Fox News Hourly Update – 5AM ET, January 4, 2026

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This episode delivers urgent breaking news on the stunning U.S. military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, their subsequent detention in New York, and the international and domestic fallout. The newscast also covers dramatic U.S. involvement in overseeing Venezuela post-operation, White House reaction, and a high-profile legal resignation in Wisconsin.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S. Military Operation Captures Nicolás Maduro

• Details of the Operation

  • Debra Valentine reports ([00:03]): Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife have been captured by U.S. forces and are now detained at Manhattan Detention Center in Brooklyn, following a daring, multi-pronged overnight operation.
  • General Dan Kane, Joint Chiefs Chairman ([00:16]):

    “That led to their capture by air, land and sea. US Forces took out military targets in Venezuela overnight.”

  • Unnamed Military Analyst ([00:23]):

    “This was an audacious operation that only the United States could do.”

• Intelligence Work Behind the Raid

  • General Dan Kane ([00:29]): Explains the complexity and months of intelligence gathering involved, including tracking all aspects of Maduro's life.

    “…Find Maduro and understand how he moved, where he lived, where he traveled, what he ate, what he wore, what were his pets.” ([00:39])

• Indictments & U.S. Charges

  • General Dan Kane ([00:50]): Maduro and his wife face multi-count indictments for narco-terrorism conspiracy.
  • Arrainment Set: Scheduled for Monday ([00:59]).

2. International Response & U.S. Positioning

• UN Secretary-General’s Concern

  • Antonio Guterres ([01:04]): Voices concern over possible violations of international law and notes Venezuela’s demand for an emergency UN Security Council meeting.

• Geopolitical Tensions

  • Russia and China, as UN Security Council members, expected to back Venezuela. Russia insists Maduro remains the legitimate leader.
  • U.S. Ambassador Mike Walsh ([01:37]): Denies it's regime change and frames the capture as criminal justice:

    “This is not regime change, this is justice. Maduro was an indicted illegitimate dictator that led a declared narco-terrorism organization responsible for killing American citizens. I commend our brilliant military and law enforcement operators.” ([01:43])

3. U.S. Announces Administration of Venezuela

• President Trump’s Statement

  • Debra Valentine ([02:39]): President Trump says the U.S. will run Venezuela “for now” and plans to rebuild its oil infrastructure.
  • Unnamed Military Analyst ([02:52]): Details on U.S. oil companies’ plans:

    “We're going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure and start making money for the country.” ([02:52])

• Handling Venezuelan Opposition & Transition

  • Jackie Heinrich ([03:16]): President Trump dismisses the opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, as lacking support or respect inside Venezuela.
  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio is coordinating with the current (Maduro-appointed) vice president, who is open to whatever the U.S. deems necessary.

    “She is effectively willing to do whatever it takes, whatever the US Believes is necessary to make Venezuela great again.” ([03:39])

  • U.S. promises an eventual "proper and judicious transition of power." ([03:47])

4. Wisconsin Judge Resignation Amid Immigration Controversy

• Resignation of Judge Hannah Dugan
  • Matt Murphy ([04:00]): Details on Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan resigning following her conviction for felony obstruction—helping a Mexican immigrant evade federal agents.

    “Prosecutors say Dugan helped a Mexican immigrant evade arrest last April by distracting federal agents outside her courtroom and escorting the man out through a private door.” ([04:02])

  • Republicans began impeachment proceedings; President Trump cited the case in his immigration agenda; Democrats called the prosecution politicized.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• General Dan Kane on unique U.S. capability:

  “This was an audacious operation that only the United States could do.” ([00:23])

• UN Ambassador Mike Walsh reframing intervention:

  “This is not regime change, this is justice. Maduro was an indicted illegitimate dictator…” ([01:43])

• Military Analyst on U.S. oil interests:

  “We're going to have our very large United States oil companies…the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure…” ([02:52])

• Jackie Heinrich on U.S. approach to Venezuelan transition:

  “The U.S. will control Venezuela until a proper and judicious transition of power.” ([03:47])

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:03–01:00 — Breaking news: Maduro’s capture; operation details; U.S. indictments
• 01:00–01:50 — International reactions: UN, Russia, China, U.S. statement
• 02:39–03:47 — U.S. plans for Venezuela: administration, oil infrastructure, transition preparation
• 04:00–04:35 — Wisconsin Judge Dugan's resignation and political fallout

Conclusion

This episode provides an explosive account of the overnight U.S. operation leading to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, the swift U.S. move to administer Venezuela and restore its oil sector, and mounting international frictions. The episode also covers a significant judicial resignation in an ongoing immigration controversy, illustrating the knock-on political implications inside the U.S.

Listeners get a rapid-fire but thorough overview of unfolding global and domestic events straight from the Fox News team.