photo of Maduro aboard USS Iwo Jima after capture
The president shared a photo on Truth Social with the caption: "Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima."
maduro-truth-social.jpg
President Trump shared this photo on Truth Social on Jan. 3, 2026 with the caption: "Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima."
TruthSocial/@realDonaldTrump
Mr. Trump said earlier Saturday that Maduro and his wife were aboard the U.S. warship. He said Maduro was being taken to New York after his capture early Saturday.
By Kaia Hubbard
11:33 AM
Maduro expected to arrive today in New York, where he'll be transferred to federal custody
The military plane carrying Maduro is expected to land later today at New York Stewart International Airport, two sources familiar with the matter told CBS News. The airport is located in the Hudson Valley, about 60 miles north of Manhattan.
Maduro, who is in U.S. military custody, is expected to be turned over to federal authorities when he lands, the sources said. He's expected to be arraigned in New York Federal court in the Southern District of New York next week. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein.
By Pat Milton, Jennifer Jacobs
11:21 AM
Opposition leader MarÃa Corina Machado: "The time for freedom has come!"
Venezuelan opposition leader MarÃa Corina Machado released a statement Saturday morning addressing the nation after Maduro's capture.
"Venezuelans, The time for freedom has come!" she wrote.
She said the ousted leader "will face international justice for the atrocious crimes committed against Venezuelans and against citizens of many other nations" and declared: "The time has come for popular sovereignty and national sovereignty to prevail in our country. We are going to restore order, release the political prisoners, build an exceptional country, and bring our children back home."
She called for Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia to be recognized as the legitimately elected president of Venezuela and to assume power over the government and military.
Machado was spirited out of the country to accept the Nobel Peace Prize in December, and her team declined to comment on her current whereabouts.
By Lilia Luciano
10:36 AM
CIA source inside Maduro's government aided U.S. operation
A CIA source inside Venezuela's government helped the U.S. track Maduro's location in the lead-up to his capture, CBS News has learned.
The role of the CIA source was first reported by The New York Times. The source was part of an extensive network of other intelligence inputs, including overhead and signals intelligence, that informed the operation, which was the result of months of meticulous planning and partnership between the CIA and the Department of Defense.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe has previously said the agency would prioritize the recruitment of human sources. It could not be immediately determined when the source was recruited. The U.S. government has offered a $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest.
By Olivia Gazis
10:33 AM
Superseding indictment against Maduro appears to mirror 2020 indictment against him
Bondi shared a superseding indictment against Maduro, members of his family and his cabinet in a post on X.
The indictment, prepared by New York U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton, accuses Maduro of conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism and to import cocaine, as well as possession of and conspiracy to possess "Machineguns and Destructive Devices." The charges appear to be the same as those in a 2020 indictment of Maduro and several key aides.
The indictment states: "For over 25 years, leaders of Venezuela have abused their positions of public trust and corrupted once-legitimate institutions to import tons of cocaine into the United States," before alleging that Maduro "is at the forefront of that corruption and has partnered with his co-conspirators to use his illegally obtained authority and the institutions he corroded to transport thousands of tons of cocaine to the United States."
In an indictment filed against the Venezuelan leader in 2020, federal prosecutors alleged that Maduro and other senior Venezuelan government officials collaborated with the Colombian guerrilla group Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, or FARC, to traffic cocaine and weapons to the United States.
By Kaia Hubbard
10:17 AM
Miami mayor calls on Trump to reinstate TPS for Venezuelans
Newly-elected Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins urged Mr. Trump to reinstate Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans living in the United States, saying the instability around Maduro's capture highlights that the country is unsafe for many to return to.
TPS allowed eligible Venezuelans already in the U.S. to live and work legally because of unsafe conditions in their home country. The designation was first granted under the Biden administration and later expanded, citing political instability, humanitarian crises and the lack of basic services in Venezuela. The Trump administration moved to end those protections in 2025. Thousands of Venezuelans could lose work authorizations and face potential deportation once the protections expire, unless TPS is reinstated or extended by the Department of Homeland Security.
Higgins said Venezuelans in Miami have built lives there, contributed to the local economy and deserve protection amid chaos at home.
"This is not just a matter of policy — it is a matter of basic human dignity and safety," Higgins told CBS Miami.
Read more here.
By Kerry Breen
10:12 AM
Congressional leaders were notified about strikes after operation began
The Trump administration informed congressional leaders about the strikes only after the Venezuela operation began, congressional sources said. The gang of eight, the House and Senate leaders and the chairs and ranking members of the intelligence committees, received the notification.
The chairman of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee, GOP Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, confirmed in an interview with Fox News that he was not told in advance of the strikes. He indicated that he views Maduro's arrest as a law enforcement effort that would not require advance congressional notification.
"Congress isn't notified when the FBI is going to arrest a drug trafficker or a cyber criminal here in the United States," he said. "Nor should Congress be notified when the executive branch is executing arrests on indicted persons X," and he pointed out that "the FBI was part of this operation, part of the arrest of Maduro and his wife, who were indicted here in the United States."
"So, Congress doesn't need to be notified every time the executive the branch is making an arrest, and that's exactly what happened this morning in Venezuela, and now Maduro's going to come to the United States, and he's to going to face justice," Cotton said.
Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the vice chairman of the committee, in a statement referred to Maduro as a "corrupt authoritarian who has repressed his people," but said the Constitution "places the gravest decisions about the use of military force in the hands of Congress for a reason. Using military force to enact regime change demands the closest scrutiny, precisely because the consequences do not end with the initial strike."
He also expressed concern that the U.S. operation would lead authoritarian regimes to take similar action: "If the United States asserts the right to use military force to invade and capture foreign leaders it accuses of criminal conduct, what prevents China from claiming the same authority over Taiwan's leadership? What stops Vladimir Putin from asserting similar justification to abduct Ukraine's president?"
Natalie McCormick contributed to this post.
By Jennifer Jacobs, Olivia Gazis
10:03 AM
Trump says Maduro is being taken to New York
The president said on "Fox and Friends" that Maduro is being taken to New York after his capture early Saturday. He said Maduro and his wife were aboard the U..S warship Iwo Jima and headed to New York.
"They'll be heading to New York," Mr. Trump said. "They were indicted in New York."
Attorney General Pam Bondi said earlier in the day that Maduro had been indicted in the Southern District of New York on narco-terrorism charges. Bondi said Maduro and his wife "will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts."
In an indictment filed against the Venezuelan leader in 2020, federal prosecutors alleged that Maduro and other senior Venezuelan government officials collaborated with the Colombian guerrilla group Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, or FARC, to traffic cocaine and weapons to the United States. It was not immediately clear whether the nation's top lawyer was referring only to the 2020 charges, or if there would be new or different charges filed in an indictment Saturday.
By Kaia Hubbard
9:57 AM
Trump says Maduro was captured from "highly guarded" protection, says he thinks no U.S. forces killed in operation
Mr. Trump said Maduro was "highly guarded" when he was captured, praising the overnight operation and saying no U.S. forces were killed.
"It was like a fortress, actually," the president said on "Fox and Friends" Saturday morning. "You know that we had nobody killed was amazing. I think we had nobody killed, I have to say, because a couple of guys were hit, but they came back and they're supposed to be in pretty good shape."
The president said the U.S. was going to carry out the Venezuela operation days ago, but the weather was not ideal
"We were going to do this four days ago but the weather was not perfect," Mr. Trump said. "And then all of a sudden it opened up and we said go."
By Kaia Hubbard
9:07 AM
Joy, tears and chants of "freedom" by Venezuelans in South Florida
Venezuelans in South Florida poured into the streets of Doral early Saturday, celebrating the U.S. military action in Venezuela that led to the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro.
Celebrations erupted outside El Arepazo restaurant, a longtime gathering spot for the Venezuelan community, where people hugged, sang and waved flags as the sun came up.
Chants of "Libertad" echoed through the area as crowds sang both the U.S. and Venezuelan national anthems, marking a moment many said they had waited decades to see.
Read more here.
By Sergio Candido
9:01 AM
Vice President Vance praises "truly impressive operation"
Vice President JD Vance said that Mr. Trump offered Maduro "multiple off ramps" before the operation in Venezuela.
"Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says," Vance wrote on social media. "Kudos to our brave special operators who pulled off a truly impressive operation."
Vance also said that he did not believe the operation was illegal.
"Maduro has multiple indictments in the United States for narcoterrorism," Vance wrote. Maduro was indicted by federal prosecutors in 2020. "You don't get to avoid justice for drug trafficking in the United States because you live in a palace in Caracas."
By Kerry Breen
8:18 AM
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado's spokesperson declines to comment
A spokesperson for Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado declined to comment to the Associated Press on the U.S. military operation that led to the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro.
Machado, who has been in hiding since the 2024 presidential elections, was last seen in public last month when she traveled to Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
Machado told CBS News in mid-December that she was "absolutely" supportive of President Trump's strategy in the country and would welcome "more and more pressure so that Maduro understands that he has to go."
"We, the Venezuelan people, are very grateful to him and to his administration, because I believe he is a champion of freedom in this hemisphere," Machado said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.
-CBS/AP
Updated 7:48 AM
Bondi says Maduro and wife will "soon face the full wrath of American justice" on U.S. soil
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a social media post on Saturday that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife would "soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts."
Maduro has been indicted in a U.S. federal court on at least four charges, including narco-terrorism offenses and possessing weapons "against the United States," Bondi said.
It was not immediately clear whether the nation's top lawyer was referring only to charges contained in an indictment filed against the Venezuelan leader in 2020, or if there would be new or different charges filed in an indictment Saturday.
Bondi said the Maduros were charged in the Southern District of New York, which is the same jurisdiction that handed down the 2020 indictment against the Venezuelan president. His wife, Cilia Flores, was not previously charged.
Bondi, in her post, added her thanks on behalf of the Department of Justice to President Trump, "for having the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American People, and a huge thank you to our brave military who conducted the incredible and highly successful mission to capture these two alleged international narco traffickers."
By Tucker Reals
Updated 7:19 AM
European Union calls for restraint, respect for international law
Top European Union diplomat Kaja Kallas said Saturday that she had spoken with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the EU's ambassador in Caracas.
She said the EU was "closely monitoring the situation" and noted that it had "repeatedly stated that Mr. Maduro lacks legitimacy."
"Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected," Kallas wrote on social media. "We call for restraint. The safety of EU citizens in the country is our top priority."
By Kerry Breen
Updated 6:50 AM
Russia and Iran condemn U.S. strikes on Venezuela
Russia and Iran were among the many nations to react quickly to the U.S. military strikes on Venezuela and President Trump announcing the capture of the Latin American nation's leader, Nicolás Maduro.
Iran condemned the attack, calling it a "flagrant violation of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of" Venezuela, according to the AFP news agency.
Russia's foreign ministry accused the U.S. of "an act of armed aggression against Venezuela. This is deeply concerning and condemnable" in a statement, according to the Reuters news agency.
"The pretexts used to justify such actions are unfounded," the statement said, adding a call for the prevention of "further escalation," dialogue, and backing other calls for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council.
By Tucker Reals, Haley Ott
6:07 AM
Maduro's capture comes exactly 36 years after U.S. arrested Panama's Noriega
President Trump announced the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro early Saturday morning 36 years to the day after U.S. forces arrested another indicted Latin American leader, the late Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega.
A onetime U.S. ally and CIA informant, Noriega led Panama for much of the 1980s, but he fell out of favor with Washington toward the end of his reign due to allegations of drug trafficking.
Former President George H.W. Bush ordered the U.S. military to invade Panama in late 1989, leading Noriega to hide out in the Vatican embassy before surrendering to U.S. authorities on Jan. 3, 1990. He was convicted in the U.S. on drug trafficking charges and spent 20 years in an American prison before being sent to France to serve a money laundering sentence, and then to Panama where he was imprisoned on murder and other charges.
Noriega died in Panama in 2017.
Read more here.
By Joe Walsh
5:33 AM
GOP senator says Rubio told him "no further action in Venezuela" expected
Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah said early Saturday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had told him he "anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in U.S. custody."
In a post on X, Lee said he spoke with Rubio on the phone. He said he was told Maduro was arrested, "to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States," and "the kinetic action we saw tonight was deployed to protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant."
By Joe Walsh
5:20 AM
Maduro was captured with a $50 million U.S. bounty out on him
The U.S. government has sought Maduro's arrest for years. He was indicted by a U.S. court in March 2020, accused along with more than a dozen other individuals of narcoterrorism.
Last summer, the Trump administration doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro's capture to $50 million.
Federal prosecutors alleged in 2020 that Maduro and other senior Venezuelan government officials collaborated with the Colombian guerilla group Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, or FARC, to traffic cocaine and weapons to the United States.
At the time, the Justice Department also accused Maduro of leading a criminal ring called Cártel de Los Soles, which the Trump administration designated as a foreign terrorist organization last year.
Some experts have questioned the administration's characterization of Cártel de Los Soles, arguing the term refers to a loosely defined group of corrupt government officials with links to drug trafficking, not a centrally organized group.
By Joe Walsh
5:15 AM
Venezuelan vice president demands proof of life for Maduro
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, speaking on the country's state-run TV, issued a demand on Saturday morning for proof of life and the location of the country's President Nicolás Maduro.
Her remarks, in a telephone interview with the TV network, came soon after President Trump said Maduro had been captured and flown out of Venezuela.
By José Diaz, Tucker Reals
4:59 AM
Venezuelan defense minister says military is being deployed
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López announced a deployment of military forces across the country in a video posted to social media early Saturday, after the U.S. military conducted strikes on the country.
The defense minister called for a united front of resistance in the face of "the worst aggression" ever against Venezuela. He said all armed forces would be deployed following "Maduro's orders" — but made no mention of Maduro's reported capture.
"They've attacked us but they will not subdue us," he said.
He called for calm and unity, and warned against anarchy and disorder, cautioning: "let's not succumb to the panic the enemy seeks to instill."
The defense minister also said the government had declared a "state of external commotion," effectively a state of emergency.
By Lilia Luciano
4:47 AM
Maduro captured by Army's Delta Force, sources say
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured early Saturday morning by members of Delta Force, the U.S. military's top special mission unit, U.S. officials told CBS News.
The elite Army Delta Force was also responsible for the 2019 mission that killed former Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
By Jennifer Jacobs
4:26 AM
Trump says Maduro was captured and flown out of Venezuela
President Trump said in a Truth Social post early Saturday morning that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were "captured and flown out of the Country," as he confirmed U.S. military strikes in Venezuela.
"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader," Mr. Trump wrote. He said U.S. law enforcement was involved, but he didn't specify how or which agencies.
Maduro was indicted in an American court for alleged narcoterrorism in 2020.
Mr. Trump said more details will be offered in a press conference at 11 a.m. ET at Mar-a-Lago.
By Joe Walsh
4:17 AM
State Department tells Americans in Venezuela to shelter in place
The State Department warned U.S. citizens in Venezuela to shelter in place early Saturday morning.
In a notice posted on its website, the department said the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, was "aware of reports of explosions in and around Caracas, Venezuela."
TOPSHOT-VENEZUELA-US-CONFLICT-CRISIS
A fire at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, is seen from a distance after a series of explosions amid U.S. military strikes in Caracas on Jan. 3, 2026.
AFP/Getty
The U.S. has warned its citizens against traveling to Venezuela for months, citing the risk of "wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure."
By Jennifer Jacobs, Joe Walsh
4:02 AM
Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego: "This war is illegal"
Shortly after the U.S. launched strikes in Venezuela, Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona wrote on X: "This war is illegal."
The senator, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who was deployed in Iraq, called it the "Second unjustified war in my life time."
Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah also expressed skepticism, saying in a post on X: "I look forward to learning what, if anything, might constitutionally justify this action in the absence of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force."
In recent months, congressional Democrats and some Republicans have pushed back against the Trump administration's military buildup in the region, forcing votes in the House and Senate on measures that would have barred the U.S. from striking Venezuela without congressional approval.
Those measures have been voted down.
By Joe Walsh
3:50 AM
Venezuelan government declares state of emergency, tells people to take to the streets
Venezuela's government called on its supporters to take to the streets in the wake of the U.S. military strikes early Saturday.
"People to the streets!" the statement said. "The Bolivarian Government calls on all social and political forces in the country to activate mobilization plans and repudiate this imperialist attack."
The statement said President Nicolás Maduro had "ordered all national defense plans to be implemented" and declared "a state of external disturbance." That state of emergency gives him the power to suspend people's rights and expand the role of the armed forces.
By The Associated Press
Updated 3:43 AM
Venezuelan opposition leader has backed Trump's strategy
Venezuelan opposition leader MarÃa Corina Machado told CBS News in mid-December she was "absolutely" supportive of President Trump's strategy in the country.
"We, the Venezuelan people, are very grateful to him and to his administration, because I believe he is a champion of freedom in this hemisphere," Machado said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan."
At the time, the president's strategy was limited to attacks on suspected drug boats, the seizure of an oil tanker and economic and diplomatic pressure, but not land strikes.
Asked if she'd welcome U.S. military action in Venezuela, Machado did not rule it out, saying: "I will welcome more and more pressure so that Maduro understands that he has to go."
A former lawmaker who was disqualified from running in Venezuela's 2024 presidential election, Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this year, and collected the prize in Norway after a risky waterborne exit from Venezuela. She dedicated the prize to Mr. Trump.
Read more here.
By Kaia Hubbard
3:43 AM
Caracas military bases and major Venezuelan port hit by U.S. strikes, political opposition says
David Smolansky, a spokesman for Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, told CBS News the following locations were among those hit:
Fuerte Tiuna — the main military base in Caracas
La Carlota — the main airbase in Caracas
El Volcán — signal antenna
La Guaira Port — a seaport on the Caribbean coast
Map of Caracas, Venezuela
Map shows location of Venezuela and its capital, Caracas. President Trump ordered strikes on sites inside Venezuela, including military facilities, in the early hours of Jan. 3, 2026, U.S. officials told CBS News.
Mehmet Yaren Bozgun/Anadolu/Getty
By Margaret Brennan
3:34 AM
FAA bans commercial flights over Venezuela due to "ongoing military activity"
As the U.S. carries out strikes in Venezuela, the Federal Aviation Administration prohibited U.S. commercial air carriers from operating at all altitudes over Venezuela, citing "safety-of-flight risks associated with ongoing military activity."
The notice was issued at 2 a.m. local time in Caracas (1 a.m. Eastern) on Saturday, and was set to end at 1 a.m. Caracas time on Sunday.
The order does not apply to foreign or military aircraft.
By Joe Walsh
3:25 AM
Maduro said earlier this week that he was open to U.S. talks on drug trafficking
Before the U.S. strikes began, Maduro said in an interview on Venezuelan state TV earlier this week that he was willing to talk with the U.S. about drug trafficking, oil and migration issues.
The Venezuelan president said he was ready for talks "wherever they want to whenever they want," and suggested he was open to an agreement to combat drug trafficking, or American investment in Venezuela's oil sector.
Maduro has alleged for weeks that the U.S. is seeking his ouster.
"What are they seeking? It is clear that they seek to impose themselves through threats, intimidation and force," he said this week.
By Joe Walsh
Updated 3:15 AM
Maduro has maintained hold on power despite disputed 2024 election
Maduro, 63, has maintained his grip on power in Venezuela since 2013, when he became president following the death of longtime leader Hugo Chávez.
Maduro has survived several serious threats to his hold on the presidency, most recently in 2024, when he stood for election for a third term. The Venezuelan government declared Maduro the victor, a result that was denounced by opposition leaders and international observers, who accused the regime of stealing votes.
The U.S. recognized the opposition candidate, Edmundo González, as the winner, and imposed sanctions against elections officials for allegedly rigging the outcome.
Despite the global outcry, Maduro was sworn in for his third term in January.
By Stefan Becket
Updated 3:12 AM
Trump repeatedly threatened to move from boat strikes to land strikes
President Trump repeatedly warned in recent months that his administration could attack accused drug traffickers who traverse Latin America by land "very soon," which would mark an escalation in the U.S. military's campaign of lethal strikes on alleged drug boats.
"We're going to start doing those strikes on land, too," Mr. Trump told reporters during a Dec. 2 Cabinet meeting when asked about the administration's strikes at sea. "You know, the land is much easier ... And we know the routes they take. We know everything about them. We know where they live. We know where the bad ones live. And we're going to start that very soon, too."
He said at the time that any country where illicit drugs are produced or trafficked could be subject to attack, not just Venezuela.
Read more here.
By Joe Walsh
3:08 AM
Cuba's president denounces strikes on Venezuela as a "criminal attack by the U.S."
Cuba's President Miguel DÃaz-Canel Bermúdez said in a social media post that his country denounced "the criminal attack by the U.S." on Venezuela, and he called for urgent condemnation from the international community for what he described as "State terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people and against Our America."
By Tucker Reals
2:58 AM
Venezuela accuses U.S. of "very serious military aggression"
In a statement early Saturday, the Venezuelan government said it "repudiates and denounces to the international community the very serious military aggression" by the U.S. government.
Venezuela said the strikes targeted civilian and military sites in the city of Caracas and the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira.
The government vowed to defend against the apparent strikes, and accused the U.S. of seeking regime change.
"The whole country must be active to defeat this imperialist aggression," the government's statement read, adding a call for an immediate meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
By José Diaz, Joe Walsh
2:55 AM
Explosions heard in Caracas
U.S. officials confirmed to CBS News that President Trump had ordered strikes in Venezuela not long after reports started to emerge of explosions and low-flying aircraft in the country's capital of Caracas in the early Saturday morning hours. Initially U.S. officials had said only that they were aware of the reports.
President Gustavo Petro in neighboring Colombia said in a social media post that someone was "bombing Caracas in this moment," without saying who.
"Alert to the whole world, they have attacked Venezuela bombing with missiles," he said, calling for a meeting of the United Nations.
TOPSHOT-VENEZUELA-US-CONFLICT-CRISIS
A fire burns at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, after a series of explosions in Caracas on Jan. 3, 2026.
LUIS JAIMES /AFP via Getty Images
Smoke could be seen rising from the hangar of a military base in Caracas, and another military facility in the capital was without power, The Associated Press reported.
By Joe Walsh
2:49 AM
Trump approved Venezuela strikes days beforehand, sources say
President Trump gave the U.S. military the green light to conduct land strikes in Venezuela days before the actual operation occurred, according to two U.S. officials who spoke to CBS News under condition of anonymity to discuss national security matters.
Military officials discussed conducting the mission on Christmas Day, but U.S. airstrikes in Nigeria against ISIS targets took precedence, the sources said.
The days following Christmas opened more potential strike windows to U.S. military officials but the operation was held due to weather conditions. The officials said the U.S. military wanted weather conditions that were advantageous to mission success.
By James LaPorta, Jennifer Jacobs
2:38 AM
U.S. launches airstrikes on Venezuela
President Trump ordered strikes on sites inside Venezuela early Saturday morning, including military facilities, U.S. officials told CBS News.
The Pentagon referred all requests for comment to the White House.
By Jennifer Jacobs, James LaPorta, Eleanor Watson
2:38 AM
Before land strikes, Trump said it would be "smart" for Maduro to leave
President Trump has been noncommittal on whether the goal of his military buildup is to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. He told reporters on Dec. 22 it would be "smart" for Maduro to leave power, but it's "up to him what he wants to do."
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles has been more direct about the president's intentions, telling Vanity Fair in November: "He wants to keep on blowing boats up until Maduro cries uncle."
Mr. Trump said in mid-December that Venezuela was "completely surrounded by the largest Armada ever assembled in the History of South America."
"It will only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before — Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us," he posted on Truth Social on Dec. 16.
By Joe Walsh
2:38 AM
Military action follows more than 30 boat strikes, seizure of oil tankers
Since early September, the U.S. military has carried out more than 30 strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, killing over 110 people. The first of those attacks, on Sept. 2, sparked additional controversy when it emerged that the military launched a follow-on strike after spotting two survivors. Critics in Congress have called for an investigation into whether that constitutes a war crime.
Then on Dec. 10, the U.S. seized an oil tanker called The Skipper off the coast of Venezuela. The mission was launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford, an aircraft carrier that has been in the area for weeks as part of a broader buildup of U.S. forces in the region, sources told CBS News.
Attorney General Pam Bondi posted a 45-second video of the operation on X, showing armed personnel descending onto the vessel's deck from a helicopter. She said the U.S. executed a seizure warrant on the vessel, and that it was "used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran."
Less than a week later, President Trump announced a "total and complete blockade" of sanctioned oil tankers entering and exiting Venezuela. The U.S. later seized a second oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on Dec. 20, and later pursued a third tanker that refused to be boarded and fled.
In what could be the campaign's first known land strike, Mr. Trump said in late December the U.S. "knocked out" a "big facility" that was allegedly linked to drug trafficking. He described the target as a "dock area where they load the boats up with drugs," but he didn't specify its location or offer many further details.
The Venezuelan government has criticized the operations at sea, calling the oil tanker seizures acts of "piracy" and accusing the Trump administration of seeking regime change.
2:38 AM
Trump administration accuses Maduro, Venezuelan groups of narcoterrorism
The U.S. has asserted that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is complicit with armed criminal gangs smuggling drugs into the U.S. — allegations that Maduro has rejected.
The Trump administration has officially designated two groups as international terrorist organizations that it says are linked to the Maduro regime: the Cartel de los Soles and the gang Tren de Aragua, which are accused of international drug trafficking and violent attacks.
Some experts have questioned the designations. Analysts say the Cartel de los Soles is not a singular organization, but instead refers to elements within the Venezuelan government accused of colluding with drug cartels.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CBS News' "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" in May that the administration believes Tren de Aragua is used as a tool of the regime — contradicting an assessment by the National Intelligence Council.
"There's no doubt in our mind, and in my mind, and in the FBI's assessment that this is a group that the regime in Venezuela uses, not just to try to destabilize the United States, but to project power," Rubio said.
Maduro and several of his top lieutenants were charged in U.S. federal court in 2020 with narco-terrorism and drug trafficking, which he denied. "Maduro very deliberately deployed cocaine as a weapon" to harm the U.S., prosecutors alleged.
Over the summer, the Trump administration doubled the reward for Maduro's arrest to $50 million.
2:38 AM
Strikes come after months of U.S. military buildup in region
Over the past few months, the U.S. has ratcheted up the pressure on the Maduro regime in Venezuela in multiple ways, including an extensive military buildup in the region, live fire exercises and deadly strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.
There are currently about 15,000 U.S. troops in the region. Some 11 naval vessels were in the Caribbean Sea as of Dec. 30, Navy officials told CBS News, including the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's most advanced aircraft carrier.
The U.S. naval buildup in the Caribbean also includes five guided missile destroyers, two guided missile cruisers, an amphibious assault ship and two amphibious transport dock ships, officials said.
There are also several dozen U.S. fighter jets stationed in Puerto Rico. And this month, the U.S. moved aircraft to the region that are designed to carry special forces, including CV-22 Ospreys and C-17 cargo planes, a source familiar with the matter told CBS News.
By James LaPorta, Eleanor Watson
More from CBS News
Alleged drug smugglers jumped overboard in recent boat strikes, U.S. military says
New York leaders react to capture of Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro
Maduro's capture comes 35 years after U.S. arrested Panama's Noriega
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