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Maduro pleads not guilty in U.S. court; DOJ drops claim that “Cartel De Los Soles” exists; CDC slashes vaccine recommendations for children

By Ryan Grim & Jeremy Scahill · Drop Site · · 21 min read

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Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro pleads not guilty in his U.S. trial and says he remains the president of Venezuela. Delcy Rodríguez is sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president. Reports of gunshots and unidentified drones near the Venezuelan presidential palace Monday night. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello calls for a nationwide mobilization, as Venezuelans stream into Caracas to show their support for Maduro. DOJ drops charges alleging that Maduro was the leader of the “Cartel de los Soles.” New details surface on why Washington declined to back Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. Israel attacks Gaza, injuring four Palestinians and killing three, including a child who was shot in the head in Beit Lahia, as ceasefire violations by Israel proliferate in the enclave. Azerbaijan says it will not send troops to Gaza. The Global Sumud Flotilla asks Egypt to approve a humanitarian convoy into Gaza. More Israeli airstrikes hit southern Lebanon. Israeli military conducts a series of raids across the West Bank. Israel increases electronic surveillance of Palestinians in the West Bank. Israel intends to uphold its ban on independent foreign media in Gaza. U.S. Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller declines to rule out seizure of Greenland. Leaders of several European countries issue a joint statement on Greenland. Zelenskyy oversees leadership changes. Corporation for Public Broadcasting formally dissolves after funding cuts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cuts the number of vaccines recommended to U.S. children. The UN’s International Organization for Migration estimates displacement in Sudan’s Kordofan is around 65,000. Iran announces a cash aid program in response to recent protests. Two incidents kill nearly 40 in Nigeria. Thailand accuses Cambodia of violating their ceasefire.

Join Drop Site’s Livestream at 9:30 AM Eastern Time, “The Plot Against Maduro: Venezuela on the Edge”: Jeremy Scahill and Ryan Grim will speak with guests Carlos Ron, former Venezuelan deputy foreign minister, and Jack Murphy, former U.S. army ranger and investigative journalist at The High Side.

This is Drop Site Daily, our new, free daily news recap. We send it Monday through Friday.

A member of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces reads a magazine with the headline "The Cartel is in the North" during a military ceremony in Caracas commemorating Simón Bolívar on November 25, 2025. In November, the U.S. designated the "Cartel De Los Soles" as a foreign terrorist organization and claimed it was led by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (Photo by Jesus Vargas/Getty Images).

Venezuela

  • Rodríguez

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