Morning Brief: Maduro Charged, Tehran In Turmoil, & Mamdani’s First Scandal

Former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife are charged in the United States, nationwide anti-regime protests in Iran threaten to boil over, and Zohran Mamdani’s term as New York City mayor begins with fresh controversy.

It’s Monday, January 5, 2026, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below, and the video version can be seen on The Daily Wire:

New Details In Daring Venezuela Raid

As the dust settles in Venezuela, new details have emerged surrounding the daring mission to capture dictator Nicolás Maduro. According to the Pentagon, the CIA placed a covert team in Venezuela to track Maduro’s movements, and according to Gen. Dan Caine, find out “how he moved, where he lived, where he traveled, what he ate, what he wore,” etc. President Donald Trump reportedly approved the operation just before Christmas, but it wasn’t until late Friday night that the weather finally cleared, and more than 150 American aircraft took off from 20 bases across the western hemisphere. As helicopters carrying the main extraction team approached the city, a barrage of missiles disabled Venezuelan air defenses, and the capital city went dark — reportedly thanks to an American cyberattack. Moments later, a group of Special Forces operators arrived at Maduro’s compound, where the tyrannical leader and his wife were ultimately captured as they attempted to open the door of a large steel safe room. The entire operation took a little over 2 hours.

Tehran In Turmoil

Anti-regime protests continue to rock Iran as the government struggles to handle crises at home and internationally. The unrest began over a week ago among merchants in Tehran and has since spread across the capital and into dozens of smaller cities and towns. Demonstrations were initially motivated by economic woes, but the protests have grown into calls for regime change, with protesters chanting phrases such as “Death to Khamenei” and “Freedom, freedom.” Activists are split on what new regime they would like; some have called for democracy, while others have called for a return of the Shah. But activists share in common a renewed resolve after the Iranian regime was decimated during the 12-Day War by Israel and the United States. President Trump has warned Iran about further intervention should the regime crack down violently on protesters.

Mamdani’s ‘Collectivist Warmth’

Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as the new mayor of New York on New Year’s Day, and he’s already imposing some sweeping changes. In remarks at the ceremony, Mamdani touted the “warmth of collectivism” over “frigid” individualism, prioritizing the government’s role. Mamdani also took some day-one actions, signing orders on housing to “stand up to landlords” and making good on a campaign promise to freeze rents. Mamdani also revoked two executive orders aimed at protecting Jewish New Yorkers, which raised more than a few eyebrows.