Gabbard and the Maduro Capture: 4 Jan 2026, Morning

Posted on January 4, 2026 by JimS

By Jim Shimabukuro (assisted by Gemini)
Editor

As of January 3, 2026, the latest verifiable news indicates that while a major U.S. military operation has taken place in Venezuela, Tulsi Gabbard, the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), has remained notably silent.

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) has confirmed two critical sessions scheduled for Jan 6 & 7 where Gabbard is expected to testify. Image created by ChatGPT.

Following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces (Operation “Absolute Resolve”), reports emphasize that Gabbard has not yet publicly weighed in or issued a formal statement regarding the mission, despite her role overseeing the intelligence community that reportedly laid the groundwork for it.

Current Status and Context

  • Official Silence: As of Saturday night, January 3, 2026, media outlets like the LA Times have noted that Gabbard has not commented on the operation, even as other administration officials and political figures have released statements.
  • Past Stance vs. Current Role: Gabbard’s current silence is being contrasted with her 2019 stance, where she vehemently opposed military intervention in Venezuela, famously posting that the U.S. should “stay out of Venezuela” and let the people determine their own future. These older posts have recently resurfaced and gone viral following the news of the incursion.
  • Internal Actions: Leading up to this event, Gabbard was active in restructuring the intelligence community’s approach to Venezuela. In May 2025, she fired top officials at the National Intelligence Council (NIC) after they produced an assessment that contradicted President Trump’s claims regarding the Maduro regime’s involvement with the “Tren de Aragua” gang. Her office stated these moves were intended to end the “politicization” of intelligence.

Operation Details

  • The Incursion: Early on January 3, 2026, U.S. Delta Force carried out a “large-scale strike” and mission that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
  • Legal Charges: Maduro has been transported to New York, where he faces federal charges related to narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.
  • Administration Rationale: The Trump administration has characterized the move as a law enforcement action necessary to stop the flow of drugs, though the operation has sparked significant international debate regarding its legality under the UN Charter.

Sources:

As of late tonight, January 3, 2026, Tulsi Gabbard (Office of the Director of National Intelligence, ODNI) has still not issued a formal statement regarding the capture of Nicolás Maduro.

While Tulsi Gabbard remains publicly silent, the following details clarify her office’s involvement and the surrounding situation:

1. Notable Silence vs. Agency Involvement. Despite the lack of a public statement, reports indicate that the intelligence community (IC) under Gabbard’s leadership laid the groundwork for “Operation Absolute Resolve” over several months. Sources noted that U.S. intelligence assets were on the ground in Venezuela during the mission.

Her current silence is being heavily scrutinized by the media because it contrasts with her 2019 position, where she famously stated the U.S. should “stay out of Venezuela” and warned that military intervention would be “disastrous.”

2. Strategic “Purging” of Prior Assessments. In the months leading up to this incursion, Gabbard took active steps to align intelligence reports with the administration’s narrative:

  • Firing Officials: In May 2025, Gabbard fired the top two officials at the National Intelligence Council (NIC).
  • The Dispute: The firings occurred after the NIC produced an assessment stating the Maduro regime was not directly coordinating the “Tren de Aragua” gang’s activities in the U.S.—a claim the Trump administration used as a primary justification for the operation.
  • Directive: Gabbard’s office stated these moves were to “end the weaponization and politicization of the intelligence community.”

3. Current Status of the Operation

  • Maduro in Custody: Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have arrived in New York.5
  • Legal Charges: Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed they are being charged with narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and weapons offenses in the Southern District of New York.6
  • Administration Stance: President Trump stated that the U.S. will “run” Venezuela temporarily and intends to tap its oil reserves, while the Venezuelan Supreme Court has named Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as acting president.7

Sources:

As of late tonight, Saturday, January 3, 2026, here is the latest on the congressional briefings involving Tulsi Gabbard and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).

While Gabbard has not yet released a public statement, the gears of congressional oversight are moving rapidly:

  • “Gang of Eight” Briefing: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries have issued an immediate demand for a “Gang of Eight” briefing. This group includes the top leaders of both parties and the chairs/ranking members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees. This bipartisan group of eight senators includes Democrats (Schumer, Durbin, Bennet, Menendez) and Republicans (Graham, Flake, McCain, Rubio).
  • Full Member Briefings: Congressional leadership is pushing for classified briefings for all members of the House and Senate to take place early next week, as soon as lawmakers return to Washington, D.C.
  • Expected Attendees: While Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have been the primary faces of the administration’s rollout so far, Gabbard (as DNI) is legally expected to lead or co-lead the intelligence portion of these briefings to explain the “precedent-setting” nature of the operation.

Key Points of Contention for Briefings

Lawmakers have indicated they will be pressing Gabbard on several specific intelligence-related issues:

  • Intelligence Discrepancies: Members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, including Vice Chair Mark Warner, are expected to question the intelligence used to justify the strike. They are specifically interested in how the IC now links Maduro to the “Tren de Aragua” gang after previous intelligence assessments (which Gabbard suppressed/fired officials over in May 2025) stated there was no such link.
  • Lack of Prior Notification: Many lawmakers have expressed outrage that they were only notified after the operation began early Saturday morning.3
  • Post-Maduro Planning: Senator Warner noted that in preliminary notifications, there was “no conversation” about the viability of Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as a transition figure, a point they intend to grill the ODNI on.4

Gabbard’s Strategic Position

Gabbard’s role in these briefings will be critical, as she is the official responsible for the “Annual Threat Assessment.” Her office recently emphasized “non-state criminal groups” (like the Tren de Aragua gang) as a top priority—a shift that provided the intelligence framework for this weekend’s incursion.

Sources:

As of January 4, 2026, the legislative calendar for the upcoming week has begun to fill with briefings regarding the Venezuela operation. While DNI Tulsi Gabbard has not yet made a public appearance, she is scheduled for high-level meetings starting Tuesday.

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) has updated its official calendar with the following sessions:

DateTime (ET)Session TypeSubject
Tuesday, Jan 63:00 PMClosed BriefingIntelligence Matters (Venezuela Incursion)
Wednesday, Jan 73:00 PMClosed BriefingIntelligence Matters (Status of Maduro)

Note: While these are listed generally as “Intelligence Matters,” congressional sources confirm these are the primary venues for the “Gang of Eight” and committee-level debriefs on the capture of Nicolás Maduro.

Gabbard is expected to lead these briefings alongside CIA Director John Ratcliffe and FBI Director Kash Patel. Lawmakers have indicated they will focus on three “intelligence gaps”:

  1. Justification: The evidence linking the Maduro regime to the “Tren de Aragua” gang, which served as a legal pillar for the strike.
  2. Notification: Why the intelligence community did not provide “pre-strike” notification to the Gang of Eight.
  3. Future Stability: The IC’s assessment of a potential power vacuum in Caracas and the risk of Russian or Chinese intervention in response to the U.S. presence.

There is currently no public hearing scheduled. However, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has indicated that if the closed-door briefings are “unsatisfactory,” the opposition will move to subpoena Gabbard for a public session under the War Powers Resolution.

Sources:

As of Sunday morning, January 4, 2026, there is high anticipation for the closed-door briefings scheduled for this week. While the full sessions haven’t occurred yet, the framework for what Tulsi Gabbard (DNI) will present has become clear through official committee calendars and statements from congressional leadership.

Here is the current status and the confirmed schedule for the briefings:

Briefing Schedule

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) has confirmed two critical sessions where Gabbard is expected to testify:

  • Tuesday, Jan 6 (3:00 PM ET): Closed Briefing on “Intelligence Matters” (specifically the Venezuela Incursion).1
  • Wednesday, Jan 7 (3:00 PM ET): Follow-up Closed Briefing regarding the ongoing status of Maduro and the stability of the Venezuelan transition.

3 Key Takeaways to Watch For

Based on internal documents and the demands of the “Gang of Eight,” the following points will be the primary focus of Gabbard’s testimony:

1. The “Tren de Aragua” Intelligence Link

The administration’s legal justification for the strike hinges on the claim that the Maduro regime was orchestrating an “invasion” via the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang. Lawmakers are expected to grill Gabbard on why she fired top National Intelligence Council (NIC) officials in May 2025 after they produced a report stating there was no evidence Maduro was directing the gang’s US operations. Gabbard will likely argue that newer FBI-led intelligence superseded those “politicized” assessments.

2. Lack of “Pre-Strike” Notification

A major point of contention is why the administration did not notify the Gang of Eight (top leaders of both parties) before the operation began. Senate Intelligence Vice Chair Mark Warner has already publicly stated that the “total silence” before the strike sets a “dangerous precedent” for global stability.2 Gabbard’s office has hinted that operational security and the “immediacy of the threat” necessitated the secrecy.

3. The Role of External Adversaries

Gabbard is expected to present intelligence regarding Russia, China, and Iran’s potential responses. Since Maduro had deep ties to these nations, the Intelligence Community (IC) must explain how they plan to mitigate any “asymmetric” retaliation (cyberattacks or naval posturing) now that the U.S. has effectively taken control of Caracas.

📌 Current Status of Maduro

  • Location: Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are currently in federal custody in New York.3
  • Legal Action: They are awaiting an initial court appearance on charges of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.
  • In-Country Command: While the U.S. has stated it will “run” the country temporarily, the Venezuelan Supreme Court has tapped Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the acting presidency, creating a volatile “two-government” scenario that Gabbard will have to address in the briefings.4

Sources:

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