By MICHAEL R. SISAK, LARRY NEUMEISTER and JOHN HANNA, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is set to make his first appearance Monday in an American courtroom on the narco-terrorism charges the Trump administration used to justify capturing him and bringing him to New York.

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Maduro and his wife are expected to appear at noon before a judge for a brief, but required, legal proceeding that will likely kick off a prolonged legal fight over whether he can be put on trial in the U.S.

The couple will be brought from a Brooklyn jail to a Manhattan courthouse just around the corner from the one where President Donald Trump was convicted in 2024 of falsifying business records.

As a criminal defendant in the U.S. legal system, Maduro will have the same rights as any other person accused of a crime — including the right to a trial by a jury of regular New Yorkers. But he’ll also be nearly — but not quite — unique.

Maduro’s lawyers are expected to contest the legality of his arrest, arguing that he is immune from prosecution as a sovereign head of state.

Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriegaunsuccessfully tried the same defense after the U.S. captured him in a similar military invasion in 1990. But the U.S. doesn’t recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate head of state — particularly after a much-disputed 2024 reelection.

Venezuela’s new interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, has demanded that the U.S. return Maduro, who long denied any involvement in drug trafficking — although late Sunday she also struck a more conciliatory tone in a social media post, inviting collaboration with Trump and “respectful relations” with the U.S.

Before his capture, Maduro and his allies claimed U.S. hostility was motivated by lust for Venezuela’s rich oil and mineral resources.

The U.S. seized Maduro and his wife in a military operation Saturday, capturing them in their home on a military base. Trump said the U.S. would “run” Venezuela temporarily, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that it would not govern the country day-to-day other than enforcing an existing ” oil quarantine.”

Trump suggested Sunday that he wants to extend American power further in the western hemisphere.

Speaking aboard Air Force One, he called Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, “a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States. And he’s not going to be doing it very long.”

He called on Venezuela’s Rodriguez to provide “total access” to her country, or else face consequences.

A 25-page indictment made public Saturday accuses Maduro and others of working with drug cartels to facilitate the shipment of thousands of tons of cocaine into the U.S. They could face life in prison if convicted.

It wasn’t clear as of Sunday whether Maduro had hired a U.S. lawyer yet.

He and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been under U.S. sanctions for years, making it illegal for any American to take money from them without first securing a license from the Treasury Department.

While the indictment against Maduro says Venezuelan officials worked directly with the Tren de Aragua gang, a U.S. intelligence assessment published in April, drawing on input from the intelligence community’s 18 agencies, found no coordination between Tren de Aragua and the Venezuelan government.

Maduro, his wife and his son — who remains free — are charged along with Venezuela’s interior and justice minister, a former interior and justice minister and Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, an alleged Tren de Aragua leader who has been criminally charged in another case and remains at large.

Among other things, the indictment accuses Maduro and his wife of ordering kidnappings, beatings and murders of those who owed them drug money or undermined their drug trafficking operation. That included a local drug boss’ killing in Caracas, the indictment said.

Maduro’s wife is also accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in 2007 to arrange a meeting between “a large-scale drug trafficker” and the director of Venezuela’s National Anti-Drug Office, resulting in additional monthly bribes, with some of the money going to Maduro’s wife, according to the indictment.

Hanna reported from Topeka, Kansas. Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington, Darlene Superville aboard Air Force One and Joshua Goodman in Miami contributed to this report.

The fact that the Vikings technically didn’t have anything to play for on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium didn’t stop them from creating a lasting memory for the fans that decided to show up.

Even if people might not remember some of the minor details from the Vikings earning a 16-3 win over the Green Bay Packers, they will almost certainly remember veteran safety Harrison Smith and veteran fullback C.J. Ham being honored in different ways before they contemplate retirement.

That was undoubtedly the highlight from a win that helped the Vikings finish this season with a 9-8 record.

Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith (22) salutes the fans as he receives a standing ovation after coming off the field for the last time late in the fourth quarter of an NFL game against the Green Bay Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Sunday, Jan 4, 2026. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Here are some takeaways from the game:

Harrison Smith got his moment

In the final minutes of the game, head coach Kevin O’Connell called a timeout to ensure Smith got a standing ovation he very much deserved. As he slowly walked off the field for perhaps the last time, Smith looked around and gave a wave to the home crowd.

The deafening roar that followed was befitting of a living legend.

Though he hasn’t yet made an official announcement, Smith has acknowledged that he’ll at least contemplate retirement. He’s given everything he has to the Vikings since being selected in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

If this is really it for Smith, he’s worthy of a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

C.J. Ham also received recognition

There hasn’t been nearly as much hype surrounding Ham and his plans for the future. He’s going to consider retirement playing nearly a decade in the NFL, however, and the Vikings made sure he felt special in what could be the final game of his career.

There were a few anecdotes from the game that Ham won’t soon forget. He was the lone captain standing at midfield for the coin toss, scored a rushing touchdown near the goal line, and got a curtain call while sitting on the sideline late in the game.

As he chatted with reporters after the game, Ham noted that he’ll take some time before he makes a decision about hanging up the cleats for good.

J.J. McCarthy left the door open

This was supposed to be a chance for quarterback J.J. McCarthy to build some momentum that he could use as a launching pad moving forward. Instead, he pulled himself from the game due to a hairline fracture in his right hand, leaving the door open for the Vikings to make a change.

That’s not an overreaction.

Not only has McCarthy rode the roller coaster far too often, he’s also had a hard time staying on the field. He’s missed a number of games due to a host of different injuries, which, in turn, has severely stunted his development.

It seems likely the Vikings will bring in somebody to compete for the starting role. It will be on McCarthy to win that competition if he wants to keep his job.

Justin Jefferson reached 1,000 yards

It was clear from the onset that the Vikings were going to do everything in their power to get superstar receiver Justin Jefferson over 1,000 yards. He caught a trio of passes on the opening drive to set the tone.

Not long after that, Jefferson hauled reception over the middle reach the milestone, letting out an exhale once he knew he had it in the bag. He wasn’t shy about how much he wanted to reach 1,000 yards.

It hasn’t been the most satisfying campaign for Jefferson as his numbers have been impacted by McCarthy’s struggles under center. That explains why getting him over 1,000 yards was so important to the Vikings.

Dallas Turner finished on a high note

Never mind that most of his reps came against backup on the offensive line. The performance edge rusher Dallas Turner put together was something he can build on as he tries to establish himself as a household name.

The speed move on the outside helped Turner racked up a pair of sacks in the game. He finished this season with 8 sacks in total, making his presence felt down the stretch while filling in for injured edge rusher Jonathan Greenard.

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The Falcons weren’t going to bow down to anyone: Not on this stage. Not with these stakes. Not with where they came from.

North Central was 45-1 over its previous 46 games entering Sunday’s Division-III national championship game in Canton, Ohio. Wisconsin-River Falls coach Matt Walker surmised the bulk of those 45 games were won before a snap was played, as opponents melted at the mere site of the NC logo plastered to the side of the Cardinals’ helmets.

That’s not really the Falcons’ style.

Sunday was. In a battle of wills, it was North Central who eventually relented, with the dynastic Cardinals jarred loose from their typically steady stance atop the nation’s highest perch.

Wisconsin-River Falls coach Matt Walker receives a bath from his players at the end of the Falcons’ 24-14 win over North Central in the Division-III football national championship game in Canton, Ohio on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026 (Courtesy of Josh Padilla)

After stumbling out of the gates, the Falcons out-scored North Central 21-0 over the game’s final 35 minutes en route to a 24-14 victory that secured the program’s first national title and completed a remarkable turnaround.

The night, Walker said, reflected the journey.

“It wasn’t going our way early. It wasn’t easy early,” he said, “and this group just sort of hung in there.”

Wisconsin-River Falls was born in the mud, in more ways than one. Prior to this season, the Falcons hadn’t been to the playoffs since the mid-1990s. They were 23-67 over Walker’s first nine seasons at the helm.

It wasn’t until the coach vowed to up his aggression to levels not previously seen in 2020 that Wisconsin-River Falls finally elevated itself out of a lethargic state of losing.

“I stopped caring what everyone thought. We were just going to do it our way,” Walker said. “It’s an easy thing to say. It’s a cool thing to say. It gets clicks and it’s trendy and awesome, but a lot of people still get conservative, and you do think about what other people think, what other coaches think and what dads will think. I finally said, ‘I just do not care.’”

Walker got bold. He moved his offensive coordinator Jake Wissing to defensive coordinator, a side of the ball completely new to him. Joe Matheson, who was just 28 years old at the start of the 2021 campaign, was elevated to offensive coordinator.

The Falcons would deploy the fastest offense in football, which snapped the ball at a rate not approached by any other team in the nation. They’d go for it on fourth down as frequently as possible.

Ever since then, it’s been full go for the Falcons – 100 miles per hour, right at the throats of their opponents, through success and failure. He doubled down in the middle of the 2025 season.

After Wisconsin-River Falls dropped its WIAC opener – a 21-17 loss to Wisconsin-Oshkosh in early October – the head coach reiterated aggression. All week, he vowed that on the Falcons’ first play from scrimmage the following game against Wisconsin-Platteville, they would “throw it as far as we can to Blake Rohrer.”

It resulted in an 80-yard touchdown pass.

“We were off and running from that point,” Walker said.

Win or lose, you would play their brand of football.

There would be no compromise on the approach, not even under the brightest lights of a nationally-televised title tilt.

You won’t knock out a heavyweight from a flat-footed posture.

Walker’s mantra leading into Sunday’s affair against the best team in the country was the Falcons would be “unapologetically aggressive in all phases of the game.”

“Whether we got beat 100-0, or won the football game,” he said. “It looked foolish at times, but we never wavered from that approach. We were aggressive as heck. And even when we didn’t convert it a lot in some of the aggressive plays, we stayed true to that plan.”

Indeed, the Falcons went 0 for 3 on fourth down attempts on Sunday, all of which came inside the North Central red zone.

Wisconsin-River Falls had the ball at the North Central 18-yard line with a 10-point advantage and fewer than four minutes to play. Rather than drain clock, the Falcons went pass, pass, pass, with three straight incompletions resulting in a turnover on downs.

The play calls drew criticism from the broadcast.

But the results didn’t matter. The consistent message did – circumstance would not dictate decisions. The Falcons were in all-out attack mode from start to finish.

“We told the guys today … we were never going to flinch,” Walker said. “If we miss a pressure and they score – don’t care, no flinching. If you miss the first 15 throws of the game – don’t care, no flinch. If we do the fake punt, fake field goal we had cooked up and didn’t use today and don’t get it – don’t care, weren’t going to flinch.”

It was clear, from the second quarter on, that Wisconsin-River Falls would be the aggressor who dictated the game’s terms. And fortune usually favors the bold.

“That’s the best football team we played, but they still were uncomfortable,” Walker said, “because no one plays them like that.”

On either side of the ball.

Donovan McNeal housed a 48-yard run on the fourth play from scrimmage to give North Central an early 7-0 lead. Cardinals quarterback Garret Wilson was perfect through the air for much of the first half.

A pair of turnovers – a fumble recovery by Gage Timm and an interception on the final play of the half by safety Taylor Sussner – inside the Falcons’ 10 yard line were required to keep Wisconsin-River Falls within four at the break against an offense that was moving the ball fluidly.

But the script was flipped over the final two frames, as Wissing ramped up the pressure via heavy-blitz packages that knocked North Central entirely out of its offensive rhythm.

“We were bringing a little more exotic pressures late, some more internal pressures with (Gage), and he was walking up to the edge,” Walker said. “We were trying it all, because we weren’t early in the football game, and we went fully into the rolodex in the second half.”

Unapologetic aggression.

The play of the game came early in the fourth quarter, with the Falcons leading by three and North Central possessing the ball at its own 37 yard line. Wilson dropped back to pass, but his attempt was knocked out of the sky by defensive lineman Jack Olson, who corralled the loose ball for an interception he returned to the Cardinals’ 12 yard line.

While Wisconsin-River Falls’ record-breaking offense captured the headlines all season, it was the defense that shined brightest on the game’s biggest stage. North Central entered the game with the nation’s highest-scoring offense (49.4 points per game). The Falcons shut the Cardinals out over the game’s final 41 minutes.

“When they were running the football on us a little bit early, I’m sure everyone in the crowd, everyone with a Falcon logo on was a little bit worried,” Walker said. “And all these guys did was get tough and nasty and made plays. And every time we needed a big turnover, they got it.”

Wisconsin-River Falls quarterback Kaleb Blaha runs in one of his two touchdowns during the Falcons’ 24-14 win over North Central in the Division-III football national championship game in Canton, Ohio on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026 (Courtesy of Josh Padilla)

On the very next play following Olson’s interception, Wisconsin-River Falls quarterback Kaleb Blaha rumbled in for his second rushing touchdown of the affair.

The Division-III Player of the Year ran for 128 yards on the ground, while also throwing for 291 and another score, a 16-yard, first-half scoring strike to Blake Rohrer. Blaha, who arrived in River Falls as primarily a running quarterback, finished his senior year with 6,189 total yards of offense, breaking Joe Burrow’s single-season record across all NCAA levels.

“When I finally saw it on the scoreboard,” Blaha said, “I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s pretty cool.’”

But that’s not why he came back to Wisconsin-River Falls for one final run this fall after receiving a medical redshirt. He did so to win a national championship, something his head coach convinced him was possible years ago.

“I did have a vision of it,” Walker said, “but it is sort of still a surreal feeling to know we accomplished it.”

And they did it their way.

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Today is Monday, Jan. 5, the fifth day of 2026. There are 360 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Jan. 5, 1980, “Rapper’s Delight,” by The Sugarhill Gang, became the first hip-hop song to reach the Billboard Top 40, helping to popularize the emerging musical genre.

Also on this date:

In 1896, an Austrian newspaper reported the discovery by German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (RENT’-gun) of a new type of radiation that came to be called “X-ray.”

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In 1925, Democrat Nellie Tayloe Ross of Wyoming took office as America’s first female governor.

In 1933, construction began on the Golden Gate Bridge; the bridge was completed in May 1937.

In 1953, Samuel Beckett’s two-act tragicomedy “Waiting for Godot,” considered a classic of the Theater of the Absurd, premiered in Paris.

In 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed assistance to countries to help them resist communist aggression in what became known as the Eisenhower Doctrine.

In 1972, President Richard Nixon announced the Space Shuttle program, directing NASA to produce a reusable vehicle that would boost manned space exploration while bringing down its costs. (The first shuttle launched in 1981 and the last in 2011.)

In 2022, Australia denied entry to tennis star Novak Djokovic, who was seeking to play for a 10th Australian Open title later in the month; authorities canceled his visa upon his arrival in Melbourne because he failed to meet the requirements for an exemption to COVID-19 vaccination rules.

In 2024, a door plug on Alaska Airlines jetliner blew out shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon, forcing the 171 passengers and six crew to don oxygen masks before the pilots made an emergency landing. No one was seriously hurt, but the sudden depressurization left a gaping hole in the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft.

Today’s Birthdays:

Actor Robert Duvall is 95.
Filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki is 85.
Actor Vinnie Jones is 61.
TV personality Carrie Ann Inaba is 58.
Rock singer Marilyn Manson is 57.
Actor-filmmaker Bradley Cooper is 51.
Actor January Jones is 48.
Actor Brooklyn Sudano is 45.
Actor Mike Faist is 34.
Actor and model Suki Waterhouse is 34.
Actor Walker Scobell is 17.