Kidnapping, Torture And the Brutality of Maduro’s Regime

The Fox News Rundown

FOX News Podcasts

News, Daily News, Politics

3.4 • 1.7K Ratings

🗓️ 7 January 2026

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Venezuela’s ousted leader, Nicolás Maduro, is now behind bars in a Brooklyn prison, facing charges that include narco-terrorism and weapons offenses. While support for the U.S. operation that led to Maduro’s capture appears to fall largely along party lines, there is broad agreement that the imprisoned dictator’s regime was brutal. United States Marine veteran Matthew Heath spent two years as one of Maduro’s political prisoners and experienced that cruelty firsthand. Heath recounts how he was kidnapped by the Venezuelan government, the torture he endured, and what he hopes lies ahead for the country following Maduro’s capture. The CDC is recommending a new, scaled-back childhood vaccine schedule, no longer broadly advising vaccines for protection against rotavirus, hepatitis A and B, certain forms of meningitis, or RSV. The Trump administration says the change will not prevent families who want the vaccines from accessing them, and that insurance coverage will remain in place. Critics, however, warn the move could create confusion for parents and potentially lead to an increase in preventable diseases. Former CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield joins the Rundown to explain why he believes it’s important to take a fresh look at vaccines—while still emphasizing the need to educate the public about their benefits. Plus, commentary by Brian Kilmeade, co-host of FOX News Channel's FOX & Friends and host of The Brian Kilmeade Show on FOX News Radio. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	I'm Brett Baer.
0:00.8	I'm Rachel Campo Stuffy.
0:02.2	I'm David Asman, and this is the Fox News Rundown.
0:08.3	Wednesday, January 7th, 2026.
0:12.9	I'm Dave Anthony.
0:14.6	Venezuela's captured leader remains jailed in the U.S.
0:19.1	Nicholas Maduro's treatment in New York will be like a luxury spa
0:25.2	compared to the treatment of prisoners in Venezuela.
0:29.5	We talked to an American who knows, kidnapped in Venezuela, tortured, and held political
0:35.3	prisoner for two years.
0:37.3	I'm Jessica Rosenthal. The CDC is recommending
0:40.6	a new and reduced childhood vaccine schedule. Critics call it a dangerous change, but doctors
0:45.7	inside the Trump administration say it's a cornerstone of rebuilding trust in public health.
0:50.6	The amount of vaccine hesitancy that has impacted people not getting vaccinated
0:55.6	is really at an all-time high. And we need to turn it around. And I do think that's part of the
1:00.5	reason that we've had this fresh look by these public health leaders. And I'm Brian Kilmead. I've got
1:06.8	the final word on the Fox News Rundown.
1:19.7	All House lawmakers and senators are supposed to get a briefing today in private on the U.S.
1:35.3	Operation Saturday, capturing Nicholas Maduro, the ousted Venezuelan leader, now behind bars in Brooklyn, New York, not doing court again till March to face narco-terrorism, drug, and weapons charges he has pleaded not guilty to.
1:38.6	The Venezuelans and the world are better off without Maduro.
1:43.9	But Democratic Senator, Jean Shaheen, also has concerns, telling Fox,
1:49.7	This was not regime change. We haven't seen that the people around Maduro have been removed or that they're going to behave differently. So that's the question. What's going to happen next?
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from FOX News Podcasts, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of FOX News Podcasts and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.