CLOUD COUNTY—A Kansas woman is accused of a violent attack on employees at a fast food restaurant in north central Kansas.

Just after 3p.m. Sunday, On January 4, 2026, at 3:00 PM, the Concordia Police Department was dispatched to McDonald’s, 1420 Lincoln Street in Concordia for a report of a battery in progress, according to a media release.

Police determined that a customer identified as 44-year-old Christina Messerschmidt of Wichita, was throwing hot fry grease on employees and punching employees. 

Police arrested Messerschmidt and transported her to the Cloud County Corrections. She was booked on requested charges of aggravated battery, criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767569654029.png" alt="Photo Concordia Police" />
                        <figcaption>Photo Concordia Police</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>CLOUD COUNTY—A Kansas woman is accused of a violent attack on employees at a fast food restaurant in north central Kansas.</p><p>Just after 3p.m. Sunday, On January 4, 2026, at 3:00 PM, the Concordia Police Department was dispatched to McDonald’s, 1420 Lincoln Street in Concordia for a report of a battery in progress, according to a media release.</p><p>Police determined that a customer identified as 44-year-old Christina Messerschmidt of Wichita, was throwing hot fry grease on employees and punching employees. </p><p>Police arrested Messerschmidt and transported her to the Cloud County Corrections. She was booked on requested charges of aggravated battery, criminal damage to property, disorderly conduct and criminal trespass.</p>

Police: Kansas woman attacked fast food restaurant employees

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a shooting in Topeka.

Just after 2p.m. Saturday, police responded to the 800 block of SW Tyler for a possible shooting. EMS transported one victim to an area hospital for treatment of potentially life-threatening injuries.&nbsp; 

Police have not reported an arrest of any additional details.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767483631260.png" alt="Photo courtesy WIBW" />
                        <figcaption>Photo courtesy WIBW</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement are investigating a shooting in Topeka.</p><p>Just after 2p.m. Saturday, police responded to the 800 block of SW Tyler for a possible shooting. EMS transported one victim to an area hospital for treatment of potentially life-threatening injuries.&nbsp; </p><p>Police have not reported an arrest of any additional details.</p>

Police: One hospitalized after Kansas shooting

SALINE COUNTY —A boy injured in a shooting in Salina has died.&nbsp;Just before 9:30p.m. Saturday, the boy was pronounced deceased at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, according to&nbsp;Salina Police Lt. Andrew Ziegler.

On Friday evening, Salina Police Communications received a report of a shooting at a home in 100 block of Raleigh Street in Salina, according to a media release.

Officers responded and located a boy with a single gunshot wound. EMS transported the boy to the Salina Regional Health Center where he was listed in critical condition. The boy was later transported to a Wichita hospital.&nbsp; 

&nbsp;A 15 year-old male acquaintance of the victim was arrested and booked into the Juvenile Detention Center in Geary County on requested charges of Aggravated Battery and Criminal use of a Weapon, according to a statement from Salina Police.

 As the investigation into the incident continues the Salina Police Department will be working with the Saline County Attorney’s Office on additional charges.

In the interest of clarification and accuracy the Salina Police Department corrected earlier information provided regarding the location of the shooting incident. The incident occurred at a private single family residence located within the 100 block of Raleigh Street and was not associated with the Southwind Apartments complex in any way. The Police Department apologizes for any confusion or concern which arose from the previous information.

<p>SALINE COUNTY —A boy injured in a shooting in Salina has died.&nbsp;Just before 9:30p.m. Saturday, the boy was pronounced deceased at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, according to&nbsp;Salina Police Lt. Andrew Ziegler.</p><p>On Friday evening, Salina Police Communications received a report of a shooting at a home in 100 block of Raleigh Street in Salina, according to a media release.</p><p>Officers responded and located a boy with a single gunshot wound. EMS transported the boy to the Salina Regional Health Center where he was listed in critical condition. The boy was later transported to a Wichita hospital.&nbsp; </p><p>&nbsp;A 15 year-old male acquaintance of the victim was arrested and booked into the Juvenile Detention Center in Geary County on requested charges of Aggravated Battery and Criminal use of a Weapon, according to a statement from Salina Police.</p><p> As the investigation into the incident continues the Salina Police Department will be working with the Saline County Attorney’s Office on additional charges.</p><p>In the interest of clarification and accuracy the Salina Police Department corrected earlier information provided regarding the location of the shooting incident. The incident occurred at a private single family residence located within the 100 block of Raleigh Street and was not associated with the Southwind Apartments complex in any way. The Police Department apologizes for any confusion or concern which arose from the previous information.</p><p>----------------</p>

Boy injured in shooting in Salina has died; 15-year-old arrested

SEDGWICK COUNTY—A man accused in a deadly home-invasion shooting on Christmas weekend has made his first court appearance.

&nbsp;On New Year's Eve, Matthew D. Morgan, 54, was charged with second-degree murder, according to the Sedgiwck County District Attorney's office.

Just before 8:30 p.m. December 27, police responded to a home&nbsp;in the 100 block of North Ash in Wichita, according to a media release. When officers arrived, they found a 52-year-old man and 67-year-old man inside the home with gunshot wounds. Both were transported to a local hospital, the 52-year-old was later pronounced deceased at the hospital. The 67-year-old remained in critical but stable condition.

Police arrested a neighbor identified in booking records as 54-year-old Matthew D. Morgan. An unknown suspect fled the residence on foot. The motive for the home invasion remains under investigation.

Morgan remains jailed on a&nbsp;$1 million bond, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1767007817776.png" alt="Morgan photo Sedgwick Co." />
                        <figcaption>Morgan photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SEDGWICK COUNTY—A man accused in a deadly home-invasion shooting on Christmas weekend has made his first court appearance.</p><p>&nbsp;On New Year's Eve, Matthew D. Morgan, 54, was charged with second-degree murder, according to the Sedgiwck County District Attorney's office.</p><p>Just before 8:30 p.m. December 27, police responded to a home&nbsp;in the 100 block of North Ash in Wichita, according to a media release. When officers arrived, they found a 52-year-old man and 67-year-old man inside the home with gunshot wounds. Both were transported to a local hospital, the 52-year-old was later pronounced deceased at the hospital. The 67-year-old remained in critical but stable condition.</p><p>Police arrested a neighbor identified in booking records as 54-year-old Matthew D. Morgan. An unknown suspect fled the residence on foot. The motive for the home invasion remains under investigation.</p><p>Morgan remains jailed on a&nbsp;$1 million bond, according to the district attorney's office.</p>

Neighbor accused in Kan. home invasion killing faced a judge

BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two suspect on drug allegations.

Shortly before midnight on Dec. 29,&nbsp; an officer with the Great Bend Police Department conducted a traffic stop in the 300 Block of 10th Street, Great Bend, according to a media release.&nbsp; Officers made contact with the driver, Gerald James, 46, and front passenger, Terra French, 40. Three children were observed in the back seats.

During the stop, K9 Rem from the Barton County Sheriff's Office was deployed, indicating to the odor of narcotics. Methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were found during a search of the vehicle.

James was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Felony Interference, Child Endangerment, Driving while Suspended, and for multiple outstanding warrants for his arrest. French was arrested on a requested charges of Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Child Endangerment. Both were booked into the Barton County Jail

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767366759805.png" alt="James photo Barton Co." />
                        <figcaption>James photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>BARTON COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating two suspect on drug allegations.</p><p>Shortly before midnight on Dec. 29,&nbsp; an officer with the Great Bend Police Department conducted a traffic stop in the 300 Block of 10th Street, Great Bend, according to a media release.&nbsp; Officers made contact with the driver, Gerald James, 46, and front passenger, Terra French, 40. Three children were observed in the back seats.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767366698254.png" alt="French photo Barton Co." />
                        <figcaption>French photo Barton Co.</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>During the stop, K9 Rem from the Barton County Sheriff's Office was deployed, indicating to the odor of narcotics. Methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were found during a search of the vehicle.</p><p>James was arrested on requested charges of Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Felony Interference, Child Endangerment, Driving while Suspended, and for multiple outstanding warrants for his arrest. French was arrested on a requested charges of Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Child Endangerment. Both were booked into the Barton County Jail</p>

Kan. couple caught with meth had 3 children in the vehicle

By&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/meg-kinnard">MEG KINNARD</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/author/michelle-l-price">MICHELLE L. PRICE</a>

WASHINGTON (AP) — For months, the U.S. military had been amassing a presence off Venezuela’s coast and conspicuously blowing up alleged drug trafficking boats and killing the occupants.

At the same time, U.S. intelligence agencies were carefully studying the country’s authoritarian President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-capture-trump-attack-military-ceb21da088f0a06b1813e66922def9a3">Nicolás Maduro</a>, learning minute details such as his eating habits while special forces secretly rehearsed a plan to forcibly remove him.

Months of covert planning led to the brazen operation overnight, when President&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-maduro-venezuela-b6e272ee8e23636a1ab9618d8257ae59">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;gave an order authorizing Maduro’s capture. The U.S. plunged the South American country’s capital into darkness, infiltrated Maduro’s home and whisked him to the United States, where the Trump administration planned to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1422326/dl" target="_blank">put him on trial</a>.

Trump, during a news conference Saturday at his Florida home, laid out the details of the strike, after which he said Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were flown by helicopter to a U.S. warship.

The operation termed “Absolute Resolve” unfolded under the cover of darkness, with U.S. forces holding fast in the region, awaiting the ideal weather conditions to give pilots clear routes into Caracas. The extensive planning included practice on a replica of the presidential compound, as well as U.S. service members armed with what Trump said were “massive blowtorches” in the event the steel walls of a safe room needed to be cut open to extract the pair.

“He didn’t get that space closed. He was trying to get into it, but he got bum-rushed right so fast that he didn’t get into that,” Trump said an interview earlier Saturday morning on “Fox &amp; Friends Weekend.”

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at Trump’s news conference that U.S. forces had rehearsed their maneuvers for months, learning everything about Maduro — where he was at certain hours as well as details of his pets and the clothes he wore.

“We think, we develop, we train, we rehearse, we debrief, we rehearse again, and again,” Caine said, saying his forces were “set” by early December. “Not to get it right, but to ensure we cannot get it wrong.”

Trump said on Fox that U.S. forces had practiced their extraction on a replica building.

“They actually built a house which was identical to the one they went into with all the same, all that steel all over the place,” Trump said.

Trump said in the television interview that U.S. forces held off on conducting the operation for days, waiting four days for cloud cover to pass. Caine said that on Friday night, “the weather broke just enough, clearing a path that only the most skilled aviators in the world could move through,” adding that helicopters flew low to the water to enter Venezuela and were covered above by protective U.S. aircraft.

Trump said the U.S. operation “was dark and it was deadly,” adding that “the lights of Caracas were largely turned off due to a certain expertise that we have,” but giving no further details.

The attack, which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described as part of “massive joint military and law enforcement raid,” lasted less than 30 minutes. At least seven explosions were heard in Caracas, and Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who under law takes power, said some Venezuelan civilians and members of the military were killed.

In a televised address later Saturday on state television, she demanded that the U.S. free Maduro and called him the country’s rightful leader. But Rodríguez also left open the door for a dialogue with the U.S. when she said, “We are willing to have respectful relations.”

Yanire Lucas, a Caracas resident whose house sits pressed up next to a Venezuelan military base struck overnight, said she began to hear explosions next to her house around 1:50 in the morning.

Trump said a few U.S. members in the operation were injured, but he believed no one was killed. Caine said one helicopter was struck by fire as it closed in on Maduro’s compound but it was able to safely fly on its return.

Trump said Maduro and Flores were flown by helicopter to a U.S. warship and would go on to New York to face charges. He posted on Truth Social a photo of the Venezuelan leader, wearing a gray sweatsuit, protective headphones and blindfold.

The raid was a dramatic escalation from a series of strikes the U.S. military has carried out on what Trump has said were drug-carrying boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since early September. On Dec. 29, Trump said the U.S. struck a facility where boats accused of carrying drugs “load up.” The CIA was behind&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-facility-boat-strikes-0faff66145c6706e2861fcde36756fe4">the drone strike</a>&nbsp;at a docking area believed to have been used by Venezuelan drug cartels, the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since the U.S. began its strikes in September.

Few details about how the US will now run Venezuela

Though Trump had warned for months that the U.S. might conduct strikes in Venezuela, he gave little hint on Friday what was coming.

He spent the morning posting on social media defending his health and complaining about the impact of wind turbines on birds before he went shopping for marble and onyx for the ballroom he’s building at the White House and a visit to his golf club.

Privately, he was readying to give the go-ahead for a military mission that already has generated criticism in the U.S. and abroad. Now, the president said the U.S. will direct the path forward for Venezuela, as questions have emerged&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/legal-questions-maduro-trump-venezuela-capture-congress-7c686106ae7ffc759e5a1726e1b85576">about the legality</a>&nbsp;of both those plans and Maduro’s capture.

Trump said at his news conference that the group of officials standing behind him, including Hegseth, Caine and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, will “be a team that’s working with the people of Venezuela.”

The Republican president left open the possibility that U.S. troops would have a presence in the country. “We’re not afraid of boots on the ground if we have to,” he said, adding, “We had boots on the ground last night.”

The U.S. will now “run” the country until a new leader can be chosen, Trump said.

“We’re going to make sure that country is run properly. We’re not doing this in vain,” he said. “This is a very dangerous attack. This is an attack that could have gone very, very badly.”

Kinnard reported from Chapin, South Carolina. Associated Press reporters Regina Garcia Cano and Juan Arraez in Caracas, Venezuela, contributed to this report.

🎥 Details on how the US captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro

The United States successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country, according to the White House. "This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. " Members of Congress including Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall are expressing differing opinions on the news.&nbsp;

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767451240803.png" alt="Government supporters display posters of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, right, and former President Hugo Chávez in downtown Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Maduro had been captured and flown out of the country. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)" />
                        <figcaption>Government supporters display posters of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, right, and former President Hugo Chávez in downtown Caracas, Venezuela, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Maduro had been captured and flown out of the country. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>The United States successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country, according to the White House. "This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. " Members of Congress including Kansas U.S. Senator Roger Marshall are expressing differing opinions on the news.&nbsp;</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">President Trump made a promise to the American people that he would secure our borders from chaos and cut off threats to us and our children at the source. Venezuela ignored the call to stop running lethal drugs to the America.<br><br>Our children are safer at home because of bold…</p>&mdash; Dr. Roger Marshall (@RogerMarshallMD) <a href="https://twitter.com/RogerMarshallMD/status/2007453825255264758?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">There is no justification for the United States to be at war with Venezuela.<br><br>I lived through the consequences of an illegal war sold to the American people with lies. We swore we would never repeat those mistakes. Yet here we are again.<br><br>The American people did not ask for this,…</p>&mdash; Senator Ruben Gallego (@SenRubenGallego) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRubenGallego/status/2007433155477717121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thank you, <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecWar</a>, and the brave members of our military who led the operation that successfully CAPTURED narco-terrorist Nicolás Maduro.<br><br>A new day is here for Venezuela and Latin America. The United States and our hemisphere are safer because of President… <a href="https://t.co/VL4bnsbGVZ">https://t.co/VL4bnsbGVZ</a></p>&mdash; Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRickScott/status/2007399340457775262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The president offered multiple off ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States. Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says. <br><br>Kudos to our brave… <a href="https://t.co/b1fqkdbB4x">pic.twitter.com/b1fqkdbB4x</a></p>&mdash; JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/2007447083909841398?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The White House is confirming U.S. military operations in Venezuela tonight. Let us be clear: these strikes are illegal. The President does not have the authority to declare war or undertake large-scale military operations without Congress. Congress must act to rein him in.… <a href="https://t.co/KsbxS6TbSp">pic.twitter.com/KsbxS6TbSp</a></p>&mdash; Rep. Melanie Stansbury (@Rep_Stansbury) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rep_Stansbury/status/2007385713818714191?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Without authorization from Congress, and with the vast majority of Americans opposed to military action, Trump just launched an unjustified, illegal strike on Venezuela.<br><br>He says we don’t have enough money for healthcare for Americans—but somehow we have unlimited funds for war??</p>&mdash; Rep. Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMcGovern/status/2007381598912819213?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Nicolas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess…</p>&mdash; Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/2007428087143686611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bold move by ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>⁩ taking out convicted NARCO TERRORIST and DICTATOR of Venezuela Maduro. <a href="https://t.co/JGFtpq5GG4">pic.twitter.com/JGFtpq5GG4</a></p>&mdash; Tim Burchett (@timburchett) <a href="https://twitter.com/timburchett/status/2007443476900671516?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nicolas Maduro wasn’t just an illegitimate dictator; he also ran a vast drug-trafficking operation. That’s why he was indicted in U.S. court nearly six years ago for drug trafficking and narco-terrorism. I just spoke to <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a>, who confirmed that Maduro is in U.S. custody and…</p>&mdash; Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenTomCotton/status/2007419529048007012?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">If this action were constitutionally sound, the Attorney General wouldn’t be tweeting that they’ve arrested the President of a sovereign country and his wife for possessing guns in violation of a 1934 U.S. firearm law.</p>&mdash; Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/2007469970364539092?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Maduro and his predecessor took Venezuela from the richest to the poorest country in South America, and destroyed its democracy. The operations last night are great for the future of Venezuelans and the region. My main concern is now Russia will use this to justify their illegal…</p>&mdash; Rep. Don Bacon 🇺🇸✈️🏍️⭐️🎖️ (@RepDonBacon) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDonBacon/status/2007462335242289166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Trump’s regime change war in Venezuela is flat out illegal and yet another betrayal of the commitments he made to the American people. <br><br>He said he’d lower prices. He’s driving prices up. <br><br>He said no “new stupid wars.” He’s starting new stupid wars. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Venezuela?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Venezuela</a> <a href="https://t.co/iY3oMVXT7a">pic.twitter.com/iY3oMVXT7a</a></p>&mdash; Rep. James Walkinshaw (@Rep_Walkinshaw) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rep_Walkinshaw/status/2007424774142673020?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">For years, Nicolas Maduro, the cartel he leads, and other cartels in Latin America have trafficked drugs into the United States, which have killed hundreds of thousands of Americans. President Trump’s decisive action to disrupt the unacceptable status quo and apprehend Maduro,…</p>&mdash; Leader John Thune (@LeaderJohnThune) <a href="https://twitter.com/LeaderJohnThune/status/2007464869432267134?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I have spoken in the last several hours with <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecWar</a> Hegseth, and the nation will hear from <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> in his address at 11am ET.<br><br>Today’s military action in Venezuela was a decisive and justified operation that will protect American lives.<br><br>Nicolas Maduro is…</p>&mdash; Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson/status/2007468765718384961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">America’s strength comes from our commitment to the rule of law, democratic norms, and constitutional restraint. When we abandon those principles, even in the name of confronting bad actors, we weaken our credibility, endanger global stability, and invite abuses of power that…</p>&mdash; Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkWarner/status/2007476440028020870?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">My statement on President Trump’s actions in Venezuela. <a href="https://t.co/AiHPASu3iO">pic.twitter.com/AiHPASu3iO</a></p>&mdash; Sen. Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSanders/status/2007509175883247805?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The President of the United States just overthrew a foreign ruler and explained to the American people that this is about taking control of the oil reserves of a foreign nation. He said that the U.S. will “run the country” until a proper transition can take place and went right…</p>&mdash; Senator Mark Kelly (@SenMarkKelly) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenMarkKelly/status/2007509794815701037?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Kan. U.S. Senator, other lawmakers react to U.S. capture of Venezuelan leader

The United States hit Venezuela with a “large-scale strike” early Saturday and said President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-maduro-venezuela-drug-cartels-military-timeline-91e242e5c56eec39b6b7d72bf55dbd2d">months of stepped-up pressure</a>&nbsp;by Washington — an extraordinary nighttime operation announced by President Donald Trump on social media hours after the attack.

The legal authority for the strike — and whether Trump consulted Congress beforehand — was not immediately clear. The stunning, lightning-fast American military action, which plucked a nation’s sitting leader from office, echoed the U.S. invasion of Panama that led to the surrender and seizure of its leader, Manuel Antonio Noriega, in 1990 — exactly 36 years ago Saturday.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, would face charges after an indictment in New York.

Trump announced the developments on Truth Social shortly after 4:30 a.m. ET (0930 GMT) and said he would host a news conference at 11 a.m. ET (1600 GMT).

Maduro was at his home when he was seized in US operation, party leader tells AP

Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández told The Associated Press that Nicolás Maduro and his wife were at their home within the Ft. Tiuna military installation when they were captured.

“That’s where they bombed,” he said. “And, there, they carried out what we could call a kidnapping of the president and the first lady of the country.”

Vice President JD Vance says Maduro found out that Trump ‘means what he says’

Vice President JD Vance said in a statement on X: “The president offered multiple off ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States. Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says.

Kudos to our brave special operators who pulled off a truly impressive operation.”

Celebrations erupt in Venezuelan community in South Florida

In South Florida, Venezuelans celebrated the news of Maduro’s capture at a rally held outside a South American eatery.

People wrapped themselves in Venezuelan flags, ate fried snacks and cheered as music was playing at the event. At one point, the crowd chanted “Liberty! Liberty! Liberty!”

The rally took place in Doral, Florida, a city of 80,000 people surrounded by Miami sprawl and home to the largest Venezuelan community in the United States.

European leaders react to Maduro’s capture by the US

— EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas wrote on X that she had spoken with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the EU ambassador in Caracas. “The EU has repeatedly stated that Mr Maduro lacks legitimacy and has defended a peaceful transition. Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected. We call for restraint.”

— Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for “de-escalation and responsibility. International Law and the principles of the United Nations Charter must be respected,” Sánchez wrote on X.

— Russia’s Foreign Ministry said it is “extremely alarmed” and called for “immediate clarification,” according to a statement posted Saturday on the ministry’s Telegram channel. The ministry said such actions, if confirmed, would constitute “an unacceptable infringement on the sovereignty of an independent state.”

— British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the U.K. was not involved in the U.S. operation in Venezuela and that he would seek more information from Trump. Without condemning the U.S. action, Starmer said he always believes that international law should be upheld. “But I think at this stage, fast moving situation, let’s establish the facts and take it from there,” he said.

Reactions in Caracas to US strikes and Maduro’s capture are mixed

At a pro-Maduro protest in the capital, Caracas Mayor Carmen Meléndez joined a crowd that demanded that Maduro be returned immediately.

“Maduro, hold on, the people are rising up!” the crowd chanted. They also said: “We are here Nicolás Maduro. If you can hear us, we are here!” Elsewhere, residents were still taking in the events.

“How do I feel? Scared, like everyone,” said Caracas resident Noris Prada, who sat on an empty avenue looking down at his phone. “Venezuelans woke up scared, many families couldn’t sleep. I have been on the street, I just got back from Maracay, everything is blocked, everything is bad, very bad.”

“They impose the law,” electrician Alfonso Valdez said about the U.S. government. “They are the police of the world … they are assassins.”

Venezuelan opposition leader Machado’s spokespeople decline comment

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado’s spokespeople declined to comment on the U.S. operation.

Machado was last seen in public last month, when she emerged from 11 months in hiding and traveled to Norway, where she was honored with the Nobel Peace Prize.

US attorney general says Maduro and wife to face criminal charges

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi says Maduro and his wife will face criminal charges after an indictment in New York.

Bondi vowed in a social media post that the couple will “soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.”

Maduro was indicted in 2020 in New York, but it was not previously known that his wife had been.

US indicted Maduro on narcoterrorism charges in 2020

The Justice Department during Trump’s first term in office charged in the several indictments that Maduro had effectively converted Venezuela into a criminal enterprise at the service of drug traffickers and terrorist groups as he and his allies stole billions from the South American country.

The coordinated unsealing of indictments against 14 officials and government-connected individuals, and rewards of $55 million for Maduro and four others, attacked all the key planks of what then-Attorney General William Barr called the “corrupt Venezuelan regime,” including the Maduro-dominated judiciary and the powerful armed forces.

One indictment by prosecutors in New York accused Maduro and socialist party boss Diosdado Cabello, head of the rubber-stamping constitutional assembly, of conspiring with Colombian rebels and members of the military “to flood the United States with cocaine” and use the drug trade as a “weapon against America.”

Read our&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/caribbean-indictments-armed-forces-united-states-miami-d82797206561db03851e47df125c243f">news report from 2020 on the charges</a>

State Department officials say ‘the tyrant is gone’

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau says the military action and seizure of Maduro marks “a new dawn for Venezuela,” saying that “the tyrant is gone.”

He posted on X hours after the strike. His boss, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reposted a post from July that said Maduro “is NOT the President of Venezuela and his regime is NOT the legitimate government.”

Sen. Lee says Rubio told him he anticipates no further action in Venezuela

Utah Sen. Mike Lee said Rubio informed him that “he anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in U.S. custody,” the lawmaker posted on social media.

Sen. Lee says Rubio briefed him that Maduro will be tried in US

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, posted on X that he had spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who briefed him on the strike. Rubio told Lee that Maduro “has been arrested by U.S. personnel to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States.”

The White House did not immediately respond to queries on where Maduro and his wife were being flown to. Maduro was indicted in March 2020 on “narco-terrorism” conspiracy charges in the Southern District of New York.

Colombia prepares to receive refugees from Venezuela

President Gustavo Petro of Colombia, one of Trump’s fiercest critics, said the Colombian government convened a national security meeting before dawn Saturday and sent security forces to the border in preparation for a potential “massive influx of refugees” from neighboring Venezuela.

He said he’d also call on the U.N. Security Council to consider “the aggression against the sovereignty of Venezuela and of Latin America.”

“Without sovereignty, there is no nation,” Petro wrote on social media.

Russia calls US action ‘an act of armed aggression’

Russia’s Foreign Ministry condemned what it called a U.S. “act of armed aggression” against Venezuela in a statement posted on its Telegram channel Saturday.

“Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny without any destructive, let alone military, outside intervention,” the statement said.

The ministry called for dialogue to prevent further escalation and said it reaffirmed its “solidarity” with the Venezuelan people and government, adding that Russia supports calls for an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting.

State Department urges Americans in Venezuela to shelter in place

The State Department issued a new travel alert early Saturday warning Americans in Venezuela urging them to “shelter in place” due to the situation.

“U.S. Embassy Bogota is aware of reports of explosions in and around Caracas, Venezuela,” it said without elaboration.

“The U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, warns U.S. citizens not to travel to Venezuela. U.S. citizens in Venezuela should shelter in place.” The embassy in Bogota has been shuttered since March, 2019 but operates remotely.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio retweeted Trump’s announcement without comment, but his deputy, Christopher Landau, posted Trump’s statement, adding that it marked “a new dawn for Venezuela!” “The tyrant is gone. He will now—finally—face justice for his crimes,” Landau said.

Venezuelan VP demands proof of life for Maduro

Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodríguez says, “We do not know the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.” He added: “We demand proof of life.”

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The United States hit Venezuela with a “large-scale strike” early Saturday and said its president had been captured and flown out of the country after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-maduro-venezuela-drug-cartels-military-timeline-91e242e5c56eec39b6b7d72bf55dbd2d">months of intense pressure</a>&nbsp;on Nicolás Maduro's government — an extraordinary nighttime operation announced by President Donald Trump on social media hours after the attack.

Multiple explosions rang out and low-flying aircraft swept through the Venezuelan capital, and Maduro's government accused the United States of attacking civilian and military installations, calling it an “imperialist attack” and urging citizens to take to the streets.

With Maduro's whereabouts not known, the vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, would take power under Venezuelan law. There was no confirmation that had happened, though she did issue a statement after the strike.

“We do not know the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores,” Rodriguez said. “We demand proof of life.”

Maduro, Trump said, “has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement.” He set a news conference for later Saturday morning.

The attack itself lasted less than 30 minutes and the explosions — at least seven blasts —&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/venezuela-us-explosions-caracas-25a01a23e7b936b430901428ab0d0907">sent people rushing into the streets</a>, while others took to social media to report what they’d seen and heard. It was not known if there were any deaths or injuries on either side or if more actions lay ahead, though Trump said in his post that the strikes were carried out “successfully.”

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, posted on X that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had briefed him on the strike and said that Maduro “has been arrested by U.S. personnel to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States.”

The White House did not immediately respond to queries on where Maduro and his wife were being flown to. Maduro was indicted in March 2020 on “narco-terrorism" conspiracy charges.

Maduro last appeared on state television Friday while meeting with a delegation of Chinese officials in Caracas.

The strike came after the Trump administration spent months increasing the pressure on Maduro, including a major buildup of American forces in the waters off South America and attacks on boats in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean accused of carrying drugs. Last week, the CIA was behind a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-venezuela-facility-boat-strikes-0faff66145c6706e2861fcde36756fe4">drone strike</a>&nbsp;at a docking area believed to have been used by Venezuelan drug cartels — the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since the U.S. began strikes in September.

As of Friday, the number of known boat strikes was 35 and the number of people killed at least 115, according to the Trump administration. Trump said that the U.S. is engaged in an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-cartels-armed-conflict-cb57804807e55a00ace60ad5f4d4f24d">“armed conflict” with drug cartels</a>&nbsp;and has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-maduro-drugs-venezuela-911-hegseth-3db3aafed492556bb9ca7de855c4849e">justified the boat strikes</a>&nbsp;as a necessary to stem the flow of drugs into the U.S.

Maduro has decried the U.S. military operations as a thinly veiled&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-warship-maduro-uss-gerald-ford-21cc3ac03f755a657c0541667246c007">effort to oust him from power</a>.

Armed individuals and uniformed members of a civilian militia took to the streets of a Caracas neighborhood long considered a stronghold of the ruling party. As daylight broke, some rallied while holding posters of Maduro,

In other areas of the city, the streets remained empty hours after the attack. Parts of the city remained without power, but vehicles moved freely.

Video obtained from Caracas and an unidentified coastal city showed tracers and smoke clouding the landscape as repeated muted explosions illuminated the night sky. Other footage showed cars passing on a highway as blasts illuminated the hills behind them. The videos were verified by The Associated Press.

Smoke was seen rising from the hangar of a military base in Caracas, while another military installation in the capital was without power.

“The whole ground shook. This is horrible. We heard explosions and planes,” said Carmen Hidalgo, a 21-year-old office worker, her voice trembling. She was walking briskly with two relatives, returning from a birthday party. “We felt like the air was hitting us.”

Venezuela’s government responded to the attack with a call to action: "People to the streets!”

The statement added that Maduro had “ordered all national defense plans to be implemented” and declared “a state of external disturbance.” That state of emergency gives him the power to suspend people’s rights and expand the role of the armed forces.

The website of the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela, a post that has been closed since 2019, issued a warning to American citizens in the country, saying it was “aware of reports of explosions in and around Caracas.”

“U.S. citizens in Venezuela should shelter in place,” the warning said.

Inquiries to the Pentagon and U.S. Southern Command since Trump’s social media post went unanswered. The FAA warned all commercial and private U.S. pilots that the airspace over Venezuela and the small island nation of Curacao, just off the coast of the country, was off limits “due to safety-of-flight risks associated with ongoing military activity.”

The Armed Services committees in both houses of Congress, which have jurisdiction over military matters, have not been notified by the administration of any actions, according to a person familiar with the matter and granted anonymity to discuss it.

Lawmakers from both political parties in Congress have raised deep reservations and flat out objections to the U.S. attacks on boats suspected of drug smuggling on boats near the Venezuelan coast and Congress has not specifically approved an authorization for the use of military force for such operations in the region.

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said the military action and seizure of Maduro marks “a new dawn for Venezuela,” saying that “the tyrant is gone.” He posted on X hours after the strike. His boss, Rubio, reposted a post from July that said Maduro “is NOT the President of Venezuela and his regime is NOT the legitimate government.”

Cuba, a supporter of the Maduro government and a longtime adversary of the United States, called for the international community to respond to what president Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez called “the criminal attack.”

“Our zone of peace is being brutally assaulted,” he said on X. Iran’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the strikes.

President Javier Milei of Argentina praised the claim by his close ally, Trump, that Maduro had been captured with a political slogan he often deploys to celebrate right-wing advances: “Long live freedom, dammit!”

Toropin and Associated Press writer Lisa Mascaro reported from Washington.

U.S. launches ‘large scale’ attack on Venezuela, captures Nicolas Maduro 

EDITORS NOTE:&nbsp;In the interest of clarification and accuracy the Salina Police Department corrected earlier information provided regarding the location of the shooting incident. The incident occurred at a private single family residence located within the 100 block of Raleigh Street and was not associated with the Southwind Apartments complex in any way. The Police Department apologizes for any confusion or concern which arose from the previous information.

SALINE COUNTY —Police have made an arrest after a 14 year-old boy was shot on Friday evening in Salina.

&nbsp;A 15 year-old male acquaintance of the victim was arrested and&nbsp;booked into the Juvenile Detention Center in Geary County on requested charges of Aggravated Battery and Criminal use of a Weapon, according to a statement from Salina Police.

Just after 9:30p.m. Friday, Salina Police Communications received a report of a shooting in the&nbsp;100 block of Raleigh Street in south Salina, according to a media release.

Officers responded and located a boy with a single gunshot wound. EMS transported the boy to the Salina Regional Health Center where he was listed in critical condition. The boy was later transported to a Wichita hospital.

SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement in Salina are investigating a shooting in Salina that injured a juvenile.

Just after 9:30p.m. Friday, Salina Police Communications received a report of a shooting in the 100 block of Raleigh Street in south Salina, according to a media release.

Officers responded and located a boy with a single gunshot wound. EMS transported the boy to the Salina Regional Health Center where he remained in critical condition.

All individuals of interest with the incident have been identified. Police released no additional details and have not reported an arrest.

<p>EDITORS NOTE:&nbsp;In the interest of clarification and accuracy the Salina Police Department corrected earlier information provided regarding the location of the shooting incident. The incident occurred at a private single family residence located within the 100 block of Raleigh Street and was not associated with the Southwind Apartments complex in any way. The Police Department apologizes for any confusion or concern which arose from the previous information.</p><p>SALINE COUNTY —Police have made an arrest after a 14 year-old boy was shot on Friday evening in Salina.</p><p>&nbsp;A 15 year-old male acquaintance of the victim was arrested and&nbsp;booked into the Juvenile Detention Center in Geary County on requested charges of Aggravated Battery and Criminal use of a Weapon, according to a statement from Salina Police.</p><p>Just after 9:30p.m. Friday, Salina Police Communications received a report of a shooting in the&nbsp;100 block of Raleigh Street in south Salina, according to a media release.</p><p>Officers responded and located a boy with a single gunshot wound. EMS transported the boy to the Salina Regional Health Center where he was listed in critical condition. The boy was later transported to a Wichita hospital.</p><p>-------------------</p><p>SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement in Salina are investigating a shooting in Salina that injured a juvenile.</p><p>Just after 9:30p.m. Friday, Salina Police Communications received a report of a shooting in the 100 block of Raleigh Street in south Salina, according to a media release.</p><p>Officers responded and located a boy with a single gunshot wound. EMS transported the boy to the Salina Regional Health Center where he remained in critical condition.</p><p>All individuals of interest with the incident have been identified. Police released no additional details and have not reported an arrest.</p>

Arrest made: Boy critically injured after shooting in Salina

SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a series of burglaries on December 19, in Salina have a suspect in custody.

Police investigators developed&nbsp; information that 43-year-old Matthew Hewitt was a possible suspect, according to Salina Police Captain James Feldman. On Christmas Eve officers located Hewitt at the Value Inn on 1640 W. Crawford in Salina. When officers arrived they discovered Hewitt was inside a hotel room with a woman identified as 51-year-old Mindy Burr.

Officers made announcements that Hewitt was under arrest and that all occupants needed to exit the room. However, there was no response and a Salina Police negotiator made contact with Hewitt by phone.

During the phone call, Hewitt stated he was armed and that "officers should not come inside the room if they want to make it Christmas."

Later as Hewitt started to exit the room, he failed to comply with the officer's attempt to make the arrest. A K9 was then released and it bit Hewitt.

 Hewitt was then taken into custody and transported to Salina Regional Health Center for treatment of minor injuries.

Burr was also arrested on the scene and booked into the Saline County Jail on requested charges of Felony Interference with Law Enforcement and Harboring a Subject with a warrant.

A search warrant was then conducted inside the hotel room and a AR rifle, items taken in the burglay from the&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/a431e1b9-e3e6-4322-a431-f2e9e0776864">Boy Scouts of America</a>, along with several other items were recovered.&nbsp;

Hewitt was booked into jail on requested charges of Burglary, Interference with Law Enforcement, Criminal Use of a Firearm and Criminal Threat.

He also had a federal&nbsp;warrant for Probation violation for Firearms Violation that was issued by the US Marshals Service.

Hewitt is expected to face more charges as he is also a suspect connected to the burglaries in downtown Salina at the end of November.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1767232524490.png" alt="Burr photo Saline County" />
                        <figcaption>Burr photo Saline County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>SALINE COUNTY—Law enforcement investigating a series of burglaries on December 19, in Salina have a suspect in custody.</p><p>Police investigators developed&nbsp; information that 43-year-old Matthew Hewitt was a possible suspect, according to Salina Police Captain James Feldman. On Christmas Eve officers located Hewitt at the Value Inn on 1640 W. Crawford in Salina. When officers arrived they discovered Hewitt was inside a hotel room with a woman identified as 51-year-old Mindy Burr.</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/12/1767231782129.png" alt="Hewitt photo Saline County" />
                        <figcaption>Hewitt photo Saline County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Officers made announcements that Hewitt was under arrest and that all occupants needed to exit the room. However, there was no response and a Salina Police negotiator made contact with Hewitt by phone.</p><p>During the phone call, Hewitt stated he was armed and that "officers should not come inside the room if they want to make it Christmas."</p><p>Later as Hewitt started to exit the room, he failed to comply with the officer's attempt to make the arrest. A K9 was then released and it bit Hewitt.</p><p> Hewitt was then taken into custody and transported to Salina Regional Health Center for treatment of minor injuries.</p><p>Burr was also arrested on the scene and booked into the Saline County Jail on requested charges of Felony Interference with Law Enforcement and Harboring a Subject with a warrant.</p><p>A search warrant was then conducted inside the hotel room and a AR rifle, items taken in the burglay from the&nbsp;<a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/a431e1b9-e3e6-4322-a431-f2e9e0776864">Boy Scouts of America</a>, along with several other items were recovered.&nbsp;</p><p>Hewitt was booked into jail on requested charges of Burglary, Interference with Law Enforcement, Criminal Use of a Firearm and Criminal Threat.</p><p>He also had a federal&nbsp;warrant for Probation violation for Firearms Violation that was issued by the US Marshals Service.</p><p>Hewitt is expected to face more charges as he is also a suspect connected to the burglaries in downtown Salina at the end of November.</p>

Kansas man accused of three burglaries in one day

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The FBI said Friday it disrupted a New Year’s Eve attack plot targeting a grocery store and fast-food restaurant in North Carolina, arresting an 18-year-old man who authorities say pledged loyalty to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-islamic-state-hegseth-trump-61dcee09576ce806de3a04aaec152495">Islamic State group</a>.

Christian Sturdivant was charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Investigators said he told an undercover FBI employee posing as a supportive confidant about his plans to attack people. Their online messages, along with a recent search of his home, indicated attacks would occur with knives and hammers, according to prosecutors and records.

Worried Sturdivant might attempt violence before New Year’s Eve, the FBI placed him under constant surveillance for days, including on Christmas, U.S. Attorney for Western North Carolina Russ Ferguson said.

Agents were prepared to arrest him earlier if he left his home with weapons, Ferguson said at a news conference in Charlotte. “At no point was the public in harm’s way.”

Sturdivant was arrested Wednesday and remained in custody after a federal court appearance Friday. An attorney representing him did not immediately respond to an email or phone message seeking comment. Another hearing was scheduled for Jan. 7.

The alleged attack would have taken place one year after 14 people were killed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-orleans-bourbon-attack-security-1298ae460051ab9d80e04f41ed7b6802">in New Orleans</a>&nbsp;by a U.S. citizen and Army veteran who proclaimed support for IS on social media.

The FBI has foiled several alleged attacks through sting operations in which agents posed as terror supporters, supplying advice or equipment. Critics say the strategy can amount to entrapment of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-334730f048af4529ad328f60315b5c7d">mentally vulnerable</a>&nbsp;people who wouldn’t have the wherewithal to act alone.

Searches of Sturdivant’s home and phone uncovered what investigators described as a manifesto detailing plans for the attack, FBI Special Agent in Charge James Barnacle told reporters.

“He was willing to sacrifice himself,” Barnacle said.

A handwritten note found in a trash can at Sturdivant's home listed details of the planned attacks and the number of intended victims at a Burger King restaurant and unnamed grocery store, according to an FBI affidavit.

The note also said he would attack arriving officers and “hoped to die by the hands of police.” Ferguson said the attack was to take place in Mint Hill, a bedroom community of Charlotte.

The affidavit said a database check indicated Sturdivant worked at Burger King in Mint Hill. It wasn't clear if that was the same restaurant cited in the note. Ferguson declined to identify the specific targeted businesses, citing the ongoing investigation.

If convicted, Sturdivant faces up to 20 years in prison, according to court documents.

The fact that Sturdivant encountered two undercover officers while allegedly planning the attack should reassure the public, Ferguson said.

The affidavit says the investigation began last month after authorities linked Sturdivant to a social media account that posted content supportive of IS, including imagery that appeared to promote violence. The account’s display name referenced Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the former leader of the extremist group.

Some experts argue that IS is powerful today partly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-orleans-crash-islamic-state-lone-wolves-4bb6446c484737fbe9dd1b9c26a899a9">as a brand</a>, inspiring both militant groups and individuals in attacks that the group itself may have no real role in.

The affidavit says Sturdivant had been on the FBI's radar in January 2022, when he was a minor, after officials learned he'd been in contact with a suspected IS member in Europe, and received instructions to dress in black, knock on people's doors and commit attacks with a hammer.

At that time, Sturdivant set out for a neighbor’s house armed with a hammer and a knife but was restrained by his grandfather, the affidavit says.

No charges were filed at that time, but Sturdivant underwent psychological treatment and the FBI was told he no longer had access to social media, Ferguson said. But the FBI found out weeks ago that he was back on it, he added.

The FBI in Los Angeles last month announced the disruption of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-new-years-eve-turtle-liberation-arrests-a84a26742ecbd5fe813ab959162268d2">separate New Year’s Eve plot</a>, arresting members of an extremist anti-capitalist and anti-government group who federal officials said planned to bomb multiple sites in southern California.

Other IS-inspired attacks over the past decade include a 2015 shooting rampage by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-f42318ce395a471d8ffd19607c651a36">a husband-and-wife team</a>&nbsp;who killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California, and a 2016 massacre at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/domestic-news-domestic-news-general-news-fa93fb3237aa41f591c1b0c026d6c7c3">a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida</a>, by a gunman who fatally shot 49 people.

Robertson reported from Raleigh, North Carolina. Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed.

<figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767391410084.png" alt="Sturdivant-Gaston County" />
                        <figcaption>Sturdivant-Gaston County</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The FBI said Friday it disrupted a New Year’s Eve attack plot targeting a grocery store and fast-food restaurant in North Carolina, arresting an 18-year-old man who authorities say pledged loyalty to the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/syria-islamic-state-hegseth-trump-61dcee09576ce806de3a04aaec152495">Islamic State group</a>.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Federal officials in Charlotte, NC hold a news conference on an attempted attack in the area that was thwarted by the FBI. The alleged suspect was reportedly inspired by ISIS and planned to carry out an attack on New Year&#39;s Eve in Mint Hill, NC. <a href="https://t.co/YSpplyrVjp">pic.twitter.com/YSpplyrVjp</a></p>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2007171448004063589?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Christian Sturdivant was charged with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Investigators said he told an undercover FBI employee posing as a supportive confidant about his plans to attack people. Their online messages, along with a recent search of his home, indicated attacks would occur with knives and hammers, according to prosecutors and records.</p><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FBI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FBI</a> thwarted a potential terrorist attack on New Year&#39;s Eve in North Carolina. The subject was directly inspired to act by ISIS. A federal criminal complaint alleges 18-year-old Christian Sturdivant planned a violent attack at a grocery store in Mint Hill. SAC Barnacle… <a href="https://t.co/njn7XBQTAC">pic.twitter.com/njn7XBQTAC</a></p>&mdash; FBI Charlotte (@FBICharlotte) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBICharlotte/status/2007145724538921377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><p>Worried Sturdivant might attempt violence before New Year’s Eve, the FBI placed him under constant surveillance for days, including on Christmas, U.S. Attorney for Western North Carolina Russ Ferguson said.</p><p>Agents were prepared to arrest him earlier if he left his home with weapons, Ferguson said at a news conference in Charlotte. “At no point was the public in harm’s way.”</p><figure>
                        <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/1/1767391817051.png" alt="Handwritten document titled “New Years Attack 2026”" />
                        <figcaption>Handwritten document titled “New Years Attack 2026”</figcaption>
                    </figure><p>Sturdivant was arrested Wednesday and remained in custody after a federal court appearance Friday. An attorney representing him did not immediately respond to an email or phone message seeking comment. Another hearing was scheduled for Jan. 7.</p><p>The alleged attack would have taken place one year after 14 people were killed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-orleans-bourbon-attack-security-1298ae460051ab9d80e04f41ed7b6802">in New Orleans</a>&nbsp;by a U.S. citizen and Army veteran who proclaimed support for IS on social media.</p><p>The FBI has foiled several alleged attacks through sting operations in which agents posed as terror supporters, supplying advice or equipment. Critics say the strategy can amount to entrapment of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-334730f048af4529ad328f60315b5c7d">mentally vulnerable</a>&nbsp;people who wouldn’t have the wherewithal to act alone.</p><p>Searches of Sturdivant’s home and phone uncovered what investigators described as a manifesto detailing plans for the attack, FBI Special Agent in Charge James Barnacle told reporters.</p><p>“He was willing to sacrifice himself,” Barnacle said.</p><p>A handwritten note found in a trash can at Sturdivant's home listed details of the planned attacks and the number of intended victims at a Burger King restaurant and unnamed grocery store, according to an FBI affidavit.</p><p>The note also said he would attack arriving officers and “hoped to die by the hands of police.” Ferguson said the attack was to take place in Mint Hill, a bedroom community of Charlotte.</p><p>The affidavit said a database check indicated Sturdivant worked at Burger King in Mint Hill. It wasn't clear if that was the same restaurant cited in the note. Ferguson declined to identify the specific targeted businesses, citing the ongoing investigation.</p><p>If convicted, Sturdivant faces up to 20 years in prison, according to court documents.</p><p>The fact that Sturdivant encountered two undercover officers while allegedly planning the attack should reassure the public, Ferguson said.</p><p>The affidavit says the investigation began last month after authorities linked Sturdivant to a social media account that posted content supportive of IS, including imagery that appeared to promote violence. The account’s display name referenced Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the former leader of the extremist group.</p><p>Some experts argue that IS is powerful today partly&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-orleans-crash-islamic-state-lone-wolves-4bb6446c484737fbe9dd1b9c26a899a9">as a brand</a>, inspiring both militant groups and individuals in attacks that the group itself may have no real role in.</p><p>The affidavit says Sturdivant had been on the FBI's radar in January 2022, when he was a minor, after officials learned he'd been in contact with a suspected IS member in Europe, and received instructions to dress in black, knock on people's doors and commit attacks with a hammer.</p><p>At that time, Sturdivant set out for a neighbor’s house armed with a hammer and a knife but was restrained by his grandfather, the affidavit says.</p><p>No charges were filed at that time, but Sturdivant underwent psychological treatment and the FBI was told he no longer had access to social media, Ferguson said. But the FBI found out weeks ago that he was back on it, he added.</p><p>The FBI in Los Angeles last month announced the disruption of a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-new-years-eve-turtle-liberation-arrests-a84a26742ecbd5fe813ab959162268d2">separate New Year’s Eve plot</a>, arresting members of an extremist anti-capitalist and anti-government group who federal officials said planned to bomb multiple sites in southern California.</p><p>Other IS-inspired attacks over the past decade include a 2015 shooting rampage by&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/united-states-government-f42318ce395a471d8ffd19607c651a36">a husband-and-wife team</a>&nbsp;who killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California, and a 2016 massacre at&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/domestic-news-domestic-news-general-news-fa93fb3237aa41f591c1b0c026d6c7c3">a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida</a>, by a gunman who fatally shot 49 people.</p><p>___</p><p>Robertson reported from Raleigh, North Carolina. Associated Press writer Eric Tucker in Washington contributed.</p>