The Ten News Special Report: What's Going On With Venezuela?
A Ten News Deep Dive: Episode 621
The country of Venezuela has been making headlines, but what’s actually happening, and why does it matter beyond its borders? 🗞️
In this Ten News Special Report, we break down the big questions:
🇻🇪 What’s going on in Venezuela?
🇺🇸 How is the U.S. involved?
👩⚖️ Is what's happening legal?
🤔 And, what could happen next?
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Transcript:
INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO
<phone rings> <picks up sfx>
RYAN: Hey Pam! Happy new year to you too. So… I was wondering if you could help me break down—-
<door opens>
PAMELA: Why everyone’s talking about Venezuela? I’m glad you’re here.
RYAN: Yeah! Wait, why are you here on your day off?
PAMELA: Because we need to do a special report. Why are you here?
RYAN: To do a special report, of course. Not because I missed the studio… to do a special report. Because I’m Ryan Willard.
PAM: And I’m Pamela Kirkland.
RYAN: And believe it or not, it is 2026, January 4th to be exact.
PAM: And this is a Ten News Special Report.
PAM: Ok Ryan, we woke up to some pretty intense headlines on Saturday - explosions in Venezuela, arrests of the Venezuela president, and people talking about war. I think we need to take a beat and slow things way down.
RYAN: Same. This is one of those times where things get pretty scary and confusing and it really helps to take a breath and understand all the moving pieces and people involved. So let’s break it down - Ten News style.
PAM: First, where is Venezuela? Venezuela is a country in South America. It has millions of people, beautiful landscapes, and something else that matters a lot in global politics - oil.
RYAN: Yep. Venezuela has some of the largest oil reserves in the world. And for years, since 2013, the country has been run by President Nicolas Maduro, a leader that many countries, including the U.S. say is authoritarian. He has been accused of human rights violations, and the economic and drug problems in Venezuela.
PAM: And why was Venezuela already in the news lately? Over the last few months, the U.S. government has been targeting and attacking Venezuela boats that the Trump administration claims are drug smugglers. It is important to note that this claim has not been verified, and it’s not clear if the people on the boats that have been attacked are involved in the drug trade or are innocent fisherman. Members of Congress and international partners have been calling for a review of the U.S. actions here and whether or not it is legal.
RYAN: And then things got more complicated.
PAM: Right. President Maduro, his wife and son, and other Venezuelan leaders have been charged by U.S. courts with serious crimes, including drug trafficking and terrorism related crimes. And those charges led us to what we woke up to on Saturday.
RYAN: On Saturday, American forces went into Venezuela and arrested President Maduro and his wife. There were reports of explosions and military aircrafts over Venezuela's capital, Caracas. The Trump administration says that the force was used to protect the military making the arrest and not a bigger military action.
RYAN: Wait a minute, Pam. Can the U.S. government actually do this? Go into another country like this and arrest its president? And his wife?
PAM: So that’s the big question among many others right now Ry. Normally Congress is the only group that can declare war and the president needs to go to Congress to get approval to go to war. In this case, President Trump is saying that this isn’t the start of a war, that it was a limited arrest operation, and fits under presidential powers. Others, including members of Congress don’t agree and says this action breaks U.S. and international law.
RYAN: And I looked up that this has happened before. In 1989, the U.S. invaded Panama and arrested its president, Manuel Noriega. And brought him to the US to stand trial for drug trafficking during President George Bush’s term.
PAM: Yes, that example is being brought up as a parallel to yesterday’s actions in Venezuela. It has a lot of experts worried that history is going to repeat itself. That operation in Panama led to long-term instability in the region.
RYAN: So…Pam….are we at war?
PAM: Right now, the official answer is no. Like we talked about, there’s been no declaration of war by Congress, and U.S. leaders say this was a one-time operation, not the start of a larger conflict. But anytime one country uses military force inside another, even briefly, other nations pay attention.
RYAN: Right, this is a serious international situation and has many countries around the world concerned and speaking up. What happens next?
PAM: A lot is still unknown. This situation is changing day by day. President Trump went on TV on Saturday to say that the U.S. was now going to “Run” Venezuela but no one knows that that means. As we know happens with big complicated news, things will change a lot of the next few days as we get more information and here is what else we are watching:
Congress’s reaction and response to whether or not the president when too far without their approval
The legal proceedings to come in the US against President Maduro and his family.
How people in Venezuela and Venezuelan expats are reacting. Expats are people who live outside of their country
And as we said, how our allies around the world are reacting
RYAN: We’ll keep following the story and update later this week in Ten Things You Need to Know.
<sfx shimmer/shine fades and door closes>
PAM: And that was our very first special report of 2026.
RYAN: Wow. What a wild way to start the year. Can we take a brain break before we do this week’s Ten Things.
PAM: Absolutely. Wanna hit the science museum or get boba tea?
RYAN: Both. Obviously. But before we do, here’s a quick note for the grownups.
[Ad Break]
RYAN: Thanks for listening to The Ten News! Our show is now weekly, and drops every Wednesday. But if you want some bonus content, you could join the Ten’ers Club on our website or on Apple Podcasts. Club members get special bonus content and more!
PAM: “The Ten News” is a co-production of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts.
RYAN: I’m Ryan Willard.
PAM: And I’m Pamela Kirkland; thanks for listening to The Ten News.
