5 JAN 26 SITREP

1. Capture of Nicolás Maduro During U.S. Military Operation in Caracas, Venezuela

• U.S. forces carried out a pre-dawn special operations mission in Caracas, Venezuela, capturing Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and removing them from Venezuelan territory under armed custody.
• Maduro was transported to the United States and appeared in federal court in Manhattan, where he repeatedly stated “I am not guilty,” claimed he had been kidnapped, and asserted that he remains the legitimate president of Venezuela.
• Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein entered a plea of not guilty on Maduro’s behalf after cutting off his statements, while Maduro later described himself as a prisoner of war as he exited the courtroom.
• Maduro faces charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess those weapons, and both he and Flores are not seeking bail ahead of their next court appearance scheduled for March 17.

2. Hammer Attack at Vice President JD Vance’s Ohio Residence and Arrest of William “Julia” DeFoor

• William DeFoor, a 26-year-old trans-identified male who uses the name “Julia DeFoor,” was arrested after allegedly smashing multiple windows with a hammer at Vice President JD Vance’s private residence in Cincinnati, Ohio.
• DeFoor was taken into custody by the U.S. Secret Service after also vandalizing a Secret Service vehicle parked in the driveway, prompting an immediate federal and local law enforcement response.
• Records show DeFoor was previously arrested in April for vandalism-related offenses and sentenced to two years of mental health treatment in addition to paying $5,500 in restitution.
• DeFoor has been charged with obstructing official business, criminal damaging or endangering, criminal trespass, and vandalism, while Vance confirmed the incident was an attempted break-in and emphasized protection of his family’s privacy.

3. Minnesota Daycare Funding Investigation Linked to Craigslist Post Seeking Child Actors

• A Craigslist post in Minnesota remained online for several days seeking to hire 20 child actors at up to $1,500 per day to appear at a daycare facility during a state inspection after the center claimed its public funding had been abruptly revoked.
• The listing stated the daycare had closed immediately after losing funding, its entire client base had already moved on, and children were needed on-site to demonstrate that the facility was operational during state vetting.
• The post was archived before being removed and surfaced amid expanding state and federal scrutiny of childcare funding and reimbursement practices across Minnesota.
• The situation followed a viral investigation by independent journalist Nick Shirley, who documented multiple Minnesota daycare locations operating with no children present during normal business hours, including several sites connected to the Feeding Our Future nonprofit fraud case that has resulted in dozens of convictions and additional charges.

FINAL WORD

These events highlight simultaneous pressure points across foreign policy enforcement, domestic political security, and public funding oversight. Legal systems, protective services, and regulatory agencies are being tested at the same time by high-impact incidents. The overlap of military action, political targeting, and alleged institutional fraud signals an environment of elevated risk and sustained scrutiny.