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In a brief phone call earlier with the New York Times’ Tyler Pager, President Donald J. Trump praised the operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, calling it a success. “A lot of good planning and a lot of great, great troops and great people,” Trump said. “It was a brilliant operation, actually.” He added that more details would be disclosed during a press conference scheduled for 11:00 a.m. EST at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

In the early hours of January 3, the United States reportedly carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela. According to the President, Nicolás Maduro was captured and flown out of the country, with CBS reporting that Delta Force conducted the operation. As of 5:00 a.m. ET, this is what is known so far:

Strikes targeted the 4F Barracks in the mountains overlooking Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, a site that houses a museum and the mausoleum of Venezuelan politician, revolutionary, and military officer Hugo Chávez.

NASA has announced that final, system-wide testing for Artemis II—the first crewed U.S. lunar mission since Apollo 17 in 1972—will begin in about two weeks, with the earliest possible launch date set for February 6, 2026.

During today’s Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl at Amon G. Carter Stadium on the Texas Christian University campus in Fort Worth, Texas, a pregame parachute demonstration took a dangerous turn when a member of the All Veteran Group Parachute Demonstration Team struck the field goal net and fell roughly 35 feet onto the concrete below, narrowly missing the Texas State band. Officials later said the parachutist suffered only minor injuries and was able to walk shortly after the incident. The university attributed the mishap to strong winds early Friday. Of the six-member team, four landed safely on the field, one landed outside the stadium, and one collided with the net. No bystanders were injured, a spokesperson told NewsNation.

Saudi Air Force heavily bombing UAE-backed STC separatists in Yemen today.

U.S. authorities have arrested an 18-year-old man accused of plotting an ISIS-inspired attack in North Carolina, according to the FBI. The suspect, Christian Sturtevant, was allegedly in contact with undercover FBI and NYPD agents while planning the attack.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump states that if Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, the United States will come to their rescue, adding, “We are locked and loaded and ready to go.”

The Israeli Air Force launched a series of airstrikes this morning targeting Hezbollah military infrastructure in southern Lebanon, including a training facility reportedly used by the group’s elite Radwan Force.