Author: KIFI

News Team

TETON COUNTY, Idaho (KIFI) — A 42-year-old snowmobiler is recovering this week following a high-stakes backcountry rescue on Friday, Jan. 2.

At 11:40 a.m., Teton County Dispatch received a Garmin SOS alert from a snowmobiling party. The group reported that a member of their party had crashed, injuring his leg. The injured man’s current condition has not been released.

Teton County Search and Rescue (TCSAR) immediately mobilized a helicopter crew to the rugged pass. While the flight team arrived and airlifted him to an awaiting Jackson Hole Fire/EMS ambulance near Togwotee Mountain Lodge, three TCSAR volunteers remained behind in the field.

However, the weather took a turn for the worse, grounding the helicopter, leaving the three volunteers stranded in the field. To bring their teammates home, TCSAR’s snowmobile team launched a secondary mission, navigating a grueling 22-mile round trip through the backcountry to extract the remaining volunteers. All teams were out of the field by 6 p.m., completing the mission in 6 hours and 20 minutes, says TCSAR.

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News Release

The following is a news release from the Idaho Department of Education:

BOSIE, Idaho (KIFI) — Students at 158 schools across Idaho will have the opportunity to explore a wide variety of fresh fruit and vegetable options at no cost to the student or school with federal, state-administered grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP).

The FFVP provides participating elementary schools with a wide selection of fresh fruit and vegetables during the school day, many of which they might not encounter in their regular diets. FFVP service takes place outside of the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program mealtimes, meaning they’re served in addition to those programs’ fruit and vegetable offerings, helping to spotlight healthy foods as a standalone snack to explore and enjoy. 

Under the National School Lunch Act, schools with the highest enrollment of students identified for free and reduced-cost meals are given priority for participation. This ensures that the program benefits children who may have fewer chances to integrate fresh fruits and vegetables into their everyday diets.

Schools were awarded grants through a competitive application process. The grant period ran from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, and all grant awards were contingent on available USDA funds.

These Idaho elementary schools received Fresh Fruit and Vegetable grants for the 2025-2026 school year:

School District
School Name
Total Award

American Falls S.D.   #381
Hillcrest Elementary School
$22,283.72

American Falls S.D.   #381
J.R. Simplot Elementary School
$24,610.82

Basin S.D.   #072
Basin Schools
$10,789.27

Blaine County S.D.   #61
Alturas Elementary School
$31,451.08

Blaine County S.D.   #61
Bellevue Elementary School
$13,892.07

Blaine County S.D.   #61
Hailey Elementary School
$17,417.97

Bliss S.D.   #234
Bliss School
$4,654.19

Boise S. D.   #001
Garfield Elementary School
$15,725.54

Boise S. D.   #001
Grace Jordan Elementary School
$27,995.69

Boise S. D.   #001
Hawthorne Elementary School
$16,289.68

Boise S. D.   #001
Hillcrest Elementary School
$20,802.84

Boise S. D.   #001
Horizon Elementary School
$30,675.38

Boise S. D.   #001
Jefferson Elementary School
$16,289.68

Boise S. D.   #001
Koelsch Elementary School
$22,354.24

Boise S. D.   #001
Morley Nelson Elementary School
$26,585.33

Boise S. D.   #001
Taft Elementary School
$21,296.47

Boise S. D.   #001
Whitney Elementary School
$32,861.44

Boise S. D.   #001
Whittier Elementary School
$34,624.39

Bonneville Jt. S.D.   #93
Bridgewater Elementary School
$34,271.80

Bonneville Jt. S.D.   #93
Fairview Elementary School
$20,520.77

Bonneville Jt. S.D.   #93
Falls Valley Elementary School
$27,784.13

Bonneville Jt. S.D.   #93
Hillview Elementary School
$28,982.94

Bonneville Jt. S.D.   #93
Summit Hills Elementary School
$33,637.14

Bonneville Jt. S.D.   #93
Tiebreaker Elementary School
$26,726.36

Bonneville Jt. S.D.   #93
Ucon Elementary School
$30,745.89

Boundary County S.D.   #101
Boundary County Junior High School*
$8,462.17

Boundary County S.D.   #101
Mount Hall Elementary School
$9,237.87

Boundary County S.D.   #101
Naples Elementary School
$5,077.30

Boundary County S.D.   #101
Valley View Elementary School
$24,681.34

Bruneau-Grand View Jt. SD #365
Bruneau Elementary School
$2,186.06

Bruneau-Grand View Jt. SD #365
Grand View Elementary School
$6,134.37

Buhl S.D.   #412
Popplewell Elementary School
$36,810.45

Caldwell S.D.   #132
Jefferson Middle School*
$53,664.28

Caldwell S.D.   #132
Lewis & Clark Elementary School
$21,578.54

Caldwell S.D.   #132
Sacajawea Elementary School
$25,739.11

Caldwell S.D.   #132
Van Buren Elementary School
$31,733.15

Caldwell S.D.   #132
Washington Elementary School
$34,694.91

Caldwell S.D.   #132
Wilson Elementary School
$24,822.37

Cambridge S.D.   #432
Cambridge Elementary School
$4,442.64

Cassia County Jt. S.D.   #151
Dworshak Elementary School
$28,418.80

Cassia County Jt. S.D.   #151
Oakley Schools
$13,398.44

Cassia County Jt. S.D.   #151
White Pine Elementary School
$36,810.45

Castleford S.D.   #417
Castleford School
$10,718.75

Challis S.D.   #181
Challis Elementary School
$11,494.45

Clark County S.D.   #161
Clark County Schools (Lindy Ross Elementary)
$3,384.87

Council S.D.  #13
Council Elementary School
$10,084.09

Culdesac Jt. S.D.   #342
Culdesac School
$4,865.75

Dietrich S.D.   #314
Dietrich School
$5,359.38

Emmett S.D.   #221
Butte View Elementary School
$16,007.61

Emmett S.D.   #221
Kenneth Carberry Intermediate School
$27,008.43

Emmett S.D.   #221
Shadow Butte Elementary School
$27,008.43

Emmett S.D.   #221
Sweet-Montour Elementary School
$2,750.21

Firth S.D.   #059
A W Johnson Elementary School
$17,417.97

Fruitland S.D.   #373
Fruitland Elementary School
$39,490.14

Future Public Charter School, Inc.
Future Public School
$25,950.66

Glenns Ferry S.D.   #192
Glenns Ferry Schools
$11,847.04

Gooding Jt. S.D   #231
Gooding Elementary School
$33,143.51

Hagerman S.D.   #233
Hagerman Elementary School
$10,084.09

Hansen S.D.   #415
Hansen Schools
$11,423.93

Heritage Academy Inc.
Heritage Academy
$10,084.09

Heritage Community Charter School
HCCS
$25,245.48

Highland Joint S.D.   #305
Highland School
$6,346.63

Homedale S.D.  #370
Homedale Elementary School
$32,861.44

Homedale S.D.  #370
Homedale Middle School*
$14,667.77

Idaho Falls S.D.   #091
A H Bush Elementary School
$21,649.06

Idaho Falls S.D.   #091
Dora Erickson Elementary School
$29,899.68

Idaho Falls S.D.   #091
Ethel Boyes Elementary School
$36,457.86

Idaho Falls S.D.   #091
Hawthorne Elementary School
$21,084.91

Jefferson Jt. S.D.   #251
Harwood Elementary School
$29,688.12

Jefferson Jt. S.D.   #251
Roberts Elementary School
$12,693.26

Jerome S.D.   #261
Frontier Elementary School
$32,508.85

Jerome S.D.   #261
Horizon Elementary School
$29,406.05

Jerome S.D.   #261
Jefferson Elementary School
$29,829.16

Jerome S.D.   #261
Summit Elementary School
$31,521.59

Kamiah Jt. S.D.   #304
Kamiah Elementary/Middle Schools
$14,597.25

Kimberly S.D.   #414
Kimberly Elementary School
$29,829.16

Lake Pend Oreille S.D.   #084
Farmin Stidwell Elementary School
$33,637.14

Lake Pend Oreille S.D.   #084
Hope Elementary School
$7,968.55

Lake Pend Oreille S.D.   #084
Kootenai Elementary School
$26,091.70

Lake Pend Oreille S.D.   #084
Southside Elementary School
$11,494.45

Lakeland S.D.   #272
John Brown Elementary School
$26,021.18

Lakeland S.D.   #272
Spirit Lake Elementary School
$19,533.52

Lapwai S.D.   #341
Lapwai Elementary School
$15,302.43

Lapwai S.D.   #341
Lapwai Jr – Sr High School*
$2,397.62

Lewiston S.D.   #340
McGhee Elementary School
$17,841.08

Lewiston S.D.   #340
Webster Elementary School
$14,315.18

Mackay S.D.   #182
Mackay Schools
$8,109.58

Marsing Jt. S.D.   #363
Marsing Elementary School
$24,681.34

Meadows Valley S.D. #011
Meadows Valley School
$5,147.82

Minidoka County S.D.   #331
Acequia Elementary School
$17,770.56

Minidoka County S.D.   #331
East Minico Middle School*
$10,084.09

Minidoka County S.D.   #331
Heyburn Elementary School
$36,105.27

Minidoka County S.D.   #331
Paul Elementary School
$31,733.15

Minidoka County S.D.   #331
Rupert Elementary School
$42,945.53

Minidoka County S.D.   #331
West Minico Middle School*
$13,398.44

Moscow S.D.   #281
West Park Elementary School
$16,712.79

Mountain View S.D. #244
Clearwater Valley Elementary School
$8,462.17

Mountain View S.D. #244
Grangeville Elementary & Jr. High
$27,784.13

Nampa S.D.   #131
Central Elementary School
$25,809.63

Nampa S.D.   #131
Endeavor Elementary School
$41,535.16

Nampa S.D.   #131
FD Roosevelt Elementary School
$40,265.84

Nampa S.D.   #131
Iowa Elementary School
$33,355.06

Nampa S.D.   #131
Lake Ridge Elementary School
$38,643.92

Nampa S.D.   #131
New Horizon Elementary School
$40,759.47

Nampa S.D.   #131
Park Ridge Elementary School
$34,130.76

Nampa S.D.   #131
Ronald Reagan Elementary School
$42,875.01

Nampa S.D.   #131
Sherman Elementary School
$33,214.03

Nampa S.D.   #131
Willow Creek Elementary School
$42,592.94

New Plymouth S.D.   #372
New Plymouth Elementary School
$28,418.80

North Valley Academy
North Valley Academy
$9,026.32

Orofino Jt. S.D.   #171
Orofino Elementary School
$24,540.30

Orofino Jt. S.D.   #171
Timberline Schools
$7,263.36

Parma S.D.   #137
Maxine Johnson Elementary School
$26,162.22

Parma S.D.   #137
West Wing
$11,776.52

Plummer-Worley Jt. S.D.   #044
Lakeside Elementary School
$11,423.93

Pocatello S.D. #025
Claude A. Wilcox Elementary School
$33,214.03

Pocatello S.D. #025
Jefferson Elementary School
$24,822.37

Pocatello S.D. #025
Rulon M Ellis Elementary School
$25,104.45

Pocatello S.D. #025
Tendoy Elementary School
$15,443.47

Potlatch S.D.   #285
Potlatch Elementary School
$16,642.27

Richfield S.D.   #316
Richfield School
$7,122.33

Salmon River S.D. #243
Riggins Elementary School
$4,654.19

Salmon S.D.   #291
Salmon Pioneer Primary School
$18,757.82

Shoshone S.D.   #312
Shoshone Elementary School
$16,360.20

Snake River S.D.   #052
Moreland Elementary School
$15,090.87

Snake River S.D.   #052
Riverside Elementary School
$18,052.64

Snake River S.D.   #052
Rockford Elementary School
$10,366.16

St. Maries Jt. S.D.   #041
Heyburn Elementary School
$22,354.24

St. Maries Jt. S.D.   #041
Upriver Elem-Jr. High School
$4,583.68

Swan Valley S.D.   #92
Swan Valley Elementary School
$2,468.13

Twin Falls S.D.   #411
Bickel Elementary School
$12,058.60

Twin Falls S.D.   #411
Harrison Elementary School
$23,482.53

Twin Falls S.D.   #411
I B Perrine Elementary School
$25,386.52

Twin Falls S.D.   #411
Lincoln Elementary School
$23,412.01

Twin Falls S.D.   #411
Morningside Elementary School
$29,053.46

Twin Falls S.D.   #411
Oregon Trail Elementary School
$34,201.28

Twin Falls S.D.   #411
Sawtooth Elementary School
$32,226.77

Valley S.D.   #262
Valley School
$14,315.18

Wallace S.D.   #393
Silver Hills Elementary School
$9,167.35

Weiser S.D.   #431
Park Intermediate School
$14,244.66

Weiser S.D.   #431
Pioneer Primary School
$26,655.84

Wendell S.D.   #232
Wendell Elementary School
$28,771.39

Wendell S.D.   #232
Wendell Middle School*
$12,975.33

West Ada S.D.   #002
Chief Joseph School of the Arts
$35,188.53

West Ada S.D.   #002
Desert Sage Elementary School
$31,874.18

West Ada S.D.   #002
Frontier Elementary School
$17,488.49

West Ada S.D.   #002
Joplin Elementary School
$17,065.38

West Ada S.D.   #002
McMillan Elementary School
$15,937.09

West Ada S.D.   #002
Meridian Elementary School
$31,803.67

West Ada S.D.   #002
River Valley Elementary School
$31,874.18

West Ada S.D.   #002
Silver Sage Elementary School
$17,276.94

West Ada S.D.   #002
Summerwind Elementary School
$25,950.66

West Ada S.D.   #002
Ustick Elementary School
$28,418.80

West Bonner County S.D. #083
Idaho Hill Elementary School
$9,167.35

West Bonner County S.D. #083
Priest River Elementary School
$23,200.46

West Jefferson S.D.   #253
Hamer Elementary School
$2,538.65

West Jefferson S.D.   #253
Terreton Elem – Jr High School*
$18,546.26

West Side S.D.   #202
Harold B Lee Elementary School
$23,412.01

For more information about Child Nutrition Programs at the Idaho State Department of Education, visit www.sde.idaho.gov. To learn more about the FFVP, visit https://www.sde.idaho.gov/about-us/departments/child-nutrition-programs/school-meal-programs/fresh-fruit-vegetable-program/.

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News Team

BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — Donations are rapidly pouring in for the family of a young girl who was seriously injured during the annual Boise Potato Drop New Year’s celebration. Isabella “Bella” was attending the event with her family when an explosion occurred during the fireworks display, shattering the windows of the nearby AT&T building.

A piece of glass struck the child in the face. Bella was immediately rushed to St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital in Boise, where she underwent a three-hour surgery including a skin graft.

Bella’s extended family has put together a GoFundMe to help her parents cope with the unexpected medical bill as she begins the road to recovery. As of Monday, January 5th, the GoFundMe has already raised over $26K in donations.

In an update to the fundraiser, Bella’s father, Richard Ratto, expressed the family’s deep gratitude to the Idaho community, sharing that Bella is now recovering at home.

“Being able to tuck her into her own bed and let her rest in the comfort and safety of home is something we will never take for granted,” wrote Ratto. “Our feelings are overcome by the actions of our neighbors, strangers, emergency, and medical professionals. Your outpouring of love, prayers, messages, and continued support demonstrates the character that defines the community we were raised in. Your support for Bella has lifted an enormous weight from our shoulders and has allowed us to focus on being present with our daughter.”

For more information on the GoFundMe or to donate, click HERE.

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Seth Ratliff

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — As the holiday lights dim and the new year begins, the Light the World Giving Machines have officially concluded their annual mission of charity. This year’s campaign saw a massive outpouring of local support.

Sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, these “reverse vending machines”—which allow visitors to buy essential goods for those in need—drew more than 35,000 local visitors across eastern Idaho alone this season.

According to volunteers, over 32,000 individual items were donated to local and global organizations. The most popular donation item was shelter meals for the Idaho Falls Rescue Mission, providing over 2,300 meals to people in need.

While the machines have been packed away, the work is far from over. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is currently conducting its first-quarter audit to finalize the total dollar amount raised and will present the funds collected to their local and international charity partners this spring. Because of their sponsorship, every dollar raised will go to benefit the associated organization.

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Ariel Jensen

Local news 8 is excited to welcome the first baby born in 2026 at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.

Take a look at this little bundle of joy. Meet Poppy. She was born to the proud parents, Carolyn and Jared 12:03 A.M. Poppy has three older siblings welcoming her into the family.

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Seth Ratliff

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced Friday, Dec. 2nd, that his office has reached a formal settlement with Right Now Heating, Cooling, and Plumbing following an investigation into the company’s business practices.

The Boise-based company signed an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance after the state’s Consumer Protection Division flagged a series of consumer concerns. As part of the agreement, Right Now will pay $6,500 to cover the Attorney General’s investigative fees and costs.

The settlement also mandates that the company adopt nine business rules, including:

Clear pricing in advertisements

Providing customers with hard copies of contracts before starting work

Ensuring all employees are lawfully licensed or registered

Maintaining and retaining records for any complaints received by the company

Providing prompt refunds and rebates to which a customer is entitled

Labrador says this settlement helps protect families and makes sure businesses play by the rules.

“I’m proud of the work my team in our Consumer Protection Division has done on this case to put Idaho consumers first,” said Attorney General Labrador. “This settlement safeguards the interests of families and also provides an opportunity for a business to improve their practices within the requirements of the Idaho Consumer Protection Act.”   

For more information on the settlement or to report a scam or consumer complaint, click HERE.

2025-12-19-AVCDownload

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News Team

SODA SPRINGS, Idaho (KIFI)- The Idaho Transportation Department will host an open house meeting Monday in Soda Springs to share plans for a major reconstruction project on U.S. Highway 30 scheduled for this summer.

The project includes full reconstruction and resurfacing of the highway as it runs through town, along with the addition of a new turn lane designed to improve safety and accommodate left turns into the Caribou County Sheriff’s Office.

Residents who attend the open house will have the opportunity to review design plans, learn about the construction timeline, and speak directly with ITD staff about how the project may impact travel through the area.

The open house will be held at Tigert Middle School, located at 250 East 3rd Street South in Soda Springs, on Monday, January 5, from 5 to 7 p.m. Community members are welcome to stop by at any point during the two-hour event.

More information on the project details can be found here.

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Danielle Mullenix

Rain and wintry mixes remain in the forecast for Sunday, especially toward the East later in the afternoon and into the evening. The upcoming first complete work and school week of 2026 will also be wet on and off, but temperatures will begin to cool back down. Some snow will start reaching the valley floors by this Sunday evening after 5 pm, with light accumulations around the Snake River Plain.

Bands of moisture continue to move across our area from the south and west, but a cold front will follow them in the upcoming days. The central mountains and Magic Valley saw a larger storm band earlier this morning, and it has broken up as it crosses into western Wyoming.

The majority of this wintry band will be embedded in the higher elevations, resulting in heavy precipitation in places like Island Park and the Jackson area. The day will be mostly cloudy, with highs near 44°. South-southwest winds will be noticeable, gusting up to 25 mph.

Sunday night stays unsettled, with rain likely before late evening and overnight lows dipping to around 34 degrees.

By Monday, colder air begins to mix in as the current storm system moves further into Wyoming, increasing the chance of rain and snow, particularly after late morning. While precipitation chances drop to 30%, little to no snow accumulation is expected. Highs will remain above average, in the lower 40s, with mostly cloudy skies.

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News Team

VICTOR, Idaho – (KIFI) Idaho state police is investigating a multi-vehicle crash that shut down a highway in Teton county for hours Saturday morning.

The crash happened just after 11 a.m. on State Highway 31 near mile marker 15, outside victor.

Investigators say a car traveling south was driving too fast for winter conditions and attempted to pass another vehicle.

That move triggered a collision involving six other vehicles, including suvs, pickup trucks, and a van.

State police say drivers involved ranged in age from their mid-20s to early 50s and were from Idaho, Wyoming, Washington, Utah, and peru.

All drivers were wearing seatbelts and no one was taken to the hospital.

Idaho State Police say the crash remains under investigation and are reminding drivers to slow down and use caution during winter driving conditions.

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CNN Newsource

By Stefano Pozzebon, Simone McCarthy, Adam Cancryn, CNN

Caracas (CNN) — President Donald Trump announced Saturday that the US will “run” Venezuela after capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a large-scale military operation, a stunning development that plunged the country into uncertainty after weeks of spiraling tensions.

“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country,” he wrote on Truth Social early Saturday morning.

Trump later said the US would play a central role in running the country indefinitely until a formal transition of power can take place, while declining to rule out the possibility of longer-term military involvement in Venezuela.

“We’re going to be running it,” he said from his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.

Venezuela requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council in response to the attack, Foreign Minister Yván Gil Pinto said.

“No cowardly attack will prevail against the strength of this people, who will emerge victorious,” he said on Telegram, sharing the letter sent to the UN.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez demanded the “immediate release” of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Rodríguez, who Trump said earlier was sworn in as president, said Venezuela’s territorial integrity was “savagely attacked” by the US operation.

Trump on Saturday morning posted a photo of Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima, where the Venezuelan president and his wife were held before being transported to New York, where they face charges. The ousted leader and his wife were brought to New York on Saturday evening, and Maduro is being held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

A new indictment filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York and shared by Attorney General Pam Bondi alleges that Maduro ran “state sponsored gangs” and facilitated drug trafficking in the country.

Trump said he did not notify members of Congress until after the strike, saying at his news conference at Mar-a-Lago that “Congress has a tendency to leak. It would not be good if they leaked.”

Democratic lawmakers demanded an immediate briefing and criticized the administration for not seeking congressional authorization before the attack, while Republican lawmakers largely applauded the action.

Here’s what we know:

What happened?

A CNN team witnessed several explosions and heard the sounds of aircraft early Saturday in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, and reported that some areas of the city were without electricity.

Videos verified by CNN showed helicopters roaring over Caracas, with plumes of smoke rising into the night sky. Footage also showed a large blaze and explosions at an airport in the city of Higuerote.

Hours after the strikes, CNN’s Mary Mena said from Caracas that the capital was calm.

“We listened to many airplanes and helicopters passing by, but right now the city remains quiet, for the past two hours,” she said. “We haven’t heard people for example coming to the streets, and the state channel keeps repeating this message from the ministry of defense saying they want people to remain calm and they will deploy military forces across the country.”

The first blast witnessed by the CNN team was recorded at approximately 1:50 a.m. local time (12:50 a.m. ET).

“One was so strong, my window was shaking after it,” CNN en Español correspondent Osmary Hernández said.

US Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine later described an extensive overnight operation to capture Maduro and his wife that involved more than 150 aircraft launching from bases across the Western Hemisphere.

Among them were helicopters carrying an extraction force that entered Venezuela at low altitude before arriving at Maduro’s compound around 1 a.m. ET. The US soldiers came under fire, spending several hours on the ground before successfully capturing Maduro and his wife and flying out of Venezuela about 3:29 a.m. ET, Caine said.

Two sources familiar with the matter said Maduro and his wife were dragged from their bedroom by US forces during the raid. The couple was captured in the middle of the night as they were sleeping, the sources said.

The raid, carried out by the US Army’s elite Delta Force with the assistance of an FBI unit, did not lead to any US deaths. However, a handful of troops sustained bullet and shrapnel wounds, a source briefed on the matter told CNN. Caine also said that one aircraft “was hit, but remained flyable” and was able to make it out of Venezuela.

Maduro and his wife were then transferred to the USS Iwo Jima, beginning a trip that ultimately ended in New York, where they’re expected to stand trial on drug-trafficking charges.

Why is it happening?

The Trump administration has for years said that Maduro was a criminal and has sought to prosecute him through the US legal system.

In 2020, during Trump’s first term, the Department of Justice charged Maduro in the Southern District of New York for “narco-terrorism,” conspiracy to import cocaine, and related charges.

The Trump administration offered a $15 million bounty for Maduro’s arrest. That bounty was increased to $25 million in the waning days of the Biden administration, in early January 2025, and was increased again, to $50 million, in August 2025 after Trump took office for a second term and designated Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization. The administration has claimed that Maduro is the leader of that group, which it describes as a criminal organization.

Trump had repeatedly warned for months that the US was preparing to take new action against alleged drug-trafficking networks in Venezuela and that strikes on land would start “soon.”

Trump’s pressure campaign on Maduro has included strikes destroying more than 30 boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean in what the US has described as a counter-narcotics campaign. Trump last month ordered a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers coming to and leaving Venezuela, and the US has seized multiple vessels since the announcement.

The CIA carried out a drone strike in December on a port facility on the coast of Venezuela, CNN reported last month, citing sources, marking the first known US attack on a target inside that country.

Trump said Saturday he also directly urged Maduro to surrender voluntarily.

“I said, ‘You got to surrender,’” he said. “And I actually thought he was pretty close to doing so, but now he wished he did.”

How has the international community reacted?

Several world leaders, including US allies, have reacted with concern to the US operation.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he “wants to establish the facts” and speak to Trump about the military operation in Venezuela, according to the UK’s PA Media news agency.

“I always say and believe we should all uphold international law,” Starmer said, adding that Britain was “not involved in any way” in the strike on Caracas, PA Media reported.

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said in a post on X that the commission “stand(s) by the people of Venezuela and support(s) a peaceful and democratic transition. Any solution must respect international law and the UN Charter.”

Many leaders across Latin America expressed concern to the US attack on Venezuela, with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel slamming what he called a “criminal” attack by the US. Meanwhile, Argentine President Javier Milei, a Trump ally, appeared to welcome the capture of Venezuela’s leader with a message on X: “Freedom advances! Long live freedom, damn it!”

Venezuela’s allies Russia and Iran condemned the US attack.

The Russian Foreign Ministry denounced what it called an “act of armed aggression against Venezuela” by the US, calling any “excuses” given to justify such actions “untenable.”

“We reaffirm our solidarity with the Venezuelan people and our support for the Bolivarian leadership’s course of action aimed at protecting the country’s national interests and sovereignty,” a statement from the foreign ministry said.

Similarly, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said the attack violates Venezuela’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as the UN Charter, Iranian state news outlet Press TV reported.

What comes next?

What happens next in Venezuela is far from clear. The country’s constitution states that power passes to Maduro’s vice president, Rodríguez.

Trump said that Rodríguez spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and that “she’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again.”

However, in a defiant address broadcast from Caracas, Rodríguez asserted that Maduro is “the only president of Venezuela” and that Venezuelans “must not become slaves again.”

Trump said he planned to have the US effectively run Venezuela for an indefinite period as it works toward a formal transition of power. Top US officials, including Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, will work with a “team” to assist in leading the country, he said, without offering specifics.

Trump could not say how long the US would be centrally involved in Venezuela’s governance, but suggested that he was open to a longer-term process that could include a US military presence.

He repeatedly asserted that his administration would partner with US energy companies to take control of Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, arguing that the US was owed oil as “reimbursement for the damages” that he alleged had been inflicted on the country by Venezuela.

“We’re going to take back the oil that, frankly, we should have taken back a long time ago,” Trump said.

That leaves the future of the current Venezuelan regime in serious doubt, yet little clarity on whether its opposition — within and outside the country — will be positioned to capitalize on the opportunity.

If the US ultimately follows Venezuela’s constitutional path, elections are supposed to be held within 30 days. The newly elected president then serves a full six-year term.

The most likely opposition candidate is Edmundo González Urrutia, who ran in the 2024 election. González, an academic and longtime diplomat, is now in exile in Spain. He is supported by the recent winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, democratic activist María Corina Machado.

On Saturday, Machado said the time has come for “popular sovereignty” in Venezuela and the installation of González as the country’s leader.

“Nicolás Maduro from today faces international justice for the atrocious crimes committed against Venezuelans and against citizens of many other nations,” she said in a letter posted on X. “Given his refusal to accept a negotiated solution, the government of the United States has fulfilled its promise to enforce the law.”

But Trump declined to endorse any immediate successor or lay out a plan for holding elections and restoring stability in Venezuela, while rejecting the possibility that Machado could serve as an interim leader.

“She doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country,” he said. “She’s a very nice woman, but she doesn’t have the respect.”

Instead, Trump appeared comfortable in the immediate aftermath of Maduro’s ouster with maintaining control over Venezuela for as long as he deemed fit.

“It’s not going to cost us anything,” he said. “We’re going to be rebuilding.”

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Osmary Hernández, Mary Triny Mena, Tim Lister, Jennifer Hansler, Alejandra Jaramillo, Isaac Yee, Michael Rios, Billy Stockwell and Laura Sharman contributed to this report

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