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Ravens' season ends in heartbreak as missed walk-off field goal gives Steelers final playoff spot
The final game of the 2025 NFL regular season may have been the best one, and it came down to the final seconds.
Twenty-seven points were scored in the fourth quarter instead of 30, as Baltimore Ravens kicker Tyler Loop missed what would have been a walk-off field goal to send the Ravens to the playoffs.
Instead, the AFC North title went to the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had their fair share of miraculous efforts in the fourth quarter, while the Ravens' season ended in heartbreak.
It's no secret the face of the Ravens, Lamar Jackson, had not been himself this entire season, but he made his best play of the campaign — and maybe his career — midway through the fourth quarter. On third-and-4 from midfield and trailing by three, Jackson evaded a sack and let one fly to Zay Flowers, who caught it in stride for the long touchdown to give the Ravens a 17-13 lead. The Steelers weren't sweating, though, as they responded with an eight-play drive that ended with a touchdown by Kenneth Gainwell to take a 20-17 lead with 3:49 to go. But apparently, Jackson saved his best for last, finding Flowers again, this time for 64 yards to go up 24-20 with 2:20 remaining.
The Steelers quickly got across midfield, and on third-and-10, Aaron Rodgers found Calvin Austin wide open for a score with 55 seconds to go. However, Chris Boswell missed the extra point, and it was just a two-point lead. The Ravens took the kickoff to their own 47-yard line and had three timeouts — a golden opportunity.
RAIDERS' JAMAL ADAMS, GIANTS' JAMEIS WINSTON GET IN SCREAMING MATCH DURING HEATED MOMENT ON SIDELINE
Jackson completed his first pass, but after an illegal formation and two incompletions, he faced a fourth-and-7. Jackson threw up a prayer, and Isaiah Likely high-pointed it for an unbelievable catch. Jackson took a knee to set up the field goal unit in the middle of the hashes with two seconds left, but it was for naught, as the Steelers were the ones celebrating a wide-right kick.
The scoring got started from an unlikely source, as Lamar Jackson found Devontez Walker for a 38-yard touchdown to take the early lead. Both teams then exchanged punts before the Steelers turned the ball over on downs, and the Ravens took advantage by kicking a field goal to go up 10-0 early in the second quarter. Pittsburgh answered with a field goal of its own for its first score.
In the final seconds of the first half, the Steelers benefited from a defensive penalty that put them at the 2-yard line with two seconds left. They opted to go for the touchdown instead of a field goal, but the decision backfired, as Kenneth Gainwell was stuffed as the clock hit zero.
Thankfully for them, the Steelers got the ball to start the second half, and they did not let their opening drive go to waste, finding the end zone to tie the game at 10. Then, in his first game back from a collapsed lung, T.J. Watt caught a batted ball at the line for an interception. Pittsburgh then added a field goal for its first lead of the game.
The Steelers, with 42-year-old Rodgers and a head coach in Mike Tomlin whom fans were ready to give up on, finished the season at 10-7 and will host the Houston Texans on Monday night in the wild-card round.
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Trump says Cuba is ‘ready to fall’ after capture of Venezuela’s Maduro
President Donald Trump late Sunday predicted Cuba was "ready to fall" after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, warning that Havana can no longer rely on Caracas for security and oil.
Trump said Cuba’s fate is now directly tied to Maduro’s ouster and the collapse of Venezuela’s ability to bankroll allies in the region.
Asked if he was considering U.S. action in Cuba, Trump replied: "I think it’s just going to fall. I don’t think we need any action. Looks like it’s going down. It’s going down for the count."
The president’s comments during a press gaggle with reporters aboard Air Force One come after Saturday’s capture of Maduro and his wife on charges tied to a narco-terrorism conspiracy. The audacious operation has sent shockwaves through allied governments in the region, with Cuban officials calling for rallies in support of Venezuela and accusing the U.S. of violating sovereignty.
MADURO AND 'LADY MACBETH’ CILIA FLORES MARRIAGE SPELLS 'WORST CASE' CUSTODY SCENARIO
U.S. officials say Cuban security forces played a central role in keeping Maduro in power. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Cuban operatives effectively ran Venezuela’s internal intelligence and security operations – including personally guarding Maduro and monitoring loyalty inside his government.
"It was Cubans that guarded Maduro," Rubio said. "He was not guarded by Venezuelan bodyguards. He had Cuban bodyguards."
Cuba’s government acknowledged Sunday that 32 Cuban military and police officers were killed during the American operation in Venezuela, marking the first official death toll released by Havana. Cuban state media said the officers had been deployed at the request of Caracas and announced two days of national mourning.
US CAPTURE OF MADURO THROWS SPOTLIGHT ON VENEZUELA’S MASSIVE OIL RESERVES
Trump confirmed Cuban casualties while traveling back to Washington.
"A lot of Cubans were killed yesterday," he said. "There was a lot of death on the other side. No death on our side."
Trump also took aim at neighboring Colombia, accusing its leadership of fueling drug trafficking into the U.S.
UN AMBASSADOR WALTZ DEFENDS US CAPTURE OF MADURO AHEAD OF SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING
"Colombia is very sick, run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States," Trump said, adding that the country, "is not going to be doing it for a very long time."
He suggested the U.S. was prepared to act against narco-trafficking networks operating by land and sea, citing recent interdictions.
Trump also revived his long-standing focus on Greenland, arguing the Arctic territory is critical to U.S. security amid growing Russian and Chinese activity.
"We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security," Trump said. "Greenland is covered with Russian and Chinese ships all over the place."
Trump has framed Saturday’s operation as part of a broader effort to reassert U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere, invoking the Monroe Doctrine and warning that hostile regimes can no longer rely on one another for survival.
Maduro is set to be arraigned in federal court in New York on Monday.
‘Grey’s Anatomy’ actor Steven W. Bailey breaks silence on rare neuromuscular disorder diagnosis
"Grey's Anatomy" actor Steven W. Bailey revealed that he has been diagnosed with a rare neuromuscular disorder.
In an "open letter" that he posted in a thread on X, the 54-year-old actor, who played Joe, the owner of the fictional Emerald City Bar frequented by the hit show’s main characters during seasons one through seven, shared that he is battling congenital myasthenic syndrome (CMS) after being diagnosed more than five years ago.
"I’ve spent years being cautious, private, and quiet about something that has been shaping my life and my work," Bailey began. "That time is over."
He continued, "It’s the darndest thing, but it turns out I have a rather rare genetic neuromuscular disorder. Weird, right? It’s called Congenital Myasthenia Syndrome."
CMS is a "group of rare hereditary conditions caused by a gene change that results in muscle weakness, which worsens with physical activity," according to the Mayo Clinic.
"Any muscles used for movement can be affected, including muscles that control speaking, chewing and swallowing, seeing and blinking, breathing, and walking," the medical center added.
Bailey went on to share why he chose to keep his condition private after he was first diagnosed.
"Out of career caution, diagnostic uncertainty, and being private about such things in general, I have been hiding my battle with this disease for over five years," he wrote. "Time to stop."
"CMS is a genetic disease that disrupts the communication between the brain and the muscle at the "nerve/muscle junction"… or whatever doctors call it," Bailey explained. "There are billions of these junction dodads in a body, and an increasing number of mine seem to be on the blink. Troublesome, little buggers — right?"
"The point is: my muscles aren’t clearly receiving all my brain’s orders to do all the swell things muscles are meant to do," he continued."It’s a drag."
"The result being that my hands, arms and legs tire quicker than they should, which makes them weaker than, well … anticipated," Bailey added. "Sustained repetitive movements are particularly difficult and can cause my muscles to temporarily tighten and shut down."
While Bailey joked that his symptoms "often get me out of the chores of doing the dishes and folding laundry in my household," he noted that "there are also some downsides, too."
The actor shared that his condition has made walking longer distances and sustained movement increasingly difficult for him.
"I am fortunate that I am currently still able to walk the dog around the block, navigate my home, pop into the store for a quick few items, and the like on my feet," he wrote. "The truth is, as my disease progresses, I have been using a powered wheelchair more and more to get around."
According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of CMS often begin at birth or early childhood, but mild forms may be diagnosed later. CMS is a lifelong condition and currently has no cure, though medications can help manage symptoms.
Bailey, who has also appeared in other hit TV shows including "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," "Angel," "NCIS," "Community," "Modern Family," "Scandal," "Shameless," "Chicago Fire" and "You," shared how the progression of his disease is affecting his career.
"Professionally, this is changing me as an actor," he wrote. "Much like walking my dog around the block, or helping at the store, I can still perform on my feet, limitedly."
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"I can ambulate my way through simple ‘walks and talks’ with no problem," Bailey continued. "I can still rise to my feet to object to the judge, derail a town meeting, or yell at a cop for being a loose cannon."
However, Bailey explained that he decided to make a shift toward more wheelchair-based roles as a necessary next step.
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"Practically speaking, moving forward, it’s time for my work, like in my life, to start skewing more wheelchair, if you will. Passed that time, really," Bailey admitted. "But now I am here — done hiding — with a clear understanding of my disease, wheels firmly beneath me, ready for the next chapter in my life and career."
"I am hopeful that there is still room for me in this industry that I love. I look forward to performing as characters who live their lives with a chair, creating a more representative world in film and television," he continued.
"And now that I think of it, I don’t need to leap to my feet to object to that judge I mentioned earlier. They’ll hear me," he added. "And I can derail any town meeting from my chair — no problem. And as far as loose cannons go — well, you get the point."
"Same guy. Same actor. Same artist. Now with wheels," he wrote as he concluded his X thread.
Trump vows US 'in charge' of Venezuela as he reveals if he's spoken to Delcy Rodríguez
President Donald Trump said the U.S. is now in control of Venezuela following the arrest of longtime leader Nicolás Maduro, outlining a plan to run the country, rebuild its economy and delay elections until what he described as a recovery is underway.
Trump made the remarks during a gaggle with reporters as questions mounted about who is governing Venezuela after a U.S. military operation led to Maduro’s arrest early Saturday.
"Don’t ask me who’s in charge because I’ll give you an answer, and it’ll be very controversial," Trump told a reporter.
He was then asked to clarify, to which Trump replied, "It means we’re in charge."
US CAPTURE OF MADURO CHAMPIONED, CONDEMNED ACROSS WORLD STAGE AFTER SURGICAL VENEZUELA STRIKES
Trump was also asked whether he had spoken directly with Venezuela’s newly sworn-in Vice President Delcy Rodríguez amid uncertainty about how the new government is functioning and what role the U.S. is playing.
While Trump said he has not personally spoken with Rodríguez, he suggested coordination is already underway between U.S. officials and the new leadership.
During the gaggle, Trump repeatedly portrayed Venezuela as a failed state that cannot immediately transition to democratic rule, arguing the country’s infrastructure and economy had been devastated by years of mismanagement.
TRUMP ISSUES DIRECT WARNING TO VENEZUELA'S NEW LEADER DELCY RODRÍGUEZ FOLLOWING MADURO CAPTURE
He compared Venezuela’s collapse to what he claimed would have happened to the U.S. had he lost the election, using the comparison to underscore his argument for intervention.
"We have to do one thing in Venezuela. Bring it back. It’s a dead country right now," Trump said. "It’s a country that, frankly, we would have been if I had lost the election. We would have been Venezuela on steroids."
Trump said rebuilding Venezuela will center on restoring its oil industry, which he said had been stripped from the U.S. under previous governments, leaving infrastructure decayed and production crippled.
UN AMBASSADOR WALTZ DEFENDS US CAPTURE OF MADURO AHEAD OF SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING
He stressed that American oil companies – not U.S. taxpayers – will finance the reconstruction, while the U.S. oversees the broader recovery.
"The oil companies are going to go in and rebuild this system. They’re going to spend billions of dollars, and they’re going to take the oil out of the ground, and we’re taking back what they sell," Trump said. "Remember, they stole our property. It was the greatest theft in the history of America. Nobody has ever stolen our property like they have. They took our oil away from us. They took the infrastructure away. And all that infrastructure is rotted and decayed."
Trump said elections will not take place until the country is stabilized, arguing that rushing a vote in a collapsed state would repeat past failures.
TRUMP REVEALS VENEZUELA’S MADURO WAS CAPTURED IN ‘FORTRESS’-LIKE HOUSE: ‘HE GOT BUM RUSHED SO FAST’
He said the U.S. will manage Venezuela’s recovery process, including addressing inflation, revenue loss and infrastructure collapse.
"We’re going to run everything," Trump said. "We’re going to run it, fix it. We’ll have elections at the right time."
When asked whether the operation in Venezuela was motivated by oil interests or amounted to regime change, Trump rejected both characterizations and instead cast the effort as part of a broader security doctrine.
He tied the intervention to long-standing U.S. policy in the Western Hemisphere, invoking historical precedent.
"It’s about peace on Earth," Trump said. "You gotta have peace, it’s our hemisphere. The Monroe Doctrine was very important when it was done."
Trump went on to criticize past presidents for failing to enforce that doctrine, arguing his administration has restored it as a guiding principle.
"And other presidents, a lot of them, they lost sight of it," Trump added. "I didn’t. I didn’t lose sight. But it really is. It’s peace on Earth."
Trump said the U.S. role in Venezuela will ultimately focus on rebuilding the country while caring for Venezuelans displaced by years of economic collapse.
He said that includes Venezuelans currently living in the U.S., many of whom he said were forced to flee.
"We’re gonna cherish a country," Trump said. "We’re going to take care of, more importantly, of the people, including Venezuelans that are living in our country that were forced to leave their country, and they’re going to be taken very good care of."
Trump made clear the comments on Venezuela were part of a broader foreign policy outlook, using the gaggle to issue warnings about instability elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere and overseas. He suggested the U.S. is prepared to respond forcefully to threats he said could endanger American security interests.
Trump singled out Colombia, describing the country as a growing security concern and accusing its leadership of enabling large-scale drug trafficking into the U.S.
"Colombia’s very sick too, run by 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," Trump said.
When asked whether that meant U.S. action, Trump replied, "It sounds good to me."
Trump also addressed ongoing protests in Iran, warning that the U.S. is closely monitoring the situation and would respond if the Iranian government uses violence against demonstrators.
"We’re watching it very closely," he said. "If they start killing people like they have in the past, I think they’re going to get hit very hard by the United States."
Falcons fire Raheem Morris after choosing him over multiple successful coaches
The Atlanta Falcons did not have to do much thinking about their future when their season ended Sunday.
The team did not even wait for Black Monday, as it fired head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot on Sunday night.
The Falcons hired Morris ahead of the 2024 season, selecting him over candidates such as Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel, Jim Harbaugh, Mike Macdonald and Ben Johnson.
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But Morris' results were not what the Falcons wanted, going 8-9 in back-to-back seasons.
"I have great personal affinity for both Raheem and Terry and appreciate their hard work and dedication to the Falcons, but I believe we need new leadership in these roles moving forward," owner Arthur Blank said in a statement. "The decision to move away from people who represent the organization so well and have a shared commitment to the values that are important to the organization is not an easy one, but the results on the field have not met our expectations or those of our fans and leadership. I wish Raheem and Terry the absolute best in their future pursuits."
Wildly enough, the team's record is the same as the division champion Carolina Panthers', so the Falcons were just one win away from making the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season. One of those losses was to the New York Jets, who would have had the first pick in 2026 instead of the second if that game's result had been reversed.
Atlanta wound up winning their final four games, but it was not enough for them, or Morris and Fontenot.
Morris previously served as the Los Angeles Rams' defensive coordinator, winning a Super Bowl with them. He held numerous roles with the Falcons before going to Los Angeles, including serving as their interim head coach in 2020.
Morris initially replaced Arthur Smith, who served as the team's head coach for three seasons. Smith is now the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who would make the playoffs with a win Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens.
Perhaps the Falcons are kicking themselves for choosing Morris over several others. Vrabel won the AFC East in his first season with the New England Patriots, Johnson won the NFC North in his first year with the Chicago Bears, and Harbaugh is back in the playoffs with the Los Angeles Chargers.
There should be several names available to the Falcons, who are desperate to make the most of Michael Penix Jr., who will enter his third NFL season in September.
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Former hostage negotiator says he doesn't see Maduro as 'a bloodthirsty drug dealer'
Former Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens told CBS' "60 Minutes" that he doesn't necessarily consider Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro a "bloodthirsty drug dealer" despite the Trump administration's image of the man.
Carstens, who previously served under former President Joe Biden and the first Trump administration, told the news program that he "wasn't shocked" at the news that Maduro had been captured by U.S. military forces on Saturday.
Host Scott Pelley asked Carstens whether he agreed with the current Trump administration's violent depiction of Maduro.
"I don't think so," Carstens said. "And yet— let me answer that by this way. In one way I could say I'm not naïve to the crimes that were committed by the regime writ large. And if you're the president of a country you of course have responsibility for what's being happen—what's happening—in your government."
He continued, "On the flip side, I would say that being the person in the room with President Maduro my job was to get Americans back and that's best done by building a very human relationship. And in doing so, I didn't find him to be a bloodthirsty maniac. I found him to be— a practical person, someone who wanted to find ways to solve the problems—that was— were faced by his country."
GREENE HITS TRUMP OVER VENEZUELA STRIKES, ARGUES ACTION 'DOESN'T SERVE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE'
Carstens added that he wouldn't describe Maduro as an international drug dealer based on the knowledge he had received about the political leader during his time in office.
"I think the— the country clearly touched drugs—and there's information— I always have to be very— clear that I might see certain amounts of information and there's always a treasure trove of information that I've never seen or never will see due to classification or compartmentalization. But what I witnessed was not someone who's necessarily hard-core in the drug business. And I'll be interested to see in how the prosecution goes about proving their case," Carstens said.
UN AMBASSADOR WALTZ DEFENDS US CAPTURE OF MADURO AHEAD OF SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING
During his time in the Biden administration, Carstens took part in several hostage exchange deals with Venezuela, including one in 2022 that exchanged seven Americans for two nephews of Maduro’s wife.
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment.
President Donald Trump confirmed U.S. military strikes against Venezuela on Saturday. He has since said that until a legitimate leader replaces Maduro, the U.S. is "going to run" the country.
UK confirms joint airstrike targeting suspected ISIS weapons facility in Syria
British and French warplanes struck an underground facility believed to have been used by Islamic State militants to store weapons and explosives, the U.K. Ministry of Defence confirmed Sunday.
The strike took place Saturday evening in a mountainous region north of Palmyra, in Syria’s Homs province.
In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 fighter jets, supported by a Voyager refueling tanker, operated with French aircraft to strike access tunnels leading to the underground site.
Paveway IV precision-guided bombs were also used in the operation.
HERE’S WHERE TRUMP LAUNCHED AIRSTRIKES AROUND THE WORLD IN 2025: 'PROTECT THE HOMELAND'
An assessment was ongoing, but initial indications suggested that the target was successfully hit, the ministry said.
Britain and France are partners in the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, which was formed to combat the extremist group after it had previously seized large areas of Iraq and Syria.
U.K. Secretary of State for Defence Sir John Healey said the strike showed Britain’s determination to prevent any resurgence of Islamic State and to stand "shoulder to shoulder with our allies" against extremist violence in the Middle East.
WAR SEC. HEGSETH ISSUES STATEMENT AFTER TWO U.S. SOLDIERS KILLED IN SYRIA ARE IDENTIFIED
The operation came amid continued U.S. military activity in Syria, where American forces have conducted counterterrorism missions in the country.
In December, the Trump administration also ordered large-scale U.S. strikes across central Syria.
This was in retaliation for an ambush near Palmyra that killed two U.S. troops and an American civilian interpreter.
HERE’S WHERE TRUMP LAUNCHED AIRSTRIKES AROUND THE WORLD IN 2025: 'PROTECT THE HOMELAND'
As previously reported by Fox News Digital, according to U.S. Central Command, ISIS remains an active and persistent threat despite sustained pressure from coalition forces.
CENTCOM said recent U.S. operations in the region have also targeted infrastructure and weapons sites across central Syria.
"We will not relent," Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, said in a statement on Dec. 30.
"We are steadfast in commitment to working with regional partners to root out the ISIS threat posed to U.S. and regional security."
Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.K. Ministry of Defence for comment.
Jets make NFL history with season of unprecedented futility and record-breaking failures
The New York Jets have long been a laughingstock, but perhaps it has never been more deserved than right now.
Gang Green ended their season with yet another loss, but this one — a 35-8 defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills — was a different kind of embarrassing.
The loss marked the first time an NFL team has ever lost five consecutive games by at least 23 points — it had not been done in four games since 1972. Their point differential in that span is a -134, losing by an average of 26.8 points.
The loss was also the 14th of the season for the Jets, a number they had only posted under Rich Kotite in 1995 and Adam Gase in 2020.
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The exclamation point, though, was that the Jets finished the season without an interception — another brutal NFL first. The San Francisco 49ers actually set an NFL record earlier this season, dating back to 2024, by not picking off a quarterback in 15 consecutive games. But that streak eventually snapped, and the Jets took it to a whole new level.
The nightmare is over for the Jets, who were abysmal under first-year head coach Aaron Glenn. Three different quarterbacks started for the Jets, as Justin Fields was benched, and Tyrod Taylor was hurt in his absence, prompting Brady Cook to start at the end of the season.
At the trade deadline, the Jets sent away Sauce Gardner and Quinnen Williams for draft capital. Thankfully, those trades were with the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys, both of whom missed the playoffs. So the picks they got from them (the Colts’ 2026 first and Dallas’ 2026 second) are not half bad. Plus, the Jets now own the second pick of the draft.
However, it is up to general manager Darren Mougey to make the most of them — and to decide if Glenn is the right guy to lead the Jets moving forward.
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Broncos earn top seed in AFC in Bo Nix's second season, finishing with 14-3 record
The Denver Broncos have had quite the turnaround.
After winning Super Bowl 50 with Peyton Manning, the Broncos did not make the playoffs for eight straight years — a rookie named Bo Nix ended that streak last year.
In Year Two of the Nix and Sean Payton era, the AFC playoff picture runs through Mile High.
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The Broncos earned the top seed in the AFC on Sunday with a 19-3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, finishing the regular season with a 14-3 record.
The Broncos were surely helped by the fact that Trey Lance got the Week 18 start, as the Chargers could only have been the No. 6 or 7 seed. So they opted to rest Justin Herbert and give the rock to Lance, the third pick of the 2021 NFL Draft who has never found his footing.
The Broncos kicked a field goal on their first drive and immediately followed it up with a pick-six to go up 10-0 early, and they never looked back. Both teams had trouble moving the football, as there were 13 total punts. But the Broncos’ stout defense did exactly what it has done all season long: stop everything in its path.
The New England Patriots and Jacksonville Jaguars also entered the day mathematically alive for the AFC’s top seed, but Denver was the only team that controlled its own destiny. The Patriots needed a win and a Broncos loss, while the Jaguars needed both New England and Denver to lose.
This is the first time the Broncos have gotten the top seed since 2015, the same season they won the Super Bowl. Last year, they lost in the wild-card round to the Buffalo Bills, whom they could very well host in the divisional round two weeks from now.
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Maduro and 'Lady Macbeth’ Cilia Flores marriage spells 'worst case' custody scenario
President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, face a "worst-case scenario" as a married couple entrenched in Venezuelan politics and now detained in the U.S. ahead of their Jan. 5 arraignment, according to a national security expert.
Maduro and Flores, who have been married for 12 years, were arrested in Caracas during a nighttime operation on Jan. 3 and transported to U.S. custody, where federal prosecutors have brought criminal charges against both, officials said.
"This is a worst-case scenario for them, not being in power but in custody of the U.S. government," Roxanna Vigil told Fox News Digital.
"They are husband and wife, but there is also the political component because their political futures are tied together as well," the Council on Foreign Relations fellow added.
MADURO GAVE CAR INTERVIEW ABOUT POSSIBLE TRUMP OLIVE BRANCH DAYS BEFORE HE WAS CAPTURED BY US
Maduro, 63, has been charged with four counts: narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.
Flores, 69, has been charged with three counts: cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.
Flores first gained attention in 1994 when, as a lawyer, she defended Hugo Chávez after his failed 1992 coup attempt.
After Chávez was elected, she sat in the National Assembly in 2000 before serving as president of the National Assembly – succeeding Maduro – and later as Venezuela’s attorney general from 2012 to 2013 under both men.
UN AMBASSADOR WALTZ DEFENDS US CAPTURE OF MADURO AHEAD OF SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING
"Cilia is very politically savvy and has been one of the key insiders in constructing and carrying forward Chávez’s revolutionary project," said Vigil. "She’s very much tied to the Chavista movement, which is at a low point but likely to survive this crisis. Venezuela’s future will depend on whether there is a transition to democracy or whether a Chavista stays in power."
"Cilia Flores is one of the original Chavistas because she was part of Hugo Chávez’s inner circle in the early ’90s before he became president," she added.
Flores was introduced to Maduro while working closely with Chávez. At the time, Maduro described her as having a "fiery character," according to Reuters.
The pair did not marry until nearly two decades after first meeting, after Maduro was elected president in 2013.
WHAT IS DELTA FORCE AND WHAT DO THEY DO? INSIDE THE ELITE US ARMY UNIT THAT CAPTURED MADURO
According to reports, critics dubbed Flores "Lady Macbeth."
"Since Maduro took over in Venezuela, she has been an influential advisor, and more behind the scenes than during the Chávez years, but nonetheless a very influential political operative," Vigil explained.
"Her family members have been implicated in different criminal activity, including U.S. crimes, and this includes two of her nephews," she added.
Flores’ influence extended into Maduro’s efforts to maintain control after the opposition won a supermajority in the National Assembly in 2015.
Instead of allowing the opposition-led legislature to function, Maduro moved to create a parallel body that assumed the legislature’s powers.
"There was also her role in the Maduro government, and particularly her role in his effort to undermine the democratically elected 2015 National Assembly," Vigil said.
TRUMP REVEALS VENEZUELA’S MADURO WAS CAPTURED IN ‘FORTRESS’-LIKE HOUSE: ‘HE GOT BUM RUSHED SO FAST’
"Cilia Flores was part of that effort, and that was highlighted when she was sanctioned by the U.S. government in 2018," Vigil said. "My sense is that Cilia was not vying to be president or vying to hold some sort of official role, she already had significant influence."
"At some level, I think she believed that Maduro was best positioned to continue Hugo Chávez’s revolutionary project," she added, "and that continuing this project was important to her."
President Donald Trump addressed Maduro’s capture this week, warning of serious consequences for the Venezuelan leader and signaling a hardline approach toward the regime.
As previously reported by Fox News Digital, Trump said the U.S. would temporarily govern Venezuela "until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition."
But Vigil highlights the president did not publicly lay out plans for Flores. "President Trump didn’t mention anything about her yesterday, so it’s not clear what the plan is for Cilia," Vigil said.
"Secretary Rubio said Maduro turned down generous offers to leave, but also didn’t mention Cilia, why she was taken with Maduro, and what role she played in these negotiations. Cilia was also not indicted in 2020 when Maduro was originally indicted," Vigil said.
"President Trump’s rhetoric against Maduro for the last four plus months hasn’t included Cilia," she explained.
On Sunday, Rubio said in an interview with ABC: "I encourage everyone – I know it’s Sunday, people are busy. But the indictments have now been unsealed. People should read this indictment. They should read this indictment. They should read what this man did for 15 – the last 15 years of his life against the United States – him and his wife."
Attorney General Pam Bondi also echoed that message on social media, writing on X that Maduro and Flores will "soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts," and calling them "two alleged international narco traffickers."