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Biden's Venezuela policy feeds Maduro strongman image, emboldens dictator in election controversy: Rubio

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Biden's Venezuela policy feeds Maduro strongman image, emboldens dictator in election controversy: Rubio

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Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., criticized the Biden administration’s handling of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, arguing that it has fed his regime’s strongman image and emboldened him in his more authoritarian aims. 

“In my view, it strengthened them internally, and I think gave him the boldness to say: I can get away with this now,” Rubio argued. “I’ll be condemned. They’ll snap back some sanctions, people will say mean things about me, but in a few months… 2 million more people will leave Venezuela. I’ll put some people in jail and crack down on them, and the people around me and the regime will remain loyal, because I’ve proven that I can win and, I can win in negotiations.” 

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Rubio explained that he believes the root problem lies with the people President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have around them, which includes “people who are convinced that you can negotiate a good outcome anywhere.”

“There are some people that you simply can’t just close because of their nature and because of their interests,” Rubio insisted. “There isn’t going to be a diplomatic solution, unfortunately, in the short term… particularly when you’re dealing with authoritarians that are trying to figure out how to stay in power.” 

BLINKEN SAYS VENEZUELA’S NICOLAS MADURO LOST ELECTION BEFORE CLAIMING VICTORY WITH ‘NO SUPPORTING EVIDENCE’

Anti-government protests have continued in the days following the late July presidential election that the Maduro-controlled National Electoral Council handed to the incumbent with an alleged victory margin of 51%, compared to 44% support for the opposition. 

Pre-election polling (which is illegal in the country) showed that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez had double the support that Maduro and his United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) had. Venezuelans took to the streets in peaceful protest, but Maduro sent out police to crackdown on them and to clear the streets, leading to violent clashes and escalation. 

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Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks during the Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, on July 16. (Victor J. Blue/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Maduro on Wednesday asked the country’s Supreme Court to audit the election, responding to claims that the opposition had won the election and international claims that the election was not fair and free, but many argue that PSUV has such thorough control over every part of the country’s judiciary it is “compromised.” 

Ultimately, the Biden administration on Thursday declared Gonzalez the rightful winner of the election, arguing that, “Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election.” 

MADURO BOWS TO PRESSURE FOR JUDICIAL AUDIT OF ELECTION RESULTS AS ARGENTINA’S MILEI ENCOURAGES PROTESTS

“The democratic opposition has published more than 80% of the tally sheets received directly from polling stations throughout Venezuela,” U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a press release. “Those tally sheets indicate that Edmundo González Urrutia received the most votes in this election by an insurmountable margin.”

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The U.S. State Department stressed that Maduro’s victory followed with “no supporting evidence” and that the U.S. “consulted widely with partners and allies around the world” and “none have concluded that Nicolás Maduro received the most votes this election.” 

Opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government protest at the Petare neighborhood in Caracas on Monday, a day after the Venezuelan presidential election. (Raul Arboleda/AFP via Getty Images)

The U.S. helped broker the Barbados Agreement between the Venezuelan president and the opposition parties in his country last October, seeking free and fair elections in exchange for sanctions relief. Maduro immediately backtracked on the agreement by suspending primaries over alleged corruption just one month after signing the deal. 

The State Department then in April allowed the relief, known as General License 44, to expire. The license allowed Venezuela to perform transactions related to oil and gas sector operations, despite acknowledging that Maduro had delivered on “some of the commitments” on the electoral roadmap. 

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM CALLS ON ISRAEL TO ‘DESTROY’ IRANIAN OIL REFINERIES

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A National Security Council spokesperson told Fox News Digital that it is “inaccurate to characterize” the Barbados Agreement as a “quid pro quo.” 

“We significantly changed the sanctions policy we inherited from the previous administration because there is no question that the previous administration’s sanctions policy was not working and led to the exodus of 8 million Venezuelans,” the spokesperson said. 

President Biden and Vice President Harris receive an updated briefing in the White House Situation Room from homeland security and law enforcement officials.

“In October we calibrated our sanctions policy following the Barbados Agreement to show Maduro and his representatives that things could be different, if only they followed through on their commitments — which they now are not doing, and you can anticipate swift USG [United States Government] action very soon,” the spokesperson argued. 

Jorge Jraissati, a Venezuelan foreign policy expert and President of the Economic Inclusion Group, bemoaned that the Biden administration has “not done enough at all” through an “erratic” policy towards Venezuela at a time when America’s support remains essential to achieving meaningful progress.

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“It lacks strategy,” Jraissati said. “It has relied on empty promises on the part of Maduro, and, as a result, the Maduro regime has been able to strengthen their position internationally, as well as their finances.”

“To bring freedom to Venezuela, we need a real strategist in the White House,” Jraissati added. “We need a foreign policy doctrine that leverages America’s mind power and its vast geoeconomic tools. We need a president that understands the national security and economic importance of Venezuela.”

“When it comes to the American people, we need their brightest minds to join our cause,” he urged. “We need the strategic mind of U.S. businessmen, new technologies built in Silicon Valley and the intellect of America’s greatest experts.”

The State Department did not respond to a Fox News Digital request for comment.

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Minneapolis on edge after fatal shooting of woman by ICE officer

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Minneapolis on edge after fatal shooting of woman by ICE officer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minneapolis was on edge Thursday following the fatal shooting of a woman by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer taking part in the Trump administration’s latest immigration crackdown, with the governor calling for people to remain calm and schools canceling classes and activities as a safety precaution.

State and local officials demanded ICE leave the state after 37-year-old Renee Nicole Macklin Good was shot in the head. But Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said agents are not going anywhere.

The Department of Homeland Security has deployed more than 2,000 officers to the area in what it says is its largest immigration enforcement operation ever. Noem said more than 1,500 people have been arrested.

Macklin Good’s killing Wednesday morning in a residential neighborhood south of downtown was recorded on video by witnesses, and by the evening hundreds of people came out for a vigil to mourn her and urge the public to resist immigration enforcement. Some then chanted as they marched through the city, but there was no violence.

“I would love for ICE to leave our city and for more community members to come to see it happens,” said Sander Kolodziej, a painter who came to the vigil to support the community.

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The videos of the shooting show an officer approaching an SUV stopped across the middle of the road, demanding the driver open the door and grabbing the handle. The Honda Pilot begins to pull forward, and a different ICE officer standing in front of it pulls his weapon and immediately fires at least two shots at close range, jumping back as the vehicle moves toward him.

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It is not clear from the videos if the vehicle makes contact with the officer, and there is no indication of whether the woman had interactions with ICE agents earlier. After the shooting the SUV speeds into two cars parked on a curb before crashing to a stop.

In another recording made afterward, a woman who identifies Macklin Good as her spouse is seen crying near the vehicle. The woman, who is not identified, says the couple recently arrived in Minnesota and they had a child.

Noem called the incident an “act of domestic terrorism” against ICE officers, saying the driver “attempted to run them over and rammed them with her vehicle. An officer of ours acted quickly and defensively, shot, to protect himself and the people around him.”

President Donald Trump made similar accusations on social media and defended ICE’s work.

Noem alleged that the woman was part of a “mob of agitators” and said the officer followed his training. She said the FBI would investigate.

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But Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called Noem’s version of events “garbage.”

“They are already trying to spin this as an action of self-defense,” Frey said. “Having seen the video myself, I wanna tell everybody directly, that is bullshit.”

He also criticized the federal deployment and said the agents should leave.

The shooting marked a dramatic escalation of the latest in a series of immigration enforcement operations in major cities under the Trump administration. Wednesday’s is at least the fifth death linked to the crackdowns.

The Twin Cities have been on edge since DHS announced the operation’s launch Tuesday, at least partly tied to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents.

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A crowd of protesters gathered at the scene after the shooting to vent their anger at local and federal officers.

In a scene that hearkened back to crackdowns in Los Angeles and Chicago, people chanted “ICE out of Minnesota” and blew whistles that have become ubiquitous during the operations.

Gov. Tim Walz said he was prepared to deploy the National Guard if necessary. He expressed outrage over the shooting but called on people to keep protests peaceful.

“They want a show,” Walz said. “We can’t give it to them.”

There were calls on social media to prosecute the officer who shot Macklin Good.

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Commissioner Bob Jacobson of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said state authorities would investigate the shooting with federal authorities.

___

Dell’Orto reported from St. Paul, Minnesota. Associated Press reporters Steve Karnowski in Minneapolis, Ed White in Detroit, Valerie Gonzalez in Brownsville, Texas, Mark Vancleave in Las Vegas, Michael Biesecker In Washington, Jim Mustian in New York and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed.

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‘Irregular’ armed guards aboard Russian shadow tankers alarm Nordic-Baltic governments

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‘Irregular’ armed guards aboard Russian shadow tankers alarm Nordic-Baltic governments

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The seizure of a Russian-linked oil tanker in the North Atlantic has highlighted “worry” among NATO and Nordic-Baltic governments over dark fleet vessels and the type of crews onboard, according to a maritime intelligence analyst.

U.S. military and Coast Guard personnel boarded the Marinera between Iceland and the U.K. Wednesday as it operated under deceptive shipping practices, including flying a false flag and violating sanctions.

According to Reuters, Russian authorities demanded the humane treatment and repatriation of the crew members.

Windward maritime intelligence analyst Michelle Wiese Bockmann claimed the Marinera’s ownership had just been transferred to Burevestmarin LLC, a Russian company.

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TREASURY TARGETS OIL TRADERS, TANKERS ACCUSED OF HELPING MADURO EVADE U.S. SANCTIONS

U.S. forces seized the Russian-flagged Marinera oil tanker in the North Atlantic Sea Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, according to the U.S. military. (US European Command)

“We do not know the status of these sailors and seafarers, who are Russian nationals,” Wiese Bockmann told Fox News Digital. “That lack of clarity is common with dark fleet tankers.

“The Marinera did have its ownership transferred to a newly formed Russian company, with the registered owner, ship manager and commercial manager being Burevestmarin LLC.”

She also suggested NATO and the Nordic-Baltic 8+ group of governments have been “worried” about sanctioned oil tankers with unauthorized personnel onboard, including “armed guards.”

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WORLD’S BIGGEST OIL RESERVE HOLDER FACES US CHOKEHOLD AS TRUMP TARGETS VENEZUELA’S SHADOW TANKER FLEET

U.S. forces seized the Russian-flagged Marinera oil tanker in the North Atlantic Sea Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, according to the U.S. military. (US European Command)

“Increasingly, and I know the Nordic Baltic 8+ governments are worried about the fact that you are having unauthorized people also on board, also known as armed guards,” Wiese Bockmann said. “But it is highly irregular.

“Armed guards are rarely seen and typically used on ships that are transiting the Gulf of Aden or the Red Sea and are therefore assessed as at risk from attack by Houthis or pirates,” she added.

After the seizure, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rejected Russian demands for special treatment of the Marinera’s crew during her regular briefing Wednesday.

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“This was a Venezuelan shadow fleet vessel that had transported sanctioned oil,” Leavitt said.

“The vessel was deemed stateless after flying a false flag, and it had a judicial seizure order. And that’s why the crew will be subject to prosecution.”

Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it was “closely following” the situation, according to the state-run TASS news agency.

US COAST GUARD PURSUES THIRD ‘DARK FLEET’ OIL TANKER AS TRUMP TARGETS VENEZUELAN SANCTIONS EVASION NETWORK

A crude oil tanker waits its turn to be loaded with crude oil at Lake Maracaibo in Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela, May 9, 2025.  (Federico Parra/AFP/Getty Images)

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Wiese Bockmann noted that dark fleet crews are often multinational, typically involving a Russian master with Chinese, Indian or Filipino crew members.

“There is a blurring of commercial and military shipping around the dark fleet,” she said. “What we’re seeing now is something that has really only emerged in the last six or seven months.”

European authorities have also begun holding crews accountable, particularly when captains are “facilitating dangerous deceptive shipping practices, such as spoofing and going dark,” she explained.

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“The EU recently sanctioned the captain of a tanker who refused orders from the Estonian navy (Jaguar) to be stopped for inspection last May. And the French charged a captain over his refusal to comply with orders and failure to justify a flag’s nationality after authorities intercepted a dark fleet tanker in the Atlantic last October,” Wiese Bockmann added.

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As previously reported by Fox News Digital, a second vessel, the M. Sophia, was also boarded in international waters near the Caribbean while en route to Venezuela.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for comment.

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Saudi-led coalition says STC’s al-Zubaidi fled to UAE via Somaliland

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Saudi-led coalition says STC’s al-Zubaidi fled to UAE via Somaliland

DEVELOPING STORY,

Secessionist leader took a boat to Berbera and then boarded a plane that flew to Abu Dhabi via Mogadishu, coalition says.

The Saudi Arabia-led coalition in Yemen has announced that the leader of the secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) has fled to the United Arab Emirates via Somaliland after skipping planned peace talks in Riyadh.

In a statement on Thursday, the coalition said Aidarous al-Zubaidi “escaped in the dead of night” on Wednesday on board a vessel that departed Aden in Yemen for the port of Berbera in Somaliland.

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Al-Zubaidi then boarded a plane along with UAE officers and flew to Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. “The plane turned off its identification systems over the Gulf of Oman, then turned it back on 10 minutes prior to arrival at Al Reef military airport in Abu Dhabi,” the statement said.

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There was no immediate comment from the STC or the UAE.

If confirmed, the move could deepen the feud between Saudi Arabia and the UAE that came to light after the Abu Dhabi-backed STC launched an offensive against the Riyadh-backed Yemeni government troops in December.

The STC – which initially supported Yemen’s internationally recognised government against the Houthi rebels in northern Yemen – is seeking an independent state in southern Yemen. It seized the provinces of Hadramout and Mahra, which border Saudi Arabia, in a campaign that Riyadh described as a red line for its national security.

The Saudi-led coalition responded with air strikes on the Yemeni port of Mukalla on December 30, targeting what it called a UAE-linked weapons shipment, and backed a call by Yemen’s internationally recognised government for Emirati forces to withdraw from the country.

For its part, Abu Dhabi denied that the shipment contained weapons and expressed a commitment to ensure Riyadh’s security. On the same day, it announced an end to what it called its “counterterrorism mission” in Yemen.

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Yemeni government troops, backed by Saudi Arabian air attacks, went on to reclaim Hadramout and Mahra, and the STC said on Saturday that it would attend peace talks hosted by Saudi Arabia.

But the coalition said al-Zubaidi was not on board the Yemeni Air flight that took the STC delegation to Riyadh on Wednesday.

It launched strikes on al-Zubaidi’s forces in Yemen’s Dhale governorate, while Yemeni government’s ground forces moved on the STC controlled Aden and seized the presidential palace in the city.

The head of the internationally recognised government’s Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, has meanwhile announced that al-Zubaidi has been removed from the council for “committing high treason”.

Al-Alimi said he has asked the country’s attorney general to launch an investigation against al-Zubaidi and take legal action.

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