Trump Issues Warning to Other Nations; Maduro Pleads Not Guilty in NY | NTD Evening News (Jan. 5)

Welcome to NTDvening News. Our top story tonight, President Trump vying to rebuild Venezuela and the president issuing a stark national security warning to other nations. Mario Tsu at the White House. The dethroned Venezuelan leader made a personal request at his first court appearance today. Meanwhile he and his wife pleaded not guilty to federal charges in a New York federal court. Arlene Richards with the update. How are Venezuelans in New York City and around The capture of Maduro is seen as a major blow to Chinese Communist Party influence in the region. Jack Bradley explains how China will be impacted and what it means for the global order. Amid growing pressure from welfare fraud investigations in Minnesota, Governor Tim Wall says he's not seeking a third term in the state. Jason Blair has more from the governor's announcement and what President Trump is saying in response. This is NTDvening News live from our global headquarters in New York City. Here's Tiffany Meyer. Good evening and thank you for joining us tonight. President Trump fresh off dictator Nicolas Maduro's capture and arraignment in New York vowing to rebuild Venezuela and the president threatening multiple western countries with military interventions. We now go live to NTD's Washington correspondent Mari Otsu at the north lawn of the White House. Mari, good evening. Tiff, good evening. That's right. President Trump is saying that he's now in the business of nation building. This is coming just days after the historic capture of former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and President Trump now laying out his plans for the future of Venezuela saying that he wants the U.S. to go into the country and fix its oil infrastructure and that in order to do that, President Trump says that the U.S. needs quote total access to the country in order to rebuild. And his message isn't just for Venezuela. Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying that the Trump administration will not allow any country in the western hemisphere, any neighbor of the U.S. to destabilize the entire region by allowing for the infiltration of American enemies. And both the Secretary of State and President Trump predicting Cuba's communist regime is on the verge of collapse after the capture of Maduro. Take a look. Cuba is ready to fall. Yes. President Trump saying military action in Cuba won't be necessary. Cuba now has no income. They got all of their income from Venezuela, from the Venezuelan oil. They're not getting any of it. While threatening drug traffickers in Colombia and Mexico. We have a very sick neighbor. Colombia is very sick too, run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States. And he's not going to be doing it very long. By the way, you have to do something with Mexico. Mexico has to get their act together. But unfortunately, the cartels are very strong. Colombia, Mexico and Cuba have denounced the U.S. airstrikes in Caracas that led to Maduro's capture. The Chinese Communist Party also condemned the strike, which happened just hours after Maduro met with CCP leader Xi Jinping's envoy in Caracas. The two reaffirming their strategic partnership. President Trump, meanwhile, touting Maduro's capture as an issue of national security, warning other Western countries that he won't allow America's neighbors to be used as proxies for U.S. adversaries. Right now, Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place. We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security. Secretary of State Marco Rubio responding to Democrats who say Maduro's capture was all about the U.S. tapping into Venezuela's oil reserves. We don't need Venezuela's oil. We have plenty of oil in the United States. What we're not going to allow is for the oil industry in Venezuela to be controlled by adversaries of the United States. China is Venezuela's main oil buyer, accounting for 80 percent of Venezuela's oil exports. Why does China need their oil? Why does Russia need their oil? Why does Iran need their oil? They're not even in this continent. This is the Western Hemisphere. This is where we live. And we're not going to allow the Western Hemisphere to be a base of operation for adversaries, competitors and rivals of the United States. Meanwhile, a story a bit closer to home. A man is now in custody after property damage at Vice President J.D. Vance's Cincinnati home. The vice president posting to X saying that he's grateful to the Secret Service and the Cincinnati police for their quick response, but that thankfully he and his family were already back in Washington, D.C., and so everyone was safe. Tiff, back to you. All right, Mari, thanks for those updates. Former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, pleaded not guilty today at an arraignment hearing in Manhattan. NTD's Arlene Richards has the details. In a crowded courtroom on Monday, senior judge Alvin Hellerstein read former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, their Miranda rights after summarizing the indictment against them. Meanwhile, outside, Venezuelans in New York were celebrating. We're so happy to be here because right now, as a Venezuelan, if you go to the other side, you're going to see so many Venezuelans celebrating. Maduro and his wife are charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, drug trafficking and weapons charges. Flores pleaded not guilty to the three counts against her. She proclaimed, I am the first lady of the Republic of Venezuela, before saying in Spanish she was not guilty, completely innocent. Her husband pleaded not guilty to four counts, saying in Spanish, I am innocent. I am not guilty of anything that is mentioned here. I am a good man. In addition to the Maduros, their son and three others have been accused of working with drug cartels to facilitate shipment of thousands of tons of cocaine into the U.S. Both Maduros wore headphones for simultaneous translation, and they responded to all questions in Spanish. They wore what appeared to be prison-issued clothing and were represented by court-appointed attorneys. In response to the judge reading the Miranda rights, Maduro said this was the first time he heard them. These rights are typically read at the time of arrest. Once provided, defendants don't have to answer any questions without an attorney present. Maduro took notes throughout the proceeding and at one point asked the judge if his notes could be respected and if he could keep them. The couple agreed to waive their right to a speedy trial and did not request bail at this time. As the proceeding was wrapping up, Flores' attorney said she was injured during the arrest and may need x-rays to check for possible bruised ribs. She had visible bruising on her forehead and cheek. Nicolas Maduro appeared to have difficulty standing and sitting, but it's not clear whether it's due to a prior condition or if he will claim injuries. Toward the end of the half-hour proceeding, Maduro's attorney said his client was entitled to privileged immunity because he was the head of a sovereign state and that there were questions about the military arrest. A second hearing is scheduled for March 17th. Marlene Richards, NTD News. Venezuelans in New York City expressing their support for the arraignment of Maduro and across the globe from South America to Europe. Venezuelans are celebrating after the U.S. captured the former dictator. NTD's international correspondent takes a look at the reactions. Venezuelans in New York City on Monday chanting long live Donald Trump. Venezuela's former socialist leader Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism charges during his arraignment in Manhattan. That's after the U.S. captured Maduro in Venezuela on Saturday. There is a reason why there are eight million refugees throughout the world right now and that is because of him, because he brought our country down, because he destroyed our livelihood. He stole my dreams, he destroyed my family, he took my friends who are still in prison right now. Venezuelan immigrants in cities across the globe taking to the streets to celebrate Maduro's fall. A woman in Puerto Rico suggests she's happy the U.S. took the step to intervene. Maduro's entire regime ran the largest drug cartel in Latin America and we are very happy that he has been removed from the country. We are not at war and that is something that needs to be clarified. Venezuela is not at war. A protester in Colombia points to the fact that Maduro's regime is still in power which is why Venezuela needs the U.S. at this time. We need to go through a transition process which Donald Trump will lead. He said it clearly, it's a transition process where we will administer the country and that means cleaning up government entities. And Venezuelans south of the U.S. border in Mexico are celebrating as well. A Venezuelan woman living in Mexico explains how this change will affect her family. My grandchildren are going to know a free Venezuela. My grandson is going to be able to go to a supermarket and buy things. My grandchildren will be able to go to the hospital. Celebrations are also taking place in Europe. A woman in Madrid says the people support Venezuela's opposition and not Maduro. With each one of our demonstrations and gatherings we will defend tooth and nail that our legitimate and constitutional president is Edmundo González Urrutia. The U.S. and a significant number of Western and Latin American countries recognize Edmundo González Urrutia as the winner of Venezuela's 2024 presidential election which Maduro claims he won. The U.S. and other countries determined that Maduro stole the election. Ariane Pastar, NTD News. How are lawmakers on Capitol Hill reacting to President Trump's operation in Venezuela? Our Washington correspondent Luis Martinez has the details. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hex, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Kane are all in Capitol Hill this afternoon meeting with House and Senate Armed Services and Intelligence Committee lawmakers to be briefed on Operation Absolute Resolve. Only Congress has the power to declare war to authorize acts that take place in this regard. We have the War Powers Act. That's a privilege resolution which means the Republicans can't block it. Tim Kaine and I and Rand Paul are sponsors of it. It's going to come to the floor this week and if it is voted for, if it's voted positively in both houses, then the president can't do another thing in Venezuela without the okay of Congress. Democratic lawmakers want to block the Trump administration from any further actions in Venezuela while Republican lawmakers have backed the president for defending American interests. Took assets that belong to American companies. That's wrong. That's all President Trump is saying is going to change in the future relative to oil. I think that makes sense. They took property from American companies. That makes sense that there's going to be some kind of reckoning for that. I think that's consistent with putting American interests first. Republican lawmakers have also made it clear that they do not believe that the interim leader in Venezuela is a legitimate president of Venezuela. Republicans have called for free and fair elections in Venezuela to restore democratic order. I'm not looking to deal with Delcy Rodriguez for a very long time. I understand that you have to do that for a while to keep stability in the country. But we need to have free and fair elections in Venezuela. And we need to have those, not after a year, but we need to have it sometime within a year. We don't recognize Delcy Rodriguez as the legitimate ruler of Venezuela. We didn't recognize Nicolas Maduro as a legitimate ruler. For that matter, neither did the Biden administration nor the European Union. It is a fact that she and other indicted and sanctioned officials are in Venezuela. They have control of the military and security services. We have to deal with that fact. That does not make them a legitimate leader. Congress will vote this week on the Democrats' War Powers Act privilege resolution. In 2025, Democrats attempted a War Powers Act vote four different occasions, two on Venezuela and two on Iran. All four failed. Reporting from Washington, D.C., Luis Eduardo Martinez, NTD News. As Maduro's case gets underway in the U.S., what changes now for Latin America? And how will the situation impact our own oil supply? Tonight on Capitol Report with Steve Lance, here from retired Admiral Peter Brown. That's at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. Coming up, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz drops out of his reelection bid amid an ongoing fraud investigation into the state's child care programs and its Somali community. Jason Blair has more. The Pentagon is censuring Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, a retired Navy captain. Secretary of War Pete Hekseth explains the decision and what happens next. A recently released video appears to show protesters in Iran being shot near a police station. Meanwhile, Iran has announced monthly cash payments to citizens to help ease the country's economic crisis. Jason Perry with the details when we come back. Welcome back. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says he will not be seeking re-election this year. The announcement comes amid growing pressure after allegations of fraud in his state were thrust into the spotlight. Walz says he would not be able to give the campaign his all. NTD correspondent Jason Blair has more. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says he's not seeking a third term. Walz says, as I reflected on this moment with my family and my team over the holidays, I came to the conclusion that I can't give a political campaign my all. Walz also read the statement at a press event on Monday. Every minute that I spend defending my own political interest would be a minute I can't spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who want to prey on our differences. He told reporters he would answer their questions afterward, but left without taking questions. About two weeks ago, allegations of ongoing widespread fraud in Minnesota jumped more prominently into the national spotlight after an investigation into daycare centers filmed by YouTuber Nick Shirley went viral. The Trump administration has recently been taking action against Minnesota. This includes freezing federal funds for child care after allegations surfaced of fraudulent daycare schemes. Officials say the state now needs to provide documented proof that its facilities meet federal regulations. The FBI has also announced dozens of indictments in an alleged $250 million fraud scheme in the state. Walz also commented on the fraud situation in Minnesota in his statement, saying that, quote, for the last several years, an organized group of criminals have sought to take advantage of the state's generosity. And he listed actions he has taken to curb the fraud. He added that he'd continue to fight it, saying, in the coming weeks, my administration will continue working with law enforcement to criminals accountable. We'll keep pushing for more resources and reforms to prevent fraud. Governor Walz has led Minnesota since 2019, beating Republican Scott Jensen by about 200,000 votes. In 2024, Walz announced the reelection bid for his third term. Walz was also the vice presidential candidate in Democrat Kamala Harris' run for president in 2024. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, or DGA, says no matter who decides to run or how much national Republicans want to spend, the DGA remains very confident Minnesotans will elect another strong Democratic governor this November. President Trump comments on the situation, saying, I feel certain the facts will come out, and they will reveal a serious, unscrupulous and rich group of slimeballs. Governor Walz is scheduled to testify in front of the House Oversight Committee here in Washington, D.C. later this week at a hearing entitled Oversight of Fraud and Misuse of Federal Funds in Minnesota. Reporting in Washington, D.C., Jason Blair, Entity News. The Pentagon is censuring Democratic Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona for what it calls reckless misconduct. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth says he also plans to demote the military veteran. In a statement on X Today, Hegseth said this is due to a video message from last November. In that video, Kelly and five other Democratic lawmakers called on U.S. service members to refuse what they called illegal orders. They didn't specify what they think is an illegal order, but their video came amid the Trump administration's pressure campaign on Venezuelan drug boats. Hegseth called the video reckless and seditious, saying it sought to undermine good order and military discipline. The war secretary said he will demote Kelly's military rank, which is currently Navy captain, within 45 days. This will affect Kelly's military pension. The senator has 30 days to respond. The Pentagon's actions stop short of the Trump administration's threat of a trial. A new video appears to show protesters in Iran being shot. And in an effort to ease Iran's economic crisis, Tehran has announced monthly cash payments to citizens. Entity's Jason Perry has the details on the warning. This report contains footage that some viewers may find disturbing. In a video recently posted to social media, protesters in Iran were seen gathered outside the gate of what was said to be a police station. Then the sound of gunshots was heard as the protesters tried to run away. A few individuals appeared to have been shot as they were seen lying on the ground, and others later came to try to help them. The Kurdistan Human Rights Network said the incident happened over the weekend, and that Iranian forces killed three protesters and injured over 30 others in the incident in western Iran. Residents in the country have been protesting for more than a week over the country's economic crisis. President Trump's maximum pressure campaign imposed crippling sanctions in an effort to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. And Trump issued a warning recently saying that if Iran shoots peaceful protesters, then the U.S. will, quote, come to their rescue. The U.S. State Department posted this picture with a caption in Farsi, which translates to, don't play games with President Trump. Iran's foreign ministry spokesman said this about his country's military readiness. Actions or statements by the prime minister of the Zionist regime, as well as by certain radical U.S. officials regarding Iran's internal affairs, are nothing but incitement to violence, terrorism, and killing in the language of international norms. And he added that Iran remains ready to defend its borders and, quote, its very existence. The Iranian government also announced efforts to ease the economic burden on residents. The government has passed a bill to pay all Iranian households. Let me emphasize that the household must be Iranian. And residing inside Iran, $7 a month for each household member. According to the U.S.-based human rights activist news agency, demonstrations in Iran have spread to over 220 locations. The media group reports that at least 20 people have been killed, with more than 990 arrested. Jason Perry, NTV News. U.S. representatives are set to travel to Paris this week for a meeting on Ukraine. The talks are expected to include the leaders of about 30 countries, dubbed the Coalition of the Willing. Special Envoy Steve Whitkoff and President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner will represent the U.S. at the meeting. The main topic is expected to be security guarantees for Ukraine to prevent another Russian invasion after the war ends. The coalition is mostly ready to provide such guarantees, but the details still have to be worked out. The issues include whether countries are prepared to deploy troops inside or close to Ukraine. The question of monitoring and enforcing a ceasefire is important as well. Coming up, the capture of Maduro is seen as a major blow to Chinese Communist Party influence in the region. Jack Bradley explains how China will be impacted and what it means for the global order after the break. Welcome back, I'm Tiffany Meyer. The capture of Maduro is seen as a major blow to the Chinese Communist Party. The CCP working to condemn his ouster in a special meeting at the United Nations. NTV's Washington correspondent Jack Bradley has more. Millions of Venezuelans that have fled this brutal regime are celebrating and cheering around the world as this body pontificates. Just blocks away from where former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife appear in a New York courtroom, the United Nations Security Council debates President Trump's decision to capture Maduro. The meeting is held at the request of Colombia, and it's backed by China and Russia, all allies of Maduro. The U.S. ambassador to the U.N., Mike Waltz, says that the action is a surgical law enforcement operation. This was a law enforcement operation. The United States arrested a narco-trafficker who is now going to stand trial. The capture of Maduro is seen as a blow to China's influence in the Western Hemisphere. A delegation from the Chinese Communist Party was meeting with Maduro in Venezuela over the weekend, just hours before he was captured. Venezuela was a forward operating base for China, Russia, Iran, and the rest of what we call the China axis. China has worked to establish its influence in Latin America by lending money to build infrastructure projects and persuading those countries to cut ties with Taiwan. And it's been successful in doing so over the last 20 years, with several countries like Colombia, Costa Rica, and Panama jumping on board. In Panama, a CCP-linked company was leasing the main entry and exit points of the Panama Canal for a while, putting China in a position to cut off nearly half of U.S. trade. Venezuela, meanwhile, has deepened its relations with the CCP ever since going back to dictator Hugo Chavez. After Chavez died in 2013, Maduro took over, continuing those relations with China. Maduro even enrolled his son in China's top-ranking Beijing University back in 2016. And all along, Venezuela has been supplying China with oil. Roughly 80 percent of Venezuela's oil exports have been going to China and are sold at a significant discount. But without Maduro, that could change. So we'll be selling large amounts of oil to other countries, many of whom are using it now, but I would say many more will come. For now, Venezuelan residents are cheering in the streets, celebrating the news that Maduro will face justice. Reporting by Jack Bradley, NTD News. Joining us now to unpack the legal and geopolitical implications of Maduro's capture are two excellent guests, Gerard Felitti. He's a foreign affairs analyst and attorney specializing in international law. We also have with us Bart Markois. He's a foreign policy analyst and former career diplomat. Thank you both so much for being here with us. Gerard, I want to start with you because Maduro pleaded not guilty today. Some argue that if his capture can't be pinned down on a guilty plea, it could enter murky territory like regime change. Talk to us about the international law element here. What is within the U.S. president's right and purview? Well, that's an interesting question and one that will be discussed at length in the next few weeks. Under international law, it's disfavored under the U.N. charter to engage in wars of aggression, with narrow exceptions for self-defense or for defense from continuing aggression under Article 51. That is what the Trump administration seems to be relying on, identifying Maduro and Venezuela as a regime that was engaged in an ongoing conspiracy against the United States, causing the deaths of thousands of Americans through drug importation and necessitating this military response, which resulted in his capture and arrest for prosecution under an ongoing indictment. So I think that is the basis that the United States is going to argue. Essentially, this is a measure of self-defense. And Bart, this capture happened just hours after Maduro met with a Chinese delegation, with reports suggesting that they were still in Venezuela when the capture took place. What are the geopolitical implications of his capture for countries like China, Iran, Russia? Well, you remember when President Trump bombed Syria during his first administration and he did it while he was at a state dinner, while Xi Jinping was at a state dinner with him, and then he mentioned it to him over dinner, said, by the way, we're bombing Syria right now. This was a total, I think it was accidental. I don't think it was done purposely. The timing clearly was determined by the weather. But I mean, people are calling it brutal and savage, and they mean that in a positive way on social media. He really showed the world what he thinks of Xi Jinping and what he thinks of Chinese power. The fact that he did that, the fact that the Chinese anti-stealth radar was completely shut down, the fact China no longer can buy cheap sanctioned oil by sanctions busting purchases. When you sanction oil, all that means is that Venezuela can't sell it at world market prices. China was buying it at a steep discount. Now they have to pay market price for oil. And if the same thing happens to Iran, China suddenly loses a huge portion of its oil and all of the cheap oil that it's been getting. It's an enormous blow to China. I want to get to that. But first, really quickly, Gerard, in terms of response, Russia and China have condemned this capture, claiming the US is violating international law. Your response to that? Well, that's to be expected. We see a lot of noise from humanitarian abusing regimes, like Russia and China, about America's actions. But ultimately, that's political rhetoric that's not likely to go anywhere. International precedent has already been set by multiple operations that the United States has conducted, whether it's against ISIS or whether it's in other countries in the Middle East, including in Syria, not just by President Trump. We've seen similar uses of even by Russia in Georgia a few decades ago. So this is something that's not a new development in international relations, where one country takes care of its self-defense by going after a threat that's active to it. This is just the usual political rhetoric that we're going to be hearing from the usual political players. And Bart, on your point about oil, how big of a blow is this to the Chinese regime, given that China had a loan partnership with Venezuela, as in lending money for oil? Yeah, the whole thing was a jerry-built structure to try to pretend that they weren't breaking sanctions and to disguise how much they were paying for the oil, and frankly, how much oil they were receiving. They are no longer able to buy it at steep discounts. And it brings doubt into the minds of every person. I'm thinking particularly, for example, Lee Jae-myung in Korea, who has built his entire political career on currying favor with China. And he suddenly is looking, you know, where is my big buddy? Are they now no longer able to support me? Are they no longer able to provide me with the political protection I need? Those sort of questions are being asked in capitals all around the world. And very quickly here, Gerard, what are you watching for when it comes to the future of Venezuela, but also the global impact or ripple effect of this capture? What we're watching is to see exactly what Donald Trump means by we will run Venezuela, and what happens next in terms of governance, in terms of stabilizing the country, and in terms of rebuilding it, in terms of not having another Chavista in power in Venezuela that will destroy the human rights of its people and engage in relations with terrorist organizations in China. So what we're watching for is what happens next, essentially, in Venezuela itself. Yeah, I want to point out all these countries in Russia that are saying this is a violation of international law. I want to point out that the real violation of law took place last year when Maduro stole the election from Edmundo González. Almost no civilized country recognizes Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela. Edmundo González was elected as president. He was elected 59 to 41 percent. And the Venezuelans shut down the ballot counting and said, wait, wait, wait, there's a problem. And a few days later came out and said, oh, actually, it was Maduro who won 59 to 41. He was an illegitimate dictator. He is not the legitimate president. Nobody in that administration holds their office legitimately because they lost the election. That's an important thing. I hope the Trump administration points that out ad aeternum. Robert McCoy, Isadora Felitti, thank you both so much for joining us. Thank you. And how are Americans reacting to the arrest of former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro? NTD Sam Wong was out on the streets of D.C. to hear from the people. What was your first reaction upon seeing Maduro getting taken out? I thought it was pretty awesome. I know he pretty much stole the presidency. Dictator, horrible guy. Oh, I was very elated, you know, stop the flow of drugs in the United States. His presidency was never legitimate, so it needed to be gone. Definitely is the way to go. I mean, it's been a very, very, very long nightmare for Venezuela. You said you're from Venezuela, right? Yes, I'm from Venezuela. How are you feeling? I feel grateful with Donald Trump. Venezuela has suffered many times, 26 years, and I feel that was the moment. That's for our people as well as them. All the corruption. I mean, he looted the gold, the oil, the crypto. I mean, he stole from the people, and the people are happy, it seems like. How do you think this is going to impact America's global standing, especially in the Western Hemisphere? I think everyone should be excited that the only global superpower is taking charge, instead of sitting back and letting things come to us. Well, it just had to be done. For too long, we've been laughed at, so now we're finally getting back to what we should be. For the security of the region, it's perfect because the commune is like a cancer. Thinking in this way, I mean, right now Venezuela has a lot of influences from Russia, China, and different other countries that are not necessarily well aligned with America, not only North America. America is a continent. Changing that in Venezuela, I'm pretty sure we're going to settle a strong relationship across all nations in the American continent. I believe it shows what this country was built on, which is protecting its people, and standing up for the Constitution, and not just our rights, but global peace. And if you have communists, terrorists, ISIS, whatever you want to call them, it's not good for the world. Today in Doral, Florida, elected officials met with Venezuelan community leaders at an event billed as a celebration of a new day of freedom for Venezuela, with possible implications for U.S. national security. NTD's Chris Bobb brings us the story. I'm in Doral, Florida, where the population is 40% ethnically Venezuelan. At the restaurant behind me, a press conference was held earlier today with Senator Rick Scott of Florida, as well as Senator Ashley Moody, and other representatives from the GOP. They joined Venezuelan community members for what was called a celebration after the arrest of Nicolas Maduro. Senator Scott told those in attendance that their continued advocacy kept the issue in the public eye, and said that the administration's action happened because the Venezuelan community in South Florida continued to raise awareness about conditions inside Venezuela. Some people say, oh, is this good for America? Think about why it's going to be good for America. We're going to have a new trading partner. People we know, our friends and our family, are going to be able to live their dream in Venezuela. We're going to have lower oil and gas prices. Senator Ashley Moody sharply criticized Venezuela's long-time leadership, calling the Maduro regime criminal and illegitimate. Not too long, the Venezuelan people have lived under a dictator who is a criminal, a drug trafficker, who went through position after position in Venezuela and used those positions for his own profit, for his cronies, and he hijacked that government. He was never the legitimate leader. He is not the rightful president. For many in attendance, the issue is deeply personal. I left Venezuela around seven years ago because I suffered political persecution. I have a really good friend who was put in prison by the Maduro regime. In the middle of the night, they broke into his house. When that happened, well, I needed to escape and disappear because I knew for a fact that they were after me as well. Several speakers who fled Venezuela described their experiences living under socialism and said they support all actions targeting the Maduro regime. When you're really poor, you need to go to a supermarket, get into a big line just to get a piece of bread. You really don't have time anymore to think about important things in life. They take away your individuality. And I think that's how they control you. If you need a medicine or something, in order for them to give you that, you need to affiliate yourself with the ruling party. Speakers also said they support stronger action against the Venezuelan regime and view the situation as a national security issue. At the end of the day, what he says is true. A lot of drugs are being produced and exported from Venezuela to the U.S. and elsewhere. A lot of criminals are being sent from Venezuela to across the globe. And I think that situation presents a national security risk. Where we've allowed the Russians, the Chinese, we've allowed Hamas, Palestinian organizations, Iran to come into our hemisphere because our presidents were weak. And China took control. China took advantage. It's like everything. Sun said their opposition to socialism is rooted in protecting the next generation. When you allow socialism and communism to come into your country, it destroys. I have a five-year-old daughter and I fight every single day to make sure that we don't turn into Cuba, Venezuela or Colombia. In Doral, Florida, Chris Bobb, NTD News. Coming up in the NFL, the final day of the regular season was a memorable one, unless you were a Jets fan. Dave Martin joins us to discuss when we return. And now for your sports news, we're joined by NTD's Dave Martin. Dave, plenty going on right now. First off, Happy New Year. Happy New Year to you too. We have a lot of updates. We have fantasy football news, update on the Anthony Joshua case. But let's start in the NFL though, as this past weekend was the final one of the regular season. What stood out to you? Well, the game last night, Steelers versus Ravens, that determined the final playoff spot left. And it was certainly played that way. A very exciting game. Four go-ahead touchdowns scored in the fourth quarter alone. That was the most this season. Then you actually had a couple of missed kicks in the final minute that ended up determining the game. Steelers won the game. And that meant they won the division and got the final playoff spot left. Now, meanwhile, in Cincinnati, Browns defensive end Miles Garrett set the NFL record with his 23rd sack of the season in a win over the Bengals. I'd say he's probably the odds-on favorite to win the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year this year, the second time in his career. In Buffalo, the Bills played what looks like their last game at Old Highland Stadium with a win over the Jets, although they could host a playoff game still later in these playoffs. Now, meanwhile, the Jets did not get an interception in the loss, and they have now become the first team in NFL history to go an entire season without a pick. Not surprisingly, they ended up with one of the worst records in the league, 3-14. And finally, Carolina took the final playoff spot in the NFC. Despite losing on Saturday, that was thanks to a Falcons win on Sunday that gave the Panthers their division title. And speaking of the Falcons, they were one of four teams that fired their head coach in the last 24 hours on what's normally referred to as the NFL's version of Black Monday. Yeah, Black Monday here. Raheem Morris of the Falcons would let go of the team's second straight 8-9 season. Although they did finish in a three-way tie for first place in the division, the Panthers won that tiebreaker. Now, Morris only got two seasons in Atlanta. As you said, though, he was not the only one. Arizona also fired their head coach, Jonathan Gannon. After three seasons, he went 15-36 overall, 3-14 in this final year. The Raiders, Las Vegas Raiders, fired head coach Pete Carroll after just one season. Admittedly, it was not a very good one. The team also went 3-14. Carroll previously had a very successful run to Seattle where he won a Super Bowl. And finally, the Browns fired head coach Kevin Stefanski. He was a two-time NFL coach of the year, lasted just six seasons there. Granted, the last two seasons, they went just 8-26. So these four new openings are in addition to the two other openings that happened during the season where the Giants and the Titans both fired their head coaches during the season. Well, a lot happening there. Shifting gears to boxing, though, last week we reported on that fatal car accident in Nigeria that put former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in the hospital. What is the latest in that case? Yeah, police have charged the driver of the car that Joshua was in on four counts, including causing death by dangerous driving. He was also charged with reckless driving, driving without a valid driver's license, and driving, quote, without due care and attention, causing bodily harm and damage to property. He was arraigned Friday. He's also going to appear in court on January 20th. So he was the driver of the car that Joshua was in that crashed into a stationary vehicle on the side of the road. Two passengers were killed in that accident. Joshua's trainer and his strength and conditioning coach, the 36-year-old Joshua is British, but his parents are Nigerian-born. He actually went to boarding school in Nigeria when he was 11 years old. He was just in the United States two and a half weeks ago where he beat Jake Paul in a match on December 19th. It's a very sad case here. Very scary, too. Shifting gears to some lighter news, fantasy football. With the end of the NFL season, so did NBD's Fantasy Football League. Yeah, you know, Tiff, you and I were among the 20 teams here in the NBD's own fantasy football. We came down to just eight teams in the playoffs. And you can see here, Tiff, me and you on the other side here. Go Team Dave and Tiffany's talented team. Unfortunately, we both lost in the first round of the playoffs. And congratulations to Shelby Malanson, who was the winner this year. I had a lot of fun. So I'm definitely looking forward to doing this again with you next year. I know you learned a lot from talking to me during the season about the NFL, Tiff. So you're welcome. Took me a long time to realize to optimize my team. So maybe it'll be a different result next year. I took advantage of a lot of people, I think, that way. They just didn't set their lineups. And I ended up winning, you know. 90% of success is just showing up. Thank you. Well, Dave, as always, thanks for joining us. Thank you, Tiff. And that's all for today's news. For on-the-clock coverage, visit us at ntd.com slash live or download our NTD app. Thanks for tuning in. I'm Tiffany Meyer. Good night.