Greetings! Happy National Drinking Straw Day to those celebrating.

Today’s newsletter is a little different, with PM Daily’s focus on Venezuela.

Let’s get into today’s top stories.

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🇻🇪 American invasion abducts Venezuelan President Maduro. President Donald Trump said covert operations seized Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The strike hit Caracas before dawn, with blasts and low-flying aircraft shaking neighborhoods. The raid used blowtorches to breach the presidential palace, according to accounts of the entry. Officials described a safe room beneath the complex, built for a last-stand script. Trump claimed Maduro was pulled from that bunker and moved off-site within minutes. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said civilians and military members were killed. Trump then went on camera and promised America will “run” Venezuela, at least temporarily. He framed it as security policy, not a nation-building hobby. In Caracas, Ricardo Lucas, a retiree, said the streets felt leaderless and tense. Shops shuttered early, and people traded rumors like currency. Trump also warned other adversaries that American sovereignty is “nonnegotiable.” The couple was flown to New York City to face prosecution, Trump said. Meanwhile, holiday travel across the Caribbean buckled as air routes rerouted and cancellations piled up. The world got reminded: regime change does not arrive quietly, even when it arrives fast.

🇻🇪 Caribbean skies snarl after Venezuela operation reroutes flights. Airlines avoided Venezuelan airspace as the security picture shifted. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) restricted flights into parts of the Caribbean. Flight-tracking data showed hundreds of cancellations and widespread delays. JetBlue Airways said it canceled about 215 flights across its network. American Airlines and Delta Air Lines also reported disruptions tied to routing limits. The American Automobile Association (AAA) had forecast 122.4M American travelers over the holidays. Vacation plans met geopolitics mid-connection and lost.

🛢️ Trump says America will run Venezuela and tap its oil. Trump said America will “run” Venezuela, at least for now, and access its oil reserves. He spoke from Mar-a-Lago and called Maduro a direct threat to American security. He said Maduro and Cilia Flores will be prosecuted in New York City. The operation unfolded without explicit congressional approval, drawing immediate legal and political blowback. In Caracas, witnesses reported explosions and aircraft overhead during the assault. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said civilians and soldiers died in the attacks. Trump’s message was blunt: America removed the government and intends to manage the aftermath.

🎉 South Florida erupts as Venezuelan Americans toast Maduro’s fall. In Doral, Venezuelan Americans poured into streets waving flags and chanting. Photos showed crowds holding a banner of opposition leader María Corina Machado. Restaurant owner David Nuñez said people “want freedom” after years of fear. Lisbeth Garcia, a small business owner, said the news felt unreal, then immediate. Victor Gimenez, a rideshare driver, said families called relatives in Caracas nonstop. Community organizer Niurka Meléndez said relief comes with anxiety about what replaces Maduro. The celebrations read like exhale and prayer at the same time.

🧭 Trump’s Venezuela bet becomes his biggest foreign-policy wager. The Maduro takedown is Trump’s most forceful use of American power abroad. Analysts compared it to the scale and audacity of major post-9/11 operations. Brian Winter of Americas Quarterly said Trump is now “pot-committed” to what happens next. Trump insists it is a quick stabilization mission, not an open-ended occupation. The operation also hands Trump a second term defined by external risk, not only internal fights. Allies worry about blowback, while opponents worry about precedent. The headline is capture, but the story is responsibility.

📜 Maduro’s capture ignites new legal alarms in Washington. Legal scholars questioned the authority for an American strike to seize a sitting foreign leader. Notre Dame professor Jimmy Gurulé said the justification could hinge on the hot pursuit of alleged criminal networks. Columbia professor Matthew Waxman said “running” another country raises major constitutional questions. The Justice Department had previously indicted Maduro on narco-terrorism allegations. Critics also cited civilian harm, including reported deaths tied to strikes and clashes. Analysts warned the operation could test limits on war powers and oversight. The courtroom fight may last longer than the battlefield one.

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That’s all for today!

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