It Could Happen Here – Executive Disorder: Minneapolis ICE Shooting, Maduro, Iran & Aleppo Update
Podcast: It Could Happen Here
Date: January 9, 2026
Hosts: Garrison Davis, Mia Wong, James Stout, Sophie Lichterman
Episode Theme:
An urgent roundup of major recent events exemplifying collapse and authoritarian abuse, including a deadly ICE shooting in Minneapolis, the U.S. military kidnapping of Venezuela's President Maduro, volatile situations in Syria and Iran, and alarming developments in the U.S. immigration regime. The hosts offer analysis, field reports, and passionate critique of both government action and protest response.
Table of Contents
- Episode Overview
- Minneapolis ICE Shooting
- U.S. Raid/Kidnapping of Venezuelan President Maduro
- Oil Blockade and Seizure of Tankers
- Syria – Fighting in Aleppo and Kurdish Enclave
- Iran – Protests and Armed Resistance
- Gaza Aid Ban and U.S. Immigration Policy Briefs
- Notable Quotes & Moments
- Timestamps by Segment
Episode Overview
The hosts provide a stark year-opening recap: “This might be the worst, just the worst first week of a year I can remember. And I remember 2020.” (E, 02:14) Across the episode, they connect American state violence, worsening authoritarianism at home and abroad, and the struggle to mount meaningful opposition.
Minneapolis ICE Shooting [01:43 - 11:34]
Event Summary
- A woman was shot and killed by ICE in Minneapolis during a routine anti-ICE protest as federal raids surge in the city.
- Video shows ICE escalating rapidly: an agent shouts “get the fuck out,” then without verbal warning, shoots the driver as she tries to leave.
- A passenger in the car is filmed after, “sobbing and saying, ‘they killed my wife. I don’t know what to do.’” (E, 05:37)
Analysis & Patterns
- The hosts observe a pattern: “This is the third shooting like this… Every single time [DHS] accuse the driver of intentionally attempting to ram the agent. It has never been true.” (E, 06:36)
- Mainstream media simply reproduces these claims without context, despite video evidence refuting DHS narratives.
- They describe the event as “an ordinary ICE action. It looks like every other anti-ICE action I have ever seen… just a group of people on the street.” (E, 07:08)
- The shooting occurred “less than a mile away from where police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd.” (E, 08:10) They note the “continuity of the violence of the American state.”
Community and Official Responses
- Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey at a press conference:
“To ICE: Get the fuck out of Minneapolis. We do not want you here. …Long term… residents… are being terrorized. And now somebody is dead. That’s on you. And it's also on you to leave.” (B, 09:30)
- Immediate protests broke out; within 30 minutes, crowds “got tear gassed.” (D, 10:57)
- Solidarity protests announced in Portland, Philadelphia, elsewhere.
Notable Quotes
- “I long for the halcyon days in which 2020 was the worst year…” (E, 02:24)
- “If you are trying to watch [the video], you are just going to see ICE murder a woman.” (E, 04:13)
- “There's no thinking. There's no thought. They just pull out the gun and shoot.” (E, 09:09)
- “It is as clear a demonstration of the continuity of the violence of the American state as can possibly be produced.” (E, 08:13)
- "Did not ease into the new year. ...This has not been a great start though." (A, 02:11; 02:30)
U.S. Raid/Kidnapping of Venezuelan President Maduro [13:19 - 29:47]
Operation Details
- U.S. special forces raided Caracas and kidnapped President Maduro and his wife. Over 50 casualties reported (including probable Cuban military advisors).
- No U.S. deaths; some American injuries and equipment losses.
Trump’s Oil Announcement
- On Truth Social:
“Interim authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and 50 million barrels of high quality, sanctioned oil to the United States... The money will be controlled by me as President... to ensure that it’s used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States.” (A, 15:02)
- Host reaction: “No war for oil was a provocative political statement... now we’re just openly doing the thing we were doing before.” (E, 15:16)
- Trump threatens more military strikes if the new regime resists.
Protests and U.S. Antiwar Movement
Field Report from NYC Protest (F, 20:09 - 25:44)
- ~200-300 people in Times Square, mostly socialist/leftist groups (PSL, Refuse Fascism, CUNY Internationalists)
- Peaceful, no significant police scuffles; protest energy funneled by party tables, tract hand-outs.
Commentary on Precedent and Protest Efficiency
- The U.S. kidnapping a foreign head of state sets a dangerous precedent: “If they can just send dudes in helicopters to black bag people around the world… that is a very scary precedent.” (A, 28:51)
- The U.S. antiwar movement is mostly “communist organizations trying to grow their membership… not a representative sample of the people of New York.” (D, 25:44)
- The ritualized/professionalized protest format is described as sapping real energy and failing to pressure those in power.
Notable Quotes
- “All that has dropped. We do not give a single fuck anymore.” (D, 15:31)
- “This is a very serious thing... the United States have done something which is completely illegal... an act of war against a sovereign country.” (A, 28:25)
Oil Blockade and Seizure of Tankers [29:56 - 34:19]
Blockade Update
- Despite the removal of Maduro, the U.S. oil blockade remains.
- U.S. seized two oil tankers (one Russian-flagged), accusing them of being “ghost ships” involved in sanction evasion.
Tanker Evasion
- The hosts jokingly describe a “boat chase with an oil tanker,” ridiculing government claims of “frantic efforts to avoid apprehension.” (E/A, 30:29-32:12)
- Chinese protests over seizures have, so far, been “diplomatic noise,” but could escalate.
Notable Quotes
- “If you’re getting evaded by an oil tanker, that is a skill issue.” (E, 32:11)
Syria – Fighting in Aleppo and Kurdish Enclave [34:19 - 40:23]
Escalation in Sheikh Maqsood
- New fighting as the Turkish-backed Syrian Transitional Government (STG) shells the Sheikh Maqsood enclave in Aleppo, attempts incursions, and civilians flee.
- The enclave (Kurdish, Christian, Yazidi populations; demilitarized except for local security) comes under pressure as SDF drone actions spark further violence.
- The risk of ethnic cleansing is invoked, recalling “war crimes, not done anything to stop them doing it again.” (A, 36:54)
- Deadly patterns re-emerge—especially given the prior U.S. disengagement and weakening of Kurdish autonomy.
Contextual Analysis
- Host frustration at constant acronyms and factional complexity.
- “This is the most serious flare up we’ve seen in a long time.” (A, 37:24)
- A failed agreement to integrate SDF into STG prevents any security guarantee for women’s units (YPJ).
Iran – Protests and Armed Resistance [40:27 - 41:30]
- Mass protests driven by collapsing purchasing power; armed Kurdish elements now openly involved for the first time in years.
- Cross-group unity statements among Kurdish organizations.
- State responses include armed attacks on protesters and deadly repression (e.g., riot police storming hospitals).
- The economic situation and Western threats (Trump “as always” threatening intervention) play into regime claims of defending sovereignty against foreign imperialism.
Gaza Aid Ban and U.S. Immigration Policy Briefs [41:30 - 44:40]
- Israel now banning MSF, Oxfam, and other aid groups from Gaza and the West Bank, in what hosts call “a cynical and calculated attempt to prevent organizations from providing services…a breach of… international humanitarian law.” (A, 41:39)
- The U.S. legal situation for refugees remains precarious: The administration delays in a key Alien Enemies Act case are likely aimed at getting Venezuela’s new regime to accept deportees.
- San Diego sues the federal government over property damage from border militarization, but hosts call out local hypocrisy: “Don’t for one second believe these people give a single shit about migrants. They don’t.” (A, 44:25)
- Upcoming Supreme Court decision on Trump’s tariffs teased for next episode.
Notable Quotes & Moments
- On ICE shootings:
“It is as clear a demonstration of the continuity of the violence of the American state as can possibly be produced.” (E, 08:13) - On U.S. authoritarianism:
“Trump is claiming that he personally is going to be controlling the money after it's sold at market price, a sentence that at any other time in American history would be the most dictatorial thing you've ever seen...” (E, 17:49) - On protest futility:
“The entire protest ecosystem... is fully captured by these sorts of organizations... makes it really hard to grow a genuine movement.” (D, 25:44) - On official doublespeak:
“When you can just say something that is blatantly false and force people to agree that it is true... that is the project of genocide.” (A, 41:39) - On state violence continuity:
“...less than a mile away from where police officer Derek Chauvin murdered George Floyd.” (E, 08:10) - Mordant summary of the year:
“Did not ease into the new year.” (A, 02:11)
Timestamps by Segment
- Minneapolis ICE Shooting & Protest: 01:43 – 11:34
- Venezuela – Maduro Kidnapping/Oil Deal: 13:19 – 29:47
- U.S. Oil Blockade/Tanker Seizure: 29:56 – 34:19
- Syria – Kurdish Enclave/Aleppo Fighting: 34:19 – 40:23
- Iran – Protests & Kurdish Armed Groups: 40:27 – 41:30
- Gaza Aid Ban, Immigration Update, San Diego Lawsuit: 41:30 – 44:40
For listeners, this episode combines on-the-ground accounts, historical context, and fierce critique of both American and global policy, painting a vivid picture of a world where extrajudicial violence and cynical power politics fuel collapse—and where protest, while vital, is struggling to find new forms that matter.