The Badlands Brief is your daily drop of Badlands’ takes on the narratives dominating the info war. Read on, and join the conversation in the comments section.
“We Will Run the Country” – President Trump Takes Victory Lap as Nicolas Maduro Arrives in SDNY
The United States conducted large-scale military strikes on Venezuela in the early morning hours of January 3, 2026, particularly around Caracas targeting Caracas and other locations.
The operation, codenamed “Operation Absolute Resolve,” involved over 150 US aircraft, airstrikes on military installations (e.g., La Carlota airbase, Fuerte Tiuna), and ground raids in Caracas and nearby areas like Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira. Explosions were reported around 2 a.m. local time. Casualty estimates vary, with many reports citing anonymous Venezuelan and Cuban sources. No US fatalities have been reported.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured by US forces and transported to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) custody to face federal charges, including Maduro Narco-terrorism conspiracy, Cocaine importation conspiracy, and additional counts per the superseding indictment.
President Trump asserted US control or oversight of Venezuela’s immediate future and signaled possible further actions.
“We built Venezuela’s oil industry with American talent, drive and skill, and the socialist regime stole it from us… Venezuela unilaterally seized and sold American oil, American assets and American platforms, costing us billions and billions of dollars.”
“We are going to run the country.”
“We’re going to have our very large US oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country.”
Badlands Media covered the President’s press conference on the attack here.
Mexico and numerous other countries condemned the US action as a violation of the UN Charter and international law. View a Grok translation of that letter from Spanish here.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was named acting president by Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice, though her legitimacy is disputed.
GhostofBasedPatrickHenry: Let me start by saying that I have long believed that we would see the extraction and “arrest” of President Maduro by the US military. Here I am on October 7th predicting as much, right down to Maduro willfully surrendering.
So nothing about this development is a total surprise, nor does it contradict any of my speculation that Nicolas Maduro is working in cooperation with President Trump. In fact, when I read that Maduro’s wife was also “arrested” (extracted) by US Special Forces and indicted as a narco-terrorist, it all but affirmed the theory that we are witnessing a cooperating witness/informant being brought into protective custody — not the toppling of a foreign ruthless dictator.
Have you ever heard the media talk about Putin’s wife? Xi’s wife? Assad? How about the Ayatollah? Did Netanyahu’s wife get charged as a war criminal by the ICC? Or any of the wives of his cabinet members who were charged? Does history ever mention Stalin’s wife, Hitler’s wife, or Mao’s wife?
Of course not, because the wives of world leaders are never held accountable for the actions of the sovereign executive.
Then we get to the actual narrative surrounding the arrest of Maduro.
First off, the CIA apparently leaked the details of the operation to the New York Times and Washington Post so they could have the articles written and ready for publication.
Weird.
It all begins with President Trump posting an image of Maduro in handcuffs, with eyes and ears bound.
One of the first clips of Maduro in custody to emerge showed him wearing what looks like a Mickey Mouse hat from Disney World. As he is escorted through a corridor, he politely says “goodnight,” and then, “Happy New Year.”
Another image emerges of a seated Maduro giving two thumbs up while surrounded by DEA agents who are also posing for the photo.
It compelled me to make this AI image.
We then get another video of a convoy of military vehicles moving through New York City. The van that is carrying Maduro is driving with its doors open, showcasing the prize as if he were on parade.
We should probably make note of the fact that Maduro has apparently made multiple wardrobe changes throughout this journey, which is quite strange.
While we have joked for months about Maduro’s epic dance moves, The New York Times has officially reported that it was this dancing that ultimately provoked Trump into taking unprecedented military action against Venezuela.
Interestingly enough, President Trump dismissed the notion that the Deep State’s preferred replacement, Maria Corona Machado, would become the leader of Venezuela. President Trump said that the people of Venezuela do not respect or support her.
There was then widespread speculation about who would be taking over as leader, until President Trump clarified that President Maduro had appointed Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as Acting President, and Trump said he would be honoring the appointment. (Because that’s what one does when arresting a ruthless narco-terrorist dictator.)
However, Trump threatened Rodriguez, saying that if she didn’t give the US “total access” to rebuild the infrastructure and oil operations — which Trump said the oil companies would be paying for — then she would be facing serious consequences.
“If she doesn’t do what’s right, she will pay a very big price — probably even bigger than Maduro.”
(Trump-a-Mania, brother.)
Notable that Rodriguez’s initial statement on the Maduro arrest was to blame the Zionists for trying to enslave Venezuela. She then goes on to say that there is only one president of Venezuela, and it is still Nicolas Maduro.
I do think that this was a negotiated surrender between Maduro and Trump, not because Maduro is some ruthless dictator, but because Maduro is actually a cooperating witness who needs to be protected. I also think that Trump’s claims of the oil companies paying to rebuild the infrastructure of Venezuela could be reparations that are legitimately owed related to the lawsuits that were filed back in 2018 against dozens of the world’s most powerful oil executives, accusing them all of corruption and stealing Venezuela’s wealth. The lawsuit was filed by the Venezuelan oil company, PDVSA.
Obviously, this story still has plenty of plot lines to develop. I do think that all of the research and speculation we have presented here in the Brief is not only still in play, but also serves as the best explanation for the bizarre events we are now witnessing...
P.S. Shout out to Jordan Sather for making this meme.
For months, we’ve been saying Maduro was going to be granted a narrative exit from the Cartel theater in keeping with the Assad Template. China and Russia will posture, but this is Sovereign Alliance action. Now, let’s see if he ends up with a ‘negotiated’ asylum in Moscow…
lol
The reports are already saying Maduro’s exit was negotiated and that his VP is in Moscow. This is the Narrative translation of the Sovereign Alliance v the Globalist Cartel.
***
Chris Paul: If it’s a movie and things are in full control, then what are people cheering? It’s like leaving the new James Bond movie and heading to the streets to sincerely celebrate him defeating the enemy and saving the world.
And there are (supposedly) hardcore truthers that do this daily.
No war.
Isn’t that what Maduro kept saying? Weird.
***
Jon Herold: The best possible ending to this story will be Trump giving himself the $50M bounty for capturing Maduro.
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Somali President Condemns Trump as New Details Emerge on Somali Scams in the US
The “Feeding Our Future” money laundering scandal remains the largest COVID-era fraud scheme prosecuted to date. At least 78 defendants have been indicted, with Somali-specific indictments as recently as November of 2025. Aimee Bock and Salim Said were convicted in the $250M fraud scheme in March of 2025.
Federal prosecutors allege stolen US government funds were used to finance luxury beachfront accommodations and high-end vehicles, including a Rolls-Royce and Lamborghini, as well as other travel and Minnesota real estate. The funds were distributed to service the alleged “food desert.”
The prosecutions in the scandal are ongoing. Notably, this COVID-era public benefit fraud scandal predates the recent Somali-linked childcare scandal that recently went viral on social media.
In related news, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud issued a public statement condemning remarks attributed to US President Donald Trump. In December, President Trump reportedly said, “”We can go one way or the other, and we’re going to go the wrong way, if we keep taking in garbage into our country,” Trump said, adding. “Ilhan Omar is garbage. She’s garbage. Her friends are garbage.”
Mohamud said millions of Somalis contribute positively to societies around the world but, when asked about immigration, reportedly said, “We respect the sovereignty of other nations when it comes to immigration enforcement.”
Related: Somali reportedly held their first real elections since 1969 on December 25, 2025.
“Let me be direct: what happened on December 25, 2025, had never happened in Somalia since 1969. Real voters. Real ballots. Real counting. After 56 years of appointed councils, clan negotiations, and backroom deals, over 233,000 Mogadishu residents actually cast votes for their local representatives,” claimed Dr Hussein Sheikh Mohamud, Senior Advisor to the President on Constitutional Affairs and Deputy Secretary General of the Justice and Solidarity Party (JSP) in an OpEd.
The election was boycotted by several factions, but the author (advisor to the current president) claims they only boycotted because they would lose.
“Let’s address the elephant in the room: several opposition groups boycotted the Mogadishu elections. They claimed the process lacked inclusivity, questioned the legal framework, and said the timeline was rushed. Here’s what they won’t tell you: they boycotted because they knew they would lose.”
Well, Stephen, I’d tell you to follow the money and prosecute the Americans. Like that Aimee Brock person who was convicted last March. She sounds terrible. Roll em’ all up.
I’d also tell you that elections are fake, so any attempt to say that this RICO is something people “voted for” will be met with open mockery and absolute contempt from me. I can’t speak for others.
Anyway, what ARE you saying? Because this alleged Somali woman is surrounded by white American karens that should be questioned, at a minimum:
Republicans hold a narrow majority in the US House of Representatives, and political analysts are forwarding the idea that House control could change before the 2026 midterm elections due to special elections, member resignations, and vacancies.
“My general view is, and I don’t push the president on these things, but my general view is the president’s going to get involved,” Reince Priebus, former Republican National Committee chairman and White House chief of staff said on Wisconsin local programming. “You just have to assume that. He likes to have his fingerprints on things. I think we all know that. I think he is going to get involved.
Priebus also conceded that national politics has become entirely unpredictable, stating, “But the truth is, and I think everyone understands this, nothing makes sense anymore. You can go back to 2016 like, ‘Oh, it was going to be close, or Trump wasn’t going to win.’ And lo and behold, he did. In 2018, we were going to get blown out. We didn’t do as bad as people thought. 2020 was going to be a blowout, and it was close, ‘22 red rave didn’t happen, ‘24 it’s supposed to be close. Trump wins the popular vote… I mean, does anyone really know anything anymore?”
Midterm preparation comes as election integrity dominates the midterm conversation.
Over the weekend, in response to the assertion that “States without voter ID requirements are 16x more likely to offer welfare benefits to illegal immigrants than states requiring ID,” Elon Musk shared the post and said, “Yes, at massive scale! It is the biggest vote-buying fraud scheme in the history of America. Peter Bernegger reports a “huge win in court,” as the Wisconsin Election Commission’s motion to dismiss in Waukesha County Case Number 2024CV001544 Janel Brandtjen vs. Wisconsin Elections Commission, Meagan Wolfe was denied. The case will now proceed to full discovery, and Bernegger indicates they plan to depose David Becker of ERIC States.
“The Election Commission and ERIC are unlawfully giving away voters personally identifiable information to CEIR (Becker’s other company). In fact it is criminal - just as if your bank gave some non-profit YOUR social security number, birthdate, driver’s license number. And never told you either. This is happening to you if you live in an ERIC state.”
Ashe in America: ERIC States is, in my opinion, intentionally padding the voter rolls across the country. You will recall that, in 2022, the Colorado Department of State (Jena Griswold’s office) ‘mistakenly’ mailed postcards to nearly 30,000 foreign nationals encouraging them to vote – only three of them were actually eligible to vote.
I asked the Deputy Secretary of State about this when had him under oath during my trial. He admitted that ERIC States sends non-citizens to the states as “eligible but unauthorized” voters – and doesn’t tell the states which ones aren’t actually eligible:
This is in the ERIC contract. CannCon and I have talked about it extensively on Why We Vote for years.
Yes, I have shared these transcripts with Peter Bernegger. It’s an ERIC customer admitting knowledge of the “potential” padding. Fake voters.
Fake Voters. Fake Ballots. Fake Counts.
Fake Elections.
As I’ve long said, when it comes to election truth, the People have been building the record since 2020 – and in many states since before – preparing for the time when justice would be possible.
That time is now, and the record is thick. Accelerate.
***
CannCon: On Friday’s Why We Vote, former Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer and Election Oversight’s Kevin Moncla joined us to have a discussion regarding Georgia’s 2020 election and the 315,000 unsigned poll closing tapes.
“Death to the Dictator!” Resistance Continues in Iran’s Streets as Khamenei Eyes Moscow Exit Strategy
Nationwide protests continue across Iran, spanning multiple cities and provinces, including major urban centers. The protests, which began last month, are reportedly due to economic grievances, including high inflation, rising cost of living, and currency depreciation.
The protests spread rapidly over the weekend, involving students, traders, pensioners, and more. Chants have reportedly turned political, including “Death to the dictator, referring to “Supreme Leader” Ali Khamenei, and calls against the regime’s rule.
“Iranians were facing bombardment by external powers and so they had no choice but to stick together. And I think that we should take that for what it was. Did [Iranians] coming together mean that they suddenly abandoned all of their contentious feelings towards the regime or its leadership? Absolutely not. They’re not mutually exclusive feelings,” Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and North Africa program at Chatham House, told NBC News. “And I think that Iranians still feel quite united amidst the many challenges that they face, challenges from abroad, challenges from their governance system and their leadership that isn’t willing to reform or change.”
Iranian security forces reportedly responded with force, including live ammunition in some locations, according to the Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA). The agency claims at least 20 people have lost their lives, including at least one member of the security forces. They also report at least 51 citizen injuries and 990 arrests. Note: HRANA metrics are being reported across legacy media as the source for impact on the ground; note that HRANA metrics differ from official accounts.
Khamenei condemned the protestors in a speech over the weekend.
“A number of agitated people, enemy mercenaries, had positioned themselves behind bazaar merchants and chanted slogans against Islam, against Iran and against the Islamic Republic.”
“Protest is legitimate, but protest is different from rioting.”
“Officials should speak with protesters. Speaking with a rioter is pointless. Rioters must be put in their place.”
President Trump posted on Truth Social Friday:
“If Iran shots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J.TRUMP”
Khamenei plans to flee to Moscow if he loses control of the country, according to British media citing unnamed Iranian intelligence sources.
GhostofBasedPatrickHenry: Just days after Netanyahu did a media tour where he explicitly linked the Maduro regime to the Iranian government, former CIA Director and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo publishes a post where he heavily insinuates that the protests in Iran are a Mossad operation.
Yesterday on X, a clip from a 2009 documentary resurfaced showing Isaac Herzog — who is now the President of Israel — in a private meeting expressing concern that both Iran and Venezuela are the two most antisemitic governments, and therefore represent the greatest threat to the State of Israel.
When Herzog presses the other man over what can be done about these two troublesome governments, they both acknowledge the documentary cameras, agreeing that they will discuss these plans later off camera.
An Iranian police chief gave an interview where he claims that they have begun arresting the organizers of the protests, and those leaders have confessed that they were paid to do this work.
Israeli journalist Hallel Rosen said on Israeli television that the Venezuela operation was a dress rehearsal for Iran.
Now would be a great time to remind everybody of Charlie Kirk’s public position on regime change in Iran. Here is a clip he posted to X where he ridicules Lindsey Graham for lobbying President Trump to pursue it.
Annnnnnnd here is Lindsey Graham, on board Air Force One yesterday with President Trump, clearly still giddy from the Maduro “coup,” calling for regime change not in Iran — which we know he absolutely wants — but in Cuba.
Regime change is an addictive drug, and the NeoCons will always demand more of it. They will never get their fill. Surely, President Trump knows this, and perhaps is baiting them into demonstrating it beyond all doubt.
So I will leave you with this video of Nicolas Maduro — appearing on some television program — pondering how far the US government will allow Netanyahu to go in his warmongering. He then calls on the Sovereign Alliance — naming each country individually: China, Russia, Turkey, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia — to stand up and support Iran’s calls to pursue peace.
P.S. The Times of London is reporting that the Ayatollah may be planning to flee to Russia:
It’s important to consider the author of the report.
Federal Reserve Leadership Transition (from Fox Business & related reporting)
A change in Federal Reserve leadership is imminent as Jerome Powell’s term ends in May 2026.
According to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, President Donald Trump has narrowed his list of candidates to succeed Powell to four and will announce a decision this month according to Fox Business, citing Bessent. The four candidates under consideration are:
Kevin Hassett: Former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers and current National Economic Council director, Hassett is known for advocating pro-growth fiscal policy, deregulation, and a more accommodative approach to monetary policy aligned with executive economic priorities.
Kevin Warsh: A former Federal Reserve governor, Warsh has emphasized Fed credibility, financial stability, and skepticism of prolonged unconventional monetary policy.
Christopher Waller: A sitting Federal Reserve governor, Waller is closely associated with the Fed’s recent inflation-fighting stance and has supported maintaining restrictive policy until inflation is firmly controlled.
Rick Rieder: A senior BlackRock executive overseeing global fixed income, Rieder brings deep market experience and has frequently commented on interest rates, liquidity conditions, and the interaction between markets and Fed policy.
The new chair will be appointed as US economic growth is expected to continue at a moderate pace, supported by tax cuts, ongoing investment in AI and technology, and reduced tariff uncertainty.
At the same time, political pressure on the Fed has intensified as the institution suffers from a crisis of public trust.
Ashe in America: I came across this video with Susan Kokinda talking about the recent evidence of Trump’s strategy to demolish the hidden hand. She opens the piece by saying, “This is what it looks like when the British empire loses control.”
Now this video is from 11 days ago, but with the holidays and all the color revolutions, I missed Britain’s response to the (now seemingly obvious) moves of the Sovereign Alliance. Given the economic angst over oil futures, some perspective on the transformation is right on time.
Side note: Kokinda also spotlights Mike Pence:
Hey! Chatham House is also cited in that Iranian color revolution article.
Weird.
BONUS ITEMS
Bongino Resigns as FBI Deputy Director, Ending Brief, Contentious Tenure
Dan Bongino’s final day as Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was January 3, he leaves the post after assuming the role in March 2025 and serving less than one year.
As the No. 2 official at the FBI, Bongino served under Director Kash Patel. He will be replaced by co-Deputy Director Andrew Bailey, who was appointed to the role in September 2025
Bongino was credited by Patel with helping to implement internal reforms at the FBI, including efforts to make the organization more efficient, leading the “Summer Heat” operation, and securing breakthroughs in long-unsolved cases, such as the pipe bomb investigation.
Bongino has publicly stated that he is returning to civilian life, with few additional details. While there is no confirmation, Bongino is widely expected to resume his popular podcast.
On Saturday, Bongino shared a post from President Trump and stated, “It was a busy last day on the job. This will be my last post on this account. Tomorrow I return to civilian life. It’s been an incredible year thanks to the leadership and decisiveness of President Trump. It was the honor of a lifetime to work with Director Patel, and to serve you, the American people. See you on the other side. -Dan”
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This movie just keeps getting funnier (dark humor:-) How many Maduro's did we see in a less then 24 hour period... and those wacky Somoli's can you possibly be more retarded (literally based on average IQ) you can't make this shit up.
Cannot wait to see what happens today (Tampon Tim calls it quits?).
What a weekend! We are finally here:-)
This movie just keeps getting funnier (dark humor:-) How many Maduro's did we see in a less then 24 hour period... and those wacky Somoli's can you possibly be more retarded (literally based on average IQ) you can't make this shit up.
Cannot wait to see what happens today (Tampon Tim calls it quits?).
Still not tired of winning!!!
God Wins!
God Bless!!!
Dan Bongino did the work he was called to. The FBI is better already, and the changes Bongino made will continue to guide the Bureau for years.