Trump says the 'infamous' Tren de Aragua honcho was blown to smithereens in US strike

President Donald Trump announced Friday night that the U.S. military had successfully introduced the leader of Tren de Aragua to the “find out” stage of foreign policy, proving once again that the “peace through strength” doctrine hits a little differently when the peace is delivered at Mach 2 with shock and awe.

According to Trump, the U.S. Southern Command “delivered a swift and lethal kinetic strike” that transformed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores into kibbles and bits. He was also known as Niño Guerrero, the “infamous” leader of Tren de Aragua, a gang that somehow managed to make MS,13 look like a church softball league.

The U.S. Department of State had previously offered up to a $5 million reward for the Venezuelan gangster’s arrest or conviction, though apparently the Pentagon decided it was cheaper to skip the extradition paperwork and go straight to the fireworks finale.

"Before I returned to office, Joe Biden opened our Southern Border to millions of Illegal Criminals, and allowed this foreign army to rape, maim, and murder American Citizens with total impunity," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "During my Campaign, I pledged to expel these monsters from our Country, and bring Justice to the families of those they slaughtered, including the precious 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, 22-year-old Laken Reilly, and countless other beautiful souls."

Somewhere deep inside CNN headquarters, producers reportedly scrambled to locate an expert willing to explain why vaporizing cartel terrorists is actually problematic for democracy.

Trump said Friday’s strike delivered long overdue justice.

"With Friday's action, the U.S. military has brought retribution for them, their families, and their loved ones."

Translation: the “mostly peaceful transnational gang” narrative just took a direct hit.

"Early in my Administration, I delivered on my promise to designate Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, deport thousands of evil criminals, and wage war against the Cartels, who have long been waging war against our Citizens, while weak leaders left America helpless and defensive," Trump wrote.

The president also released video footage of the strike, giving Americans their first opportunity in years to watch the federal government target criminals instead of grandparents who wandered too close to the Capitol velvet ropes.

"This action was coordinated closely with our friends in Venezuela, with whom we are working very well," he continued. "As a result, Tren de Aragua terrorists no longer have safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else and, under my leadership, we will find these vicious murderers and drugs lords anytime, anyplace, and send them to the depths of hell where they belong."

Progressives immediately condemned the operation as an outrageous escalation against an underserved cultural enrichment organization.

Tren de Aragua began as a prison gang in Venezuela before expanding into a sprawling criminal empire tied to extortion, trafficking, kidnapping, illegal mining, and enough brutality to make Gotham City look properly governed. U.S. officials say Guerrero expanded the gang’s influence while incarcerated in Tocorón Prison, where inmates apparently enjoyed amenities usually reserved for luxury resorts and California shoplifters.

Authorities said the gang eventually seized effective control over the prison, nearby gold mines, drug corridors along the Caribbean coast, and border crossings between Venezuela and Colombia. In other words, they built the kind of diversified operation most ESG consultants can only dream about.

Meanwhile, MS Now contributors were reportedly preparing a heartfelt panel discussion titled “Was Niño Guerrero Misunderstood?” complete with solemn violin music and a segment blaming climate change.

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No Joke: Trump is considering making a 51st state and it isn't Canada

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump said on Monday that he’s serious about officially making Venezuela and its massive oil reserves part of the United States. As former alleged President Joe Biden says, "no joke."

The President spoke with Fox News anchor John Roberts,  saying that he is “seriously considering a move to make Venezuela the 51st state.” Trump emphasized Venezuela’s oil reserves and discussed his administration’s focus on the South American country, adding, “Venezuela loves Trump.”

Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s acting president, responded to Trump’s remark and told reporters that Venezuela wants to remain independent.

“That would never have been considered, because if there is one thing we Venezuelan men and women have, it is that we love our independence process, we love our heroes and heroines of independence,” she said. 

Rodríguez added that her government would continue to work with the United States in “a diplomatic cooperation agenda.”

For Venezuela to become a U.S. state, Congress would have to pass a law via the Admissions Clause of the Constitution, which would then require the president’s signature. Former territories, such as Alaska and Hawaii, also held referendums for residents to vote on statehood before they became part of the union.

Trump floated Venezuelan statehood as his administration continues to work with the country’s acting president after dictator Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. forces and brought back to the United States to stand trial on narco-terrorism charges. Trump suggested in March that he was pleased with Rodríguez as oil flows from Venezuela to the United States and Europe, with the South American country’s exports hitting a seven-year high last month. 

The U.S. Treasury Department is currently managing the proceeds from Venezuelan oil sales in specialized accounts.

Since Trump took major military and economic action on Venezuela in early January, the United States has become the top destination for Venezuelan oil, with around 445,000 barrels per day exported to America in April, Reuters reported. Last month, Chevron said that the increased oil imports from Venezuela are helping mitigate rising fuel costs due to the war in Iran.

Andrew Walz, Chevron’s president of global refining, said the oil imports are helping “bring revenue to Venezuela” and “helping Americans.”

The Trump administration also reopened commercial flights to Venezuela late last month, with direct flights to Caracas set to become available at major airports across the United States in the coming months.

Trump first hinted at making Venezuela the 51st state in a Truth Social post in March when he wrote, “Good things are happening to Venezuela lately! I wonder what this magic is all about? STATEHOOD, #51, ANYONE?”

While Trump claims that Venezuelan statehood is a serious consideration inside the Oval Office, the president has often suggested that the United States would take over foreign countries or territories.

As the president pressured Canada on trade last year, he regularly suggested that America’s neighbor could become the 51st state. He has also pushed for Greenland to become a U.S. territory for national security purposes and suggested that the United States could take over Gaza following the Israel-Hamas war.

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Venezuelan national busted after allegedly killing 18-year-old Chicago student

A 25-year-old Venezuelan national, Jose Medina-Medina ,who entered the United States illegally has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago student Sheridan Gorman. Gorman was reportedly walking with friends along the Tobey Prinz Beach pier, near campus, when a masked man opened fire, violently, and senselessly shooting her in the head. 

The young lady was pronounced dead at the scene.

In a statement to ABC7, Gorman’s family said that she had gone to the pier to look at the Northern Lights, emphasizing that “there was nothing reckless about her actions” at the time, suggesting further that this was a completely random attack.

“Sheridan was our daughter, our sister, and the heart of our family. She was full of life, full of kindness, and full of a love that she gave freely to everyone around her,” the family said in a statement.

Medina-Medina was arrested-arrested on Friday night and was scheduled to appear in court on Monday. This was delayed, however, as he has since been hospitalized for tuberculosis, according to prosecutors who spoke to the Chicago Tribune. At this point, no official motive has been identified for the crime.

In a statement released on Sunday, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer against Medina. The department noted that Medina had been released twice in 2023 under the Biden administration's policies, including a release following an arrest for shoplifting in Chicago.

“Sheridan Gorman had her whole life ahead of her before this cold-blooded killer decided to end her life. She was failed by open border policies and sanctuary politicians who RELEASED this illegal alien TWICE before he went on to commit this heinous murder,” said Lauren Bis, DHS acting assistant secretary, in the statement.

“We are calling on Governor J.B. Pritzker and Chicago’s sanctuary politicians to commit to not releasing this criminal illegal alien from jail back into American neighborhoods,” she added.Responding to news of the arrest, the Gorman family issued a statement through ABC7, ultimately describing the tragedy as a “violent and preventable act.”

“We are gravely disappointed by the policies and failures that allowed this individual to remain in a position to commit this crime. When systems fail, whether through release decisions, lack of coordination, or unwillingness to act, the consequences are not abstract. They are real. And in our case, they are permanent.”

“This cannot be just another case that fades from public attention. Sheridan’s life mattered. What happened to her matters. And we will make sure she is not forgotten,” they continued.

Miss Gorman was an 18-year-old freshman at Loyola University Chicago, though originally from Yorktown, New York. A business major and active member of the Christian campus organization Cru, she was described by friends and family as a compassionate, joyful, and kind person who was deeply involved in her campus community despite only being in her first year. 

The fatal incident occurred around 1:15 a.m. at the Tobey Prinz Beach pier in Rogers Park while Gorman was walking with a group of friends, having gone to the lakefront specifically to try to view the Northern Lights. According to investigators, the masked man approached the group from behind a lighthouse and opened fire as they attempted to flee. Gorman was struck in the head and pronounced dead at the scene. No other injuries were reported among her friends.

A memorial and scholarship fund are being established in Gorman’s honor in her hometown of Yorktown.

This is the sort of story that should shame a nation. A young woman, full of promise and untouched by any recklessness or provocation, steps out on a clear night simply to witness a rare natural wonder, the Northern Lights dancing above Lake Michigan. In that innocent moment she is executed at point-blank range by a man who had no right to be in the country at all, a man released not once but twice by the very authorities charged with protecting American citizens.

The family’s grief is raw and dignified. They insist there was “nothing reckless about her actions,” as if even the faintest suggestion of fault must be extinguished before it can be whispered. They are right to do so. For this was not a tragic encounter between rival gang members or the unhappy result of some personal dispute. It was, by every available account, a random slaughter, the sort that occurs when the state has decided that its own laws on entry and removal are optional, when sanctuary policies matter more than the safety of its own people, and when the consequences of those decisions are borne not by politicians in their guarded offices but by freshmen walking along a pier.

Consider the sequence. The killer, a Venezuelan an illegal alien, had already been arrested for shoplifting in Chicago. Under the policies of the Biden administration he was released. Later he was encountered again and released once more. 

Now an American teenager lies dead, her skull shattered by his bullet, while he sits in hospital with tuberculosis, the court appearance postponed. The Department of Homeland Security has at last lodged a detainer, as though such paperwork could resurrect the dead or undo the years of deliberate negligence that placed the murderer on that pier in the first place.

The family sees it clearly. “We are gravely disappointed by the policies and failures that allowed this individual to remain in a position to commit this crime,” they say. “When systems fail, whether through release decisions, lack of coordination, or unwillingness to act, the consequences are not abstract. They are real. And in our case, they are permanent.”

There is a terrible eloquence in those words. Permanent. That is what open-border ideology and sanctuary-city dogma have delivered to Sheridan Gorman and her family: a permanent absence, a life cut short at eighteen, a future of studies and friendships and quiet Christian witness erased in a single act of casual savagery.

Politicians will speak of  “comprehensive reform” and “root causes” in the days ahead, as they always do. They will treat this as one more data point in an argument rather than as the human catastrophe it is. But the family will not let it fade. “This cannot be just another case that fades from public attention,” they declare. “Sheridan’s life mattered. What happened to her matters. And we will make sure she is not forgotten.”

They should not have to fight alone for that remembrance. The rest of us, those still fortunate enough to live under laws that are actually enforced, have a duty to ensure that Sheridan Gorman is not remembered merely as another statistic in the long ledger of migrant crime, but as the precise and foreseeable cost of a governing philosophy that values ideological purity over the elementary obligation to keep citizens safe in their own streets and on their own shores. 

A scholarship and a memorial in Yorktown will be established, small consolations for an irreparable loss. Yet the true memorial must be larger: a national reckoning with the reality that when a country stops controlling its borders, it stops controlling its fate, and the first to pay are the young, the innocent, and the hopeful, walking out one autumn night to see the lights in the sky.

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Cuba readies for possible U.S. military action

If a country could be symbolized in the form of a person, Cuba would be Sarah McBride, and the United States of America would be the late, great Chuck Norris when comparing the two nations.

Cuba is supposedly "preparing" for military conflict with the United States, according to their top diplomat on "Meet the Press." Now let's get real here guys, this is classic commie theater from the Cuban regime, and it's about as believable as a Biden family influence-peddling story because Cuba is a country running on fumes, blackouts, and Venezuelan handouts that, for some reason [Trump] has been cut off.

“Our military is always prepared, and in fact it is preparing these days for the possibility of military aggression,” Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío said with a straight face in an interview on “Meet the Press.” 

“We would be naïve” not to consider the possibility, he added, while insisting that Havana “truly hope[s] that it doesn’t occur” and sees “no justification whatsoever” for conflict.

Oh, please, spare us the victim routine. This comes right after President Trump laid it out plain and simple. He said he would have the “honor” of  “taking Cuba in some form . . .  Free it. Take it. I think I could do anything I want with it.” 

Boom! Straight talk. 

And Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been crystal clear too, warning that those in power in Havana “don’t know how to fix” the country’s mounting crises. Because they don't. They're communists. Fixing things isn't in the playbook. It just makes those at the top richer and the rest of the country equally poor.

Fernández de Cossío dismissed those remarks, insisting that regime change is “absolutely” not up for discussion. “The Cuban political system is not up for negotiation,” he said. “Cuba is a sovereign country . . . and would not accept becoming a dependent state of any other power.

”Sovereign? Sure, if by sovereign you mean propped up by oil from a collapsing Venezuela and now scrambling because the U.S. is finally choking off the fuel lifeline. The Trump administration is playing hardball, threatening penalties on any country exporting oil to Cuba, which the regime calls a “very severe” blockade.

“What’s happening today is that the U.S. is threatening . . .  any country that might export fuel to Cuba,” Fernández de Cossío said, arguing the pressure campaign “cannot be sustained forever.”

Can't be sustained forever is a joke. Dude, your blackouts and grid collapses are happening right now. Hospitals straining, food distribution breaking down, people in the dark, literally. And let's not forget the U.S. military operation that nabbed Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, your BFF and sugar daddy for oil. That lifeline's gone, and now you're crying foul.

Despite the tough talk, both sides admit there's still some chatter going on. Fernández de Cossío confirmed that Cuban and U.S. officials remain in dialogue on certain bilateral issues, though he stressed that core political questions such as leadership and single-party governance are off the table.

“No sovereign country negotiates its internal political system,” he said. And then he tried flipping the script, criticizing America's two-party system. Nice try, comrade, but last I checked, we have elections, not dictators for life.

While Cuban officials emphasized readiness, they also sought to downplay the likelihood of imminent conflict. “Our country has historically been ready to mobilize . . .  for military aggression,” Fernández de Cossío said. “We truly always see it as something far from us. We don’t believe it is something that is probable.” Still, he reiterated that failing to prepare would be a mistake given current global tensions.

Translation: We're saber-rattling to rally the troops at home while begging behind the scenes not to get steamrolled. Cuba's staring down economic collapse, nationwide blackouts, public frustration boiling over, and the regime still refuses any real change. For now, Havana's trying to play both sides, signaling they want to avoid war but prepping anyway, just in case.

Look, if the Cuban people ever get a real shot at freedom, it'll be because the pressure from Trump and Rubio finally forces the issue, not because the regime suddenly grows a conscience. Until then, this is just more bluster, shoulder-rolling and crotch grabbing from a failing dictatorship that's one bad blackout away from imploding. 

Change is coming to Cuba, whether the commies like it or not. Let's go, Brandon, wait, no, let's go, Trump!

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US sends F-22s to Israel while Trump ponders pounding Iran

American F-22 fighter jets touched down at an Israeli Air Force base Tuesday evening as tensions with Iran continue to soar.

According to reports from Walla's Amir Bohbot and Israel's public broadcaster, at least a dozen of these stealth killing machines, among the most advanced fighters on the planet and exclusive to the U.S. arsenal, landed amid the escalating showdown between Washington and Tehran.

President Trump has grown increasingly frustrated with the limits of U.S. military leverage against Iran, per sources familiar with the matter cited by left-leaning CBS News. This frustration follows briefings where aides told the president that, unlike the recent operation that removed Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, any move against Iran would demand far more than a single strike. The Monday CBS report noted that such an action could drag the U.S. into a prolonged military campaign across the Middle East.

Pentagon officials earlier this week voiced serious concerns about the potential costs of such a campaign, warning it could claim the lives of American troops and our allies, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The WSJ and Axios highlighted that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine strongly opposed war with Iran, a claim Trump pushed back against in a Truth Social post. The WSJ added that several other Pentagon officials echoed similar warnings to Caine, though he was the most prominent voice.

Trump himself said General Caine "would [not like] to see war in Iran, but if a decision is made on going against Iran at a military level, it is his opinion that it will be something easily won."Sources told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday that Trump remains undecided on the path forward: whether to pursue a deal with Iran, launch a weeks-long war aimed at toppling the regime, or opt for a narrower strike to pressure Tehran into accepting better terms.

With fake news and wild speculation flooding the airwaves, even top American and Israeli officials sometimes appear as uncertain about Trump's next move as the rest of us. One emerging option, now being widely leaked according to sources, involves Trump hunting for a middle-ground approach: a limited, short-duration attack on the Islamic Republic.

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The Islamic Revolution's 2026 anniversary could well be its last.

Bottom line: the pieces are moving, the rhetoric is heating up, and the F-22s on Israeli soil are a very clear signal that the Trump administration isn't bluffing when it comes to Iran. Stay tuned; this story is far from over.

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US neutralizes Russian-made air defenses

The U.S. military pulled off a stunning lightning strike against Venezuela on January 3, capturing dictator Nicolás Maduro while leaving our forces largely unscathed. The operation crippled Venezuela's defense systems, and it looks like cyber ops may have played a key role in the mix.

More than 150 aircraft, including bombers and fighter jets, took part in what President Trump called a successful "large-scale strike" against the regime. Caracas went dark early that morning with widespread power outages, hinting at something more than just kinetic action.

Trump suggested U.S. involvement in the blackout, without getting into the weeds. "The lights of Caracas were largely turned off due to a certain expertise that we have," he said.

Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Fox News Digital that while details on contributions from U.S. Cyber Command and Space Command remain unclear, penetration of Venezuelan infrastructure seems likely. "We don't really know what cyber did, some of the lights did go out, and Caine did talk about it," Cancian said. "It's possible that (they) got into some of their command and control systems."

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, described the layered approach as U.S. helicopters and law enforcement assets neared Venezuelan shores. The U.S. "began layering different effects provided by SPACECOM, CYBERCOM, and other members of the inter-agency to create a pathway," Caine explained.

The air package featured F-22s, F-35s, F/A-18s, E-2s, B-1 bombers, support aircraft, and boatload of drones. "As the force began to approach Caracas, the joint air component began dismantling and disabling the air defense systems in Venezuela, employing weapons to ensure the safe passage of the helicopters into the target area," Gen. Caine told reporters. Cancian noted that weapons like the AGM-88 HARM high-speed anti-radiation missiles, along with other air-to-ground munitions, probably neutralized radar sites and other defenses.

A SPACECOM spokesperson declined to detail specific support for Operation Absolute Resolve, citing opsec, but emphasized the foundational role of space-based capabilities. "To protect the Joint Force from space-enabled attack and ensure their freedom of movement, U.S. Space Command possesses the means and willingness to employ combat-credible capabilities that deter and counter our opponents and project power in all warfighting domains," the spokesperson said. CYBERCOM did not respond to a request for comment.

On-the-ground CIA assets provided critical intel ahead of the raid, Cancian said, after Trump authorized covert operations in Venezuela back in October 2025. "They gave detailed descriptions of Maduro’s headquarters, and I'm sure located all of the air defense batteries around Caracas," he added. "So we had an excellent sense about where everything was, combining that with overhead surveillance and also electromagnetic intelligence."

Venezuela may boast impressive Russian systems on paper, including S-300s, Buk-M2Es, and Pechora-2Ms, but poor training and U.S. disruption made the difference. 

Of the 150+ aircraft involved, only one took a hit, with none shot down. Seven U.S. service members were injured but are "well on their way to recovery," an administration official reported."Seems those Russian air defenses didn't quite work so well, did they?" Secretary of War Pete Hegseth quipped to reporters in Newport News, Virginia.

Trump announced that special forces seized Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in Caracas. The duo were flown to New York and appeared in Manhattan federal court on January 5 facing drug charges, where both laughingly pleaded not guilty. The operation followed months of pressure on Venezuela, including strikes in Latin American waters against drug traffickers as part of Trump's crackdown on narcotics flowing into the U.S. The administration has long refused to recognize Maduro as legitimate, insisting he runs a drug cartel. Trump even suggested in December that stepping down would be the "smart" move for him.

Officials frame the seizure as a "law enforcement" action, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio arguing no congressional approval was needed since it wasn't an "invasion."

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Still, critics on the left are crying foul over the lack of congressional sign-off. "This has been a profound constitutional failure," Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a January 3 statement. "Congress — not the President — has the sole power to authorize war. Pursuing regime change without the consent of the American people is a reckless overreach and an abuse of power."

"The question now is not whether Maduro deserved removal, it is what precedent the United States has just set and what comes next."

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Suspected Gang Member ‘Weaponized’ Vehicle Against Border Patrol Agents In Portland, DHS Says

Well, folks, the hits just keep on coming in the ongoing saga of open borders meeting reality. A suspected member of the notorious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua decided to turn his car into a battering ram against federal immigration officers in Portland, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

One quick-thinking Border Patrol agent drew his weapon and fired a defensive shot at the vehicle after the driver allegedly tried to mow down law enforcement. The suspected gang member and his passenger, also believed to have gang ties, peeled out and vanished into the night like the bad guys in a low-budget action flick.

Here's the official DHS rundown: "At 2:19 PST, US Border Patrol agents were conducting a targeted vehicle stop in Portland, Oregon. The passenger of the vehicle and target is a Venezuelan illegal alien affiliated with the transnational Tren de Aragua prostitution ring and involved in a recent shooting in Portland. The vehicle driver is believed to be a member of the vicious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. When agents identified themselves to the vehicle occupants, the driver weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over the law enforcement agents."

"Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired a defensive shot. The driver drove off with the passenger, fleeing the scene," the statement continued.

This came out after whispers started spreading that federal immigration agents had shot and wounded two people in Portland. Whether those rumors line up perfectly with DHS's account is still sorting itself out, but the timing is certainly convenient for anyone looking to stir the pot. 

And let's not forget the fresh wound from the day before: an ICE agent in Minneapolis fatally shot a woman who blocked a road with her vehicle. As officers approached and asked her to step out, she reportedly backed up, then lurched forward. One agent in front fired the fatal shot. The Department of Homeland Security labeled the incident "an act of domestic terrorism."

"This is the direct consequence of constant attacks and demonization of our officers by sanctuary politicians who fuel and encourage rampant assaults on our law enforcement who are facing 1,300% increase in assaults against them and an 8,000% increase in death threats," the agency said.

That Minneapolis shooting lit the fuse for mass demonstrations. 

Gov. 'Tampon Tim' Walz (D-MN) threatened to call in the National Guard while calling for mass protests across the United States against immigration officers. Walz had been in the National Guard, lied about his rank, and when his unit, the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery Regiment was to be deployed to Iraq, he retired, leaving his unit to go to war.

Because nothing says "public safety" like rallying crowds to demonize the people trying to enforce the law against actual violent gang members. Classic. Stay frosty out there, America. The clowns are running the circus, and the imported thugs are providing the entertainment.

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Trump Cancels ‘Second Wave Of Attacks’ As Venezuela Frees Political Prisoners Trump is set to meet with American oil companies on Friday.

President Trump just announced that he's canceling the previously expected second wave of attacks on Venezuela. He says it's because they're showing real cooperation, especially with the release of large numbers of political prisoners.

Venezuela is "releasing large numbers of political prisoners as a sign of 'Seeking Peace.'" This is a very important and smart gesture. The U.S.A. and Venezuela are working well together, especially as it pertains to rebuilding, in a much bigger, better, and more modern form, their oil and gas infrastructure. "Because of this cooperation, I have cancelled the previously expected second Wave of Attacks, which looks like it will not be needed, however, all ships will stay in place for safety and security purposes."

Trump posted this early Friday morning on Truth Social, and it's huge. The prisoners to be released reportedly include key opposition figures like Biagio Pilieri, who worked on María Corina Machado's presidential campaign, and Enrique Márquez, the 2024 presidential candidate. Activists and journalists are also among those freed.

"Consider this a gesture by the Bolivarian [Venezuelan] government, which is broadly intended to seek peace," said Jorge Rodríguez, president of the Venezuelan National Assembly.

Trump also made it clear that American energy companies are ready to step up in a big way. He expects at least $100 billion in investments to help rebuild Venezuela's oil industry, and executives from major U.S. oil firms are heading to the White House today for a meeting. A White House official confirmed the session is set for 2:30 local time, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum all in attendance.

"Following the announcement of President Trump's historic energy deal with Venezuela, American oil companies will come to the White House to discuss investment opportunities that will restore Venezuelan oil infrastructure," said White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers. "The American people, energy companies, and the Venezuelan people will all greatly benefit from these new, unprecedented investments in Venezuela’s oil infrastructure thanks to President Trump."

More than a dozen companies are expected, including reps from Chevron, Exxon, ConocoPhillips, Valero, Marathon, and Shell. Trump has said these American companies could get reimbursed by the government for their investments or earn big revenue straight from the oil production.

This is tremendous progress after the recent operation that captured Maduro. We're seeing cooperation, prisoner releases, and massive opportunities for American energy dominance. America First is delivering results!

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Marco obliterates Left's narrative on Venezuela and targets Kamala Hahaharris too

Secretary of State Marco Rubio was all over the Sunday shows this weekend, breaking down the bold U.S. move that snatched illegitimate Venezuelan narco-dictator Nicolas Maduro on Saturday. The guy probably pulled an all-nighter prepping for the op, but he showed up sharp as ever, schooling the media on the facts.

Rubio absolutely torched the tired Democrat talking point on Meet the Press with Kristen Welker, shredding the nonsense that Trump was chasing Venezuelan oil. He turned the tables hard. We don't need their oil one bit. But we're sure not going to sit back while adversaries run the show down there. "Why does China need their oil? Why does Russia need their oil? Why does Iran need their oil?" We're drawing a line: no enemy bases in our backyard.

Rubio hammered home that oil revenues should go to Venezuelans, not line the pockets of Maduro's corrupt crew. That's why over eight million fled the hellhole his regime created, plenty landing right here in America. No way we're letting outsiders from across the globe waltz in and wreck the hemisphere.

Former VP and failed P candidate, Kamala Harris, slammed the whole thing as illegal, all about regime change or grabbing oil.

But Rubio ripped into the Biden-Harris crowd for their hypocrisy. They slapped a $25 million bounty on Maduro's head but never lifted a finger. Now Harris acts shocked there's actually a basis to haul him in?

"In the Biden administration, they had a $25 million reward for [Maduro's] capture," Rubio told NBC News' Kristen Welker Sunday.

"So, we have a reward for his capture, but we’re not going to enforce it?" Rubio asked, incredulously.

Talk is cheap with these folks, but Trump delivers. Rubio nailed it.

Like I said before, Biden and Harris were masters of empty words. Maduro played them like fools, promising fair elections in exchange for sanction relief. 

Guess how that ended? He reneged, clung to power anyway. And did Harris ever crack the code on those "root causes" of migration flooding our borders? Spoiler: Maduro's nightmare regime was a massive one.


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Rubio ties up CBS anchor's brain on Venezuela: "I don't know why that's confusing"

Oh give us a break. CBS News hack Margaret Brennan thought she could spring a gotcha on Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whining about why the Trump administration only nabbed Venezuelan narco-dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife instead of rounding up every last indicted thug in the regime at once. This is the same media crowd that would have screamed bloody murder if we turned Caracas into another endless quagmire.

Rubio, fresh off Sunday shows where he owned the narrative, schooled her like she was an intern. And folks, he was spot on; Marco didn't hold back.

Referencing Maduro's arrest on Saturday, Brennan noted that President Donald Trump's administration had left a number of others, who had also been designated as narco-terrorists, holding power of some sort in the Venezuelan regime.

"The defense minister, who has deep ties to Russia, $15 million price on his head. He is still in place," Brennan said. "I'm confused. Are they still wanted by the United States? Why didn’t you arrest them if you are taking out the narco terrorist regime?"

"You're confused? I don't know why that’s confusing to you. I mean, it's very simple," Rubio pushed back, but Brennan interrupted.

"They're still in power!" she protested.

"You're not going to go in and . . . you’re going to go in and suck up five people?" Rubio’s tone was incredulous. He spoke to her like she just got off the boat from Boatswana, if there even is such a place. "They are already complaining about the one operation! Imagine the howls we would have from everybody else if we actually had to go and stay there four days to capture four other people."

"We got the top priority," Rubio continued. "The number one person on the list was the guy who claimed to be the president of the country that he was not, and he was arrested along with his wife who is also indicted."

"That was a pretty sophisticated and frankly, complicated operation," Rubio said, and Brennan voiced her agreement as he explained, "It is not easy to land helicopters in the middle of the largest military base in the country. The guy lived on a military base. Land within three minutes, kick down his door, grab him, put him in handcuffs, read him his rights, put him in a helicopter and leave the country without losing any American or any American assets."

"That’s not an easy mission and you're asking why didn't we do that in five other places at the same time?” Rubio asked. "I mean, that’s absurd!"

Exactly. 

This was a surgical strike, folks. Delta Force pulled off a flawless op, no American losses, top target in cuffs, and the media's big complaint is why not more? Because that's how you turn a win into Iraq 2.0, you geniuses. Rubio just exposed the absurdity of these armchair warriors who want everything but nothing at the same time. Classic liberal media meltdown. 

Trump gets results, and they can't stand it.

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Why wasn't JD Vance at Mar-a-Lago during the US raid in Venezuela

AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson

People couldn't help but notice one conspicuous absence in the photos of President Trump monitoring the successful raid on Nicolás Maduro's compound from Mar-a-Lago. 

Everyone expected Vice President JD Vance to appear alongside the president in this modern echo of the Obama Situation Room shot during the bin Laden operation. Even Joe Biden sat next to Barack Obama for that historic moment, yet Vance remained nowhere in sight, prompting questions about his whereabouts during this high-stakes event.

The explanation turns out to be straightforward and prudent. Security concerns drove the decision to keep Vance separated from Trump during the operation. Sources describe it as a designated survivor protocol of sorts, aimed at avoiding risks if both leaders gathered in one location outside the White House under tense conditions. Vance stayed fully engaged nonetheless.

A spokesperson laid it out clearly: "Vice President Vance was deeply integrated in the process and planning of the Venezuela strikes and Maduro's arrest.

"He joined several late night meetings via secure video conference with National Security principals leading up to the operation."

The Vice President briefly met with President Trump at the Trump golf club in West Palm Beach during the day Friday to discuss the strikes. The Vice President was not at Mar-a-Lago on Friday night, as the National Security team was concerned a late-night motorcade movement by the Vice President while the operation was getting underway may tip off the Venezuelans. The Vice President joined by secure video conference throughout the night to monitor the operation. He returned to Cincinnati after the operation concluded.

Due to increased security concerns, the Administration has aimed to limit the frequency and duration of the Vice President and President being co-located away from the White House.”

This approach makes perfect sense for an administration prioritizing operational security and continuity of government. Critics might try to spin Vance's absence as some kind of snub, but the facts point to basic caution during a daring overseas mission. In the end, the raid succeeded flawlessly, Maduro now faces justice in New York, and the Trump team demonstrated once again that it plays to win without unnecessary risks.

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BREAKING: Trump admin pulls off daring raid--Maduro captured: promises made; promises kept

"Goodbye Venezuela; have a nice day"

BOOM! President Donald Trump just announced that U.S. forces executed a "large-scale strike" in Venezuela early Saturday morning, capturing socialist strongman Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, before flying them out of the country.

Trump broke the news himself, saying the operation was a resounding success and that the Venezuelan dictator and his spouse have been "captured and flown out of the Country." He's set to address the nation at 11 a.m. ET from Mar-a-Lago.

This comes after months of ramped-up pressure on the Maduro regime, including U.S. strikes on drug-linked vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, plus a CIA hit on a cartel dock in Venezuela late last year. And remember, there was a $50 million bounty on Maduro's head for info leading to his arrest.

Now, Maduro's vice president is scrambling, demanding [LOL] "proof of life." Attorney General Pam Bondi promised that the couple will face the "full wrath of American justice" after their extraction.

In an X post, Bondi laid it out: "Nicholas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machine guns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States. They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts," she wrote.

"On behalf of the entire U.S. DOJ, I would like to thank 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," AG Bondi added.

The charges stem from a 2020 indictment in the Southern District of New York for narco-terrorism and related crimes.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) piled on via X, reminding everyone that Maduro "was indicted in U.S. court nearly six years ago for drug trafficking and narco-terrorism."

"Nicolas Maduro wasn’t just an illegitimate dictator; he also ran a vast drug-trafficking operation," Cotton wrote.

The senator added that Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Maduro would "face justice for his crimes against our citizens."

This is a massive win for America First, taking down a narco-terrorist thug who's wrecked Venezuela and flooded our streets with poison. Kudos to Trump and our incredible military for getting it done.

Vice President JD Vance is fully standing behind President Donald Trump’s decisive action to strike Venezuela and capture the narco-dickwad Nicolás Maduro.

In a post on X, Vance made it crystal clear: "The president offered multiple off ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States. Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says," Vance wrote on X.

"Kudos to our brave special operators who pulled off a truly impressive operation," he added. The daring U.S. strikes and Maduro's capture have sparked reactions worldwide, some nations whining about "chaos in the region," while others rightly cheer America for taking out a dangerous narco-terrorist who's poisoned our streets and stolen resources that belong here. This is Trump delivering on his promises: no more games with thugs who think they can flood America with drugs and get away with it. Huge props to our elite forces for another flawless mission. America First in action.

World leaders were all over the map Saturday after the U.S. unleashed the strike on Venezuela. 

No surprise here: Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, leader of that bankrupt communist island, threw a hissy-fit, condemning what he called a "criminal attack" and whining on X that, "Our zone of peace is being brutally assaulted." Of course he’s mad, Communist Cuba’s been propping up Maduro’s regime for years while remaining a sworn enemy of the United States. They can sit on it for all we care.

Next door, Colombia’s leftist President Gustavo Petro clutched his pearls, saying his government was watching events "with deep concern" and warning that U.S. action could "destabilize" the region. And by that, he means we could destabilize the fentanyl distribution channels.

"The Colombian Government rejects any unilateral military action that could aggravate the situation or put the civilian population at risk," Petro wrote on X.

Meanwhile, Argentina’s President Javier Milei, Trump’s real ally in the region, celebrated the news like it was Christmas morning. He reposted an old video of himself torching Maduro’s "narco-terrorist" regime as a hemispheric menace and calling on Latin leaders to support U.S. pressure to crush it.

"Long live freedom, dammit!" Milei wrote, dropping his trademark battle cry. 

There you have it, folks: the socialists and their enablers are melting down, while the actual defenders of liberty are popping champagne. Trump just reminded the world that America won’t tolerate narco-dictators anymore, and not everyone’s happy about losing their drug-running buddy. 

Tough break Nicky, et al.

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Bahdahbing! US strikes another alleged drug-trafficking boat near Venezuela

On their way to poison Americans

In a bold move straight out of the America First playbook, President Donald Trump greenlit a U.S. military strike that obliterated a narco-trafficking vessel off Venezuela's coast, wiping out four suspected narco-terrorist scumbags. 

War Secretary Pete Hegseth broke the news Friday, confirming the operation was a direct hit on a boat tied to Designated Terrorist Organizations. "The strike was conducted in international waters just off the coast of Venezuela while the vessel was transporting substantial amounts of narcotics--headed to America to poison our people," Hegseth declared on X.

No U.S. forces were harmed in the Southern Command operation, which relied on rock-solid military intelligence that left "no doubt" the vessel was a drug-running operation manned by narco-terrorists on a well-known trafficking route. Trump himself took to Truth Social to underscore the stakes, blasting that the boat was "loaded with enough drugs to kill 25 TO 50 THOUSAND PEOPLE." That’s right, tens of thousands of American lives potentially saved by decisive action.

This isn't a one-off either. The strike is part of a relentless September campaign targeting drug smugglers. On Sept. 2, U.S. forces took out a vessel linked to the Tren de Aragua gang in the southern Caribbean, sending 11 suspected gang members to the great beyond. Follow-up strikes on Sept. 15 and 19 took out six more. Video footage from Trump’s Truth Social showed one of these boats moments before it was reduced to rubble on Sept. 2, 2025.

Hegseth declared that these operations will keep hammering away "until the attacks on the American people are over!!!!" 

The Trump administration's designation of cartels like Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel as foreign terrorist organizations back in February set the stage for this no-nonsense approach. This is what leadership looks like—hitting the cartels where it hurts and protecting Americans from the poison they peddle.

So tell me, is this what you voted for?

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Judge rules on motion to dismiss illegal alien's lawsuit

The Maryland man and his lovely speed bag

Well here we go again. The Biden Justice Department just got a judicial smackdown that’s worth popping some popcorn and sitting back to enjoy the deal. 

U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis didn’t just deny their motions to dismiss Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s lawsuit over his botched deportation to El Salvador, she called one of their arguments straight-up “meritless.” Ouch, that’s gotta sting for the DOJ’s legal eagles, who probably thought they could waltz into court and sweep this mess under the rug.

“You made three arguments, defendants, and none are availing … meritless,” Xinis told DOJ attorney Bridget O’Hickey, who must’ve felt like she was back in law school getting a failing grade. The judge wasn’t playing around, and she had every reason to be angry. 

Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national, was one of over 250 Venezuelan and Salvadoran men deported to El Salvador’s maximum-security CECOT prison in March. The guy sued over his deportation, and now he’s back in the U.S., facing human trafficking charges in Tennessee. But here’s where it gets juicy: the government didn’t bother telling Xinis or Abrego Garcia’s lawyers when they brought him back in June and slapped him with an indictment. Classy move, DOJ.

Xinis, who’d already ordered the feds to get Abrego Garcia back to the U.S., wasn’t buying the government’s excuses. She grilled O’Hickey, asking if the U.S. cooked up the indictment just to drag him back. “Obviously you did have power to produce Mr. Abrego because you produced him less than a week later,” Xinis said, pointing out the DOJ’s shady timeline. A sealed indictment in Tennessee dropped six days after the government claimed in Maryland they had no power to bring him back. Sounds like someone’s pants were on fire.

The judge didn’t stop there. She called it “highly problematic” that the feds were scheming to investigate and prosecute Abrego Garcia without looping in her court. “We knew it was coming because eventually it was unsealed,” she said, noting that his lawyers only found out he was back in the U.S. from news reports. Imagine that, your client’s fate hinges on a Comedy News Network ticker. 

Xinis wasn’t amused, asking O’Hickey, “How can this representation be one I can credit?” Good question, Your Honor.

O’Hickey tried to spin it, claiming the U.S. was “negotiating” with El Salvador to bring him back while simultaneously filing motions to dismiss. “At some point, don’t you have an obligation to me to say, ‘Judge, we have the power, we produced him, moot,’” Xinis shot back. She even questioned whether the DOJ’s lawyers knew the Tennessee indictment was coming. O’Hickey’s response was a vague word salad about “ongoing negotiations” and “tandem proceedings,” which would have made Kamala Harris proud. 

Xinis wasn’t having it: “Is the indictment one of those steps? Since we are talking about my court order.”

Here’s where it gets even messier. The DOJ claimed Abrego Garcia wasn’t under investigation until April, a month after his lawsuit started. O’Hickey doubled down, saying, “I don’t believe that’s true, your honor,” even though that contradicts what law enforcement said in Tennessee. 

Xinis also shut down the DOJ’s second motion to dismiss, which argued the lawsuit was moot since Abrego Garcia’s back in the U.S. She’s worried he could be deported again if released from custody, and she’s not wrong to be skeptical. The government’s track record here isn’t exactly inspiring confidence. Xinis laid out a path for the feds to prove they won’t screw this up again: name a country where they’d send him and give him time to challenge it, or promise in a “binding way” that he’ll get due process. 

You know, that pesky thing called the U.S. Constitution.

O’Hickey tried to downplay the deportation as an “isolated error,” insisting, “We’ve acknowledged this was an error and have no intention of making that error a second time.” 

Xinis wasn’t buying the mea culpa. “For three months your clients told the world they weren’t going to do anything to bring him back,” she fired back. “Doesn’t that matter?” She even pointed out that the president, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Attorney General Pam Bondi all claimed there was no error. “I have been told that there was no error,” Xinis said, before ruling, “I don’t find at the moment that this case is moot.”

The DOJ’s Jonathan Guynn admitted that if Abrego Garcia is released from pretrial detention in Tennessee, DHS plans to deport him again, destination TBD. Xinis, fed up with the vagueness, ordered government officials with “firsthand knowledge” to testify Thursday about what happens if he’s released. “It’s like trying to nail Jello to a wall trying to find out what is going to happen next week,” she said, making it clear she’s not letting the feds “spirit him away again” without due process.

This whole saga is a masterclass in government incompetence. The DOJ’s been caught playing fast and loose with the truth, and Judge Xinis is holding their feet to the fire. 

There will definitely be more to follow.

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