Guests - Stephen Mundt, Eric Eggers, Dave Smith
In a stunning operation that unfolded over the weekend of January 3-4, 2026, U.S. forces executed a precise raid in Caracas, capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
Retired Brigadier General Stephen Mundt described the raid as a near-perfect military achievement. "The people that were involved—Delta Force, the 160th, Air Force groups, Navy operations off ships—over 160 platforms in the air. We cut the power, went in, took Maduro out of a house inside a major military installation, all without a single loss of life.
Eric Eggers, Vice President of Research at the Government Accountability Institute, tied Governor Tim Walz's announcement on January 5, 2026, that he would not seek a third term directly to escalating scrutiny over massive welfare fraud in Minnesota.
Dave Smith highlighted the Maduro capture's precedent. "Like Noriega—prosecuted here, then extradited, died in prison. This isn't novel; Europe and Panama participated in Noriega's case."
