Maduro Pleads Not Guilty After U.S. Seizure, Trump Claims Control of Venezuela, Washington Political Turmoil, Record SoCal Rain, California Billionaire Tax, BYD Dethrones Tesla

Headlines From The Times

L.A. Times Studios

News, Daily News, Society & Culture, The Times, California

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🗓️ 6 January 2026

⏱️ 7 minutes

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Summary

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism charges in a New York courtroom Monday, marking his first appearance since U.S. forces seized him and his wife from their bedroom in Caracas late Friday night. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Monday that he is issuing a letter of censure to Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly for participating in a video urging U.S. soldiers to uphold the Constitution. And in other Washington news, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Monday he will not run for a third term. In California, record-setting rain continues, though sunny skies are expected by the weekend. In business, California is weighing a one-time 5% tax on billionaires and their trusts, and Tesla has been overtaken as the world’s top electric vehicle seller by China’s BYD. Read more at LATimes.com.

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is an L.A. Times Studios podcast.
0:09.0	Hi, I'm Faith Pino, and you're listening to Headlines from L.A. Times Studios.
0:14.4	Here are some of today's top stories from the Los Angeles Times.
0:18.7	Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro made his first appearance in an American courtroom
0:23.9	Monday afternoon, pleading not guilty to narco-terrorism charges, telling a New York district
0:30.0	judge, quote, I am a decent man, president of my country.
0:34.8	Maduro's plea comes less than two days after elite U.S. forces seized
0:39.7	the longtime leader and his wife from their bedroom in Caracas late Friday night.
0:45.2	Don't ask me, who's in charge because I'll give you an answer and it'll be very controversial.
0:49.5	What does that mean?
0:50.5	It means we're in charge.
0:52.1	As Maduro awaits what many expect to be a lengthy trial, President Trump said the U.S.
0:57.6	will assume control of Venezuela and refuse to rule out the possibility of sending American
1:03.3	troops into the country.
1:04.6	We're not afraid of boots on the ground if we have to have.
1:07.1	We had boots in the ground last night at a very high level, actually. We're not
1:11.9	afraid of it. We don't mind saying it. Maduro's capture plunged Venezuela into uncertainty
1:17.4	Saturday. Times reporter Ana Sabio said people lined up for food and supplies, bracing for what
1:24.1	comes next in a country now caught between regime collapse and foreign control.
1:29.3	Maduro's handpicked Vice President Delci Rodriguez was sworn into office Monday.
1:34.3	And while she initially condemned the U.S.'s actions over the weekend, she said this in a statement Sunday.
1:41.3	Quote, our people and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war.
	...

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