Fmr Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro Pleads Not Guilty to Drug Charges in NYC Court

Summary

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Fox News Hourly Update — January 5, 2026

Episode Summary:

Main Theme:
This episode centers on the high-profile court appearance of deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in New York City, where he and his wife plead not guilty to narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges. The episode also covers reactions from U.S. politicians, a federal appeals court ruling on NIH funding, political fallout in Minnesota, and notable news from France and California.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Nicolás Maduro’s Not Guilty Plea in NYC (00:03–01:18)

• Court Appearance Overview:

  • Nicolás Maduro and his wife Celia Flores appeared in Manhattan federal court, both pleading not guilty to serious charges including drug trafficking and weapons offenses.
  • They are scheduled for a pretrial hearing on March 17.

• Maduro’s Statement:

  • Directly in court, Maduro proclaimed:

    • "I'm innocent, I'm not guilty. I'm a decent man. I'm still president of my country."
      — Nicolás Maduro (00:29)

• Prosecutors’ Allegations:

  • U.S. prosecutors accuse Maduro and Flores of collaborating with criminal organizations such as the Sinaloa cartel and the Trende Aragua gang to traffic vast quantities of cocaine into the United States.

2. Political Reactions in the United States (00:45–01:18)

• Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer:

  • Schumer criticizes the former Trump administration’s handling of the Maduro case, linking it to domestic issues and promises unfulfilled.

    • "Just like Donald Trump broke his promise to release the Epstein files, he's now breaking his promise to end American involvement in the endless wars."
      — Chuck Schumer (00:54)

• Congressman Carlos Jimenez (R-FL):

  • Praised government efforts:

    • "What the president of the United States did was to save American lives."
      — Carlos Jimenez (01:13)

• Military Briefings:

  • Secretary of War Pete Hegg indicated that key congressional members were privately briefed on the operation that led to Maduro's capture.

3. U.S. Federal Appeals Court Ruling (01:18–02:00)

• NIH Funding Cuts Blocked:
  • A Boston-based appeals court upheld an injunction preventing the Trump administration from cutting federal grant funding to universities engaged in scientific and medical research.
  • The decision supported a challenge by 22 Democratic attorneys general, medical associations, and universities, calling the attempted cuts "unlawful."

4. Minnesota Gubernatorial Crisis (02:39–03:28)

• Governor Tim Walz Withdraws Re-Election Bid:

  • Amid growing criticism and a fraud scandal, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz ends his re-election campaign.

• Political Statements:

  • Walz blames Republicans for politicizing the scandal, citing an inability to focus on campaigning after a difficult year.
  • The Minnesota GOP claims a change in Democrat leadership "will not fix the broken system."

• Public Trust Concerns:

  • "We should be concerned about fraud in our state government. We cannot effectively deliver programs and services if we can't earn the public's trust."
    — Chuck Schumer (02:52)

5. French Court Cyberbullying Verdict (03:28–03:50)

• 10 People Convicted:
  • A Paris court found ten individuals guilty of cyberbullying First Lady Regina McCrone, specifically for spreading false claims about her gender and sexuality.
  • Sentences included prison time and required cyberbullying training.

6. The Death of Tommy Lee Jones’s Daughter (03:50–04:32)

• Legal Troubles Unfold:

  • Victoria Jones, daughter of Tommy Lee Jones, was revealed to have faced charges relating to public intoxication and resisting police before her suspected overdose death on January 1.
  • Court documents indicated a pretrial conference had been scheduled for later in the month.

• Family Statement:

  • The family, represented by the actor, requested privacy following her passing.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "I'm innocent, I'm not guilty. I'm a decent man. I'm still president of my country."
  — Nicolás Maduro, in court (00:29)

• "Just like Donald Trump broke his promise to release the Epstein files, he's now breaking his promise to end American involvement in the endless wars."
  — Chuck Schumer (00:54)

• "What the president of the United States did was to save American lives."
  — Carlos Jimenez (01:13)

• "We should be concerned about fraud in our state government. We cannot effectively deliver programs and services if we can't earn the public's trust."
  — Chuck Schumer (02:52)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Maduro NYC Court Appearance: 00:03–01:09
• Political and Military Reaction: 00:45–01:18
• Appeals Court Ruling on Research Funding: 01:18–02:00
• Minnesota Fraud Crisis and Walz Withdrawal: 02:39–03:28
• French Cyberbullying Verdict: 03:28–03:50
• Tommy Lee Jones’s Daughter’s Legal Troubles and Death: 03:50–04:32

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Episode Tone and Style

The episode is fast-paced, emphasizing brevity and clarity. The language is urgent, factual, and occasionally charged when covering political disputes. Reporter and anchor statements convey seriousness while retaining the signature direct tone of Fox News updates.

Transcript

[Lisa Licera]

Proclaiming his innocence. I'm Lisa Licera. FOX News. The first court appearance in New York City for deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife as they face charges of narco terrorism.

[Fox News Reporter]

Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, both pleaded not guilty to the charges that they face, which include drug trafficking and weapons offenses. And they're due back in court for a pretrial hearing on March 17. But another interesting moment from inside the courtroom today was when Maduro said, quote, I'm innocent, I'm not guilty. I'm a decent man. I'm still president of my country. But prosecutors say Maduro and his wife partnered with narco terrorists like the Sinaloa cartel and the Trende Aragua gang to traffic thousands of tons of cocaine into.

[Lisa Licera]

The US FOX is nay Foy outside Manhattan federal court, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer blasted the Trump administration for the capture of Maduro and said he will force a vote on a war powers.

[Chuck Schumer]

Resolution focused on lowering the cost of living, lowering health care costs, lowering grocery prices. Just like Donald Trump broke his promise to release the Epstein files, he's now breaking his promise to end American involvement in the endless wars.

[Lisa Licera]

Florida Republican Congressman Carlos Jimenez praised the president's action.

[Chuck Schumer]

What the president of the United States did was to save American lives.

[Lisa Licera]

Secretary of War Pete Hegg says Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Kaine and other administration officials briefing key members of Congress on the operation. This hour behind closed doors. A federal appeals court has ruled the Trump administration cannot carry deep cuts to federal grant funding provided by the National Institutes of Health to universities engaged in scientific and medical research. A three judge panel the Boston based appeals court upholding an injunction secured by 22 Democratic attorneys general, medical associations and universities after determining the funding cuts announced in February last year were unlawful. America's listening to FOX News.

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[Lisa Licera]

Crisis in Minnesota leads to Governor Tim Walz ending his re election campaign.

[Jeff Manasso]

Minnesota Governor Tim Walls announcing he's bowing out of his re election bid amid growing national criticism for his handling of fraud in the state.

[Chuck Schumer]

Make no mistake, we should be concerned about fraud in our state government. We cannot effectively deliver programs and services if we can't earn the public's trust.

[Jeff Manasso]

Walls Blaming Republicans for politicizing the fraud scandal that could top billions in stolen funds, the once Democrat VP nominee and two term governor are also saying that he can't give a reelection campaign his all after a difficult year in the state. The Minnesota GOP saying swapping out one failed Democrat for another will not fix the broken system that they built. Jeff Manasso, Fox News A Paris Court.

[Lisa Licera]

Has found 10 people guilty of cyberbullying France's First Lady Regina McCrone by spreading false claims about her gender and sexuality. One defendant was sentenced to six months in prison. Others were handed suspended sentences. All 10 were ordered to attend cyberbullying trading the daughter of Tommy Lee Jones faced criminal charges before her death from a suspected overdose.

[Fox News Digital Reporter]

Tommy Lee Jones's late daughter was facing multiple legal issues prior to her death, according to Fox News digital court documents show Victoria Jones, who was found dead on January 1st from a suspected overdose, was arrested in Santa Cruz, California May 14th of last year. She was charged with public intoxication and resisting a police officer, records show. Pre trial conference had been scheduled for January 27th. A 34 year old was found dead inside the Fairmount San Francisco on New Year's day. According to 911 audio obtained by TMZ. The incident was classified as a code 3 for overdose color change. The Men in Black actor thanked fans for their support and asked that his family's privacy be respected during this difficult time.

[Lisa Licera]

FOX is Michelle Palino. I'm Lisa Lucera. This is Fox News.

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