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Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jeanine Herbst. President Trump says the US Will run Venezuela after US forces captured President Maduro and his wife in Caracas overnight. They will face drug trafficking and weapons charges in federal court in Manhattan. President TRUMP the overwhelming evidence of their crimes will be presented in a court of law. And I've seen it, I've seen what we have. It's, it's both horrible and breathtaking that something like this could have been allowed to take place. NPR's Ryan Lucas has more.
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A new indictment unsealed in New York charges Nicolas Maduro with narco terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and other charges. His wife, Celia Flores, is also charged. The indictment says that Maduro presided over a vast conspiracy over the past 25 years to flood the US with cocaine. Maduro and senior Venezuelan officials allegedly partnered with drug cartels, providing law enforcement cover and logistical support to ship tons of cocaine to the United States. Prosecutors say the alleged scheme enriched Maduro and his co conspirators while thoroughly corrupting Venezuela's public institutions. This follows an earlier indictment against Maduro that was announced by the Justice Department during President Trump's first term in office. Ryan Lucas, NPR News, Washington.
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Meanwhile, Nobel prize winning opposition leader Maria Carina Machado, whose long wanted Maduro ousted, says Edmundo Gonzalez should be allowed to take office. Election results show he won the presidential election by a 2 to 1 margin and she also urged her country's military to help get him back from Spain where he's been living in exile. Maduro claimed victory, but in that contested election, but data showed otherwise. President Trump says it would be difficult though for her to run the country, saying without providing evidence that she doesn't have the respect of Venezuelans. The head of the UN says he's deeply alarmed over the U.S. actions in Venezuela. As NPR's Jackie Northam reports, Venezuela has requested an urgent UN Security Council meeting over the U.S. attack.
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In a statement delivered by his spokesperson, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the U.S. strike on Venezuela and the capture of Maduro set a dangerous precedent and warned of the world implications for the region. Guterres stressed the importance of respecting international law. Venezuela, Colombia, along with China and Russia have asked for a Security Council meeting to address the situation. No date has been set. The Security Council met twice recently over the increasing tensions between the US and Venezuela. In a social media post, the US Ambassador to the un, Mike Waltz, said Maduro was an illegitimate dictator and that the US action in Venezuela is not regime change, it is its justice. Jackie Northam NPR News.
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And you're listening to NPR News from Washington. A three judge federal appeals panel says a California open carry ban is unconstitutional. The ban affects countries with more than two counties rather with more than 200,000 people. The court says the ban violates a 2022 Supreme Court decision striking down laws requiring a special permit to openly carry a gun in. Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the decision, and a request for the entire court to rule is expected. Well, Hollywood had a lackluster year at the North American box offices, but as NPR's Bob Mondello reports, the global picture is much brighter.
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U.S. moviegoers proved hard to pry away from their TV sets in 2025, but international audiences seemed happy to return to cinemas.
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This world goes much deeper than you imagine.
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Fire and Ash and the car racing movie F1, which each did quite, quite well in the US did twice as well in other countries. And almost all Hollywood blockbusters did at least half of their business overseas. So where North American box office increased just over 1%, international numbers rose 16% to $24.6 billion. That includes the year's biggest box office smash, the Chinese animated fantasy Ney Zha 2.
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We will change my destiny.
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The global totals were up substantially from 2024. They still trail pre pandemic records by about 20%. Bob Mondello, NPR News.
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Stocks lost ground this holiday shortened trading week, but still notched double digit gains for 2025. For the Dow, the Dow was down 2/3 of a percent for the week. I'm Jeanine Herbst, NPR News, in Washington.
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