January 2026
Maduro indicted on narco-terrorism, machine gun, and cocaine conspiracy charges, jailed in Brooklyn after staged "perp walk" at DEA headquarters, court appearance possible Monday.
Wife Cilia Flores also indicted
Source: The Independent
January 3, 2026
Rubio warns Cuba's leaders "I'd be concerned" hours after US forces seize Maduro, accuses Havana of colonizing Venezuela's security apparatus.
Cuba responds: "Homeland or Death"
Source: The Hill
January 3, 2026
Trump declares 'American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again,' rebrands Monroe Doctrine with his own name hours after seizing Maduro.
203 years of hemispheric policy "superseded"
Source: The Hill
January 3, 2026
Trump announces US will "run" Venezuela, promises American oil companies will "fix infrastructure" and "start making money for the country."
150 aircraft launched from 20 bases
Source: BBC
January 3, 2026
Venezuela's Supreme Court names Delcy Rodríguez interim president as Trump declares US "in charge," demands "total access" to oil, threatens she'll "pay a very big price" for defiance.
"Regime change, anything you want to call it"
Source: Axios
January 4, 2026
Cuba announces 32 of its military and intelligence officers killed during US raid to capture Maduro, declares two days of national mourning.
https://go.govbrief.today/maduro-cuba-deaths
Source: Reuters
January 4, 2026
Rubio says discussing elections in Venezuela is "premature" because higher priorities, including reinvigorating the oil industry, must be addressed first.
Carrier strike group offshore as "leverage"
Source: UPI
January 4, 2026
Trump predicts Cuba "ready to fall," threatens Colombia's president won't be "doing it very long," promises "second strike" on Venezuela if they "don't behave."
Steel and aluminum extraction also floated
Source: Politico
January 4, 2026
Trump shares debunked conspiracy theory that Minnesota Gov. Walz ordered killing of state lawmaker Melissa Hortman and her husband in their home as her children beg him to remove the post.
GOP and DFL lawmakers both condemned
Source: KMSP Minneapolis
January 4, 2026
Trump says Venezuela will hand over up to 50 million barrels of oil, with proceeds "controlled by me," and invites Chevron, Exxon, ConocoPhillips to White House Friday.
4th day after US attack
Source: CNBC
January 6, 2026
White House launches January 6 webpage calling 2020 "the greatest election theft in US history," listing seditious conspiracy convicts as patriots, and blaming Capitol Police.
Title echoes FDR's Pearl Harbor speech
Source: The Independent
January 6, 2026
ICE agent shoots and kills Minneapolis woman during "largest DHS operation ever" as mayor calls federal self-defense claim "garbage" after viewing video.
2,000+ agents deployed to city
Source: KARE Minneapolis
January 7, 2026
White House declares US will "dictate" Venezuela's government decisions as Rubio outlines American plan for the country's stabilization, oil industry, and political future.
Elections "too premature"
Source: ABC News
January 7, 2026
Trump family crypto venture World Liberty Financial applies for national banking charter, months after Trump pardoned Binance founder whose exchange bought $2 billion in its stablecoin.
Family stablecoin worth $3.4 billion
Source: The Wall Street Journal
January 7, 2026
Federal agents block Minnesota investigators from joint probe of ICE killing as video contradicts Noem's claim that Renee Good "weaponized her vehicle" before agent shot her.
1,000+ marched Thursday night
Source: The Minnesota Reformer
January 8, 2026
Trump threatens to take Greenland "the hard way" if Denmark won't sell, says US needs to "own" it to prevent Russia and China from taking it.
US already houses base there
Source: BBC
January 9, 2026
Justice Department says "no basis" exists to investigate ICE agent who killed Renee Good in Minneapolis, six days after shooting that majority of Americans call unjustified.
Over half of voters say unjustified
Source: USA Today
January 13, 2026
ICE arrests dozens of refugees in Minnesota who entered legally and passed security screenings, transfers them to Texas detention after administration suspended the green card process they're accused of not completing.
About 100 detained & transferred to Texas
Source: The New York Times [gift link]
January 13, 2026
Six federal prosecutors resign in Minnesota after Justice Department pushed investigation into Renee Good's widow while refusing to open civil rights probe into agent who killed her.
Lead fraud prosecutor among those quitting
Source: Newsweek
January 13, 2026
Trump threatens to invoke Insurrection Act to deploy military against Minnesota protesters, a power last used unilaterally in 1965 to protect civil rights marchers.
3,000 federal agents already deployed
Source: The Minn Post
January 15, 2026
Medical examiner preliminarily rules death of Cuban immigrant at Texas detention camp a homicide, citing asphyxia from neck and chest compression during struggle with staff.
2025 deadliest year for ICE detainees in two decades
Source: The Washington Post
January 15, 2026
Justice Department issues grand jury subpoenas to Governor Tim Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey in criminal investigation opened after both publicly condemned ICE operations in Minneapolis.
3,000 federal agents now deployed
Source: CNN
January 16, 2026
DOJ filing reveals DOGE operatives at Social Security likely violated court order, shared data via unapproved server, and coordinated with group seeking to overturn election results.
2 Hatch Act referrals filed
Source: FedScoop
January 20, 2026
Family with active asylum case detained while taking 7-year-old to Portland emergency room; entered legally through CBP One, now held in Texas.
Active asylum case, 2028 court date
Source: KGW Portland
January 23, 2026
CDC vaccine panel chair questions need for polio vaccines, calls school immunization requirements "authoritarian," says individual autonomy comes before public health.
U.S. hit 12 months of measles transmission this week
Source: The Hill
January 23, 2026
Border Patrol agents pin Minneapolis nurse to ground, fire multiple shots into his back; second American killed on video in 17 days during immigration crackdown.
State investigators denied scene access again
Source: The Minnesota Star Tribune
January 24, 2026
AG Bondi tells Minn. Gov. Walz ICE will leave only if the state shares Medicaid and SNAP records, repeals sanctuary policies, and gives DOJ access to voter rolls; Minnesota Secretary of State calls it "ransom."
31 states have refused voter data requests
Source: WMSP Minneapolis
January 25, 2026
FBI seizes 2020 election ballots from Fulton County warehouse after judge previously denied White House lawsuit seeking same records.
700 boxes of ballots loaded onto trucks
Source: CBS News
January 28, 2026
Trump, his two eldest sons, and the Trump Organization sue the IRS and Treasury for $10 billion over tax records leaked to ProPublica and the New York Times.
Leaker began 5 year sentence in 2023
Source: CNBC
January 29, 2026