A U.S. official disclosed that Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro rejected a U.S.-offered deal on December 23, 2025, to leave Venezuela for Turkey, stating Maduro angrily dismissed the plan and showed no seriousness, according to the New York Times in a report shared on X between 9:45 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. UTC on January 4, 2026. The official noted the deal would have allowed Maduro's departure ahead of his capture and transfer with wife Cilia Flores to a Brooklyn detention facility earlier on January 4, as confirmed by prior footage reported before 9:45 a.m. UTC today. Maduro's rejection preceded the U.S. operation detailed by Axios in the previous reporting window. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump on the Venezuela operation, according to an Al Jazeera English post on X shared in the same 29-minute window ending at 10:15 a.m. UTC today. These disclosures follow first footage of Maduro in the Brooklyn facility and details of the CIA's preparation since August 2025, as reported between 9:15 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. UTC, including involvement by Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
