A rumor that circulated online in early January 2026 claimed U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., attempted to contact and tip off Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro prior to his capture by the U.S. military on Jan. 3, that President Donald Trump's administration exposed Jeffries' plot and that conservative media outlet Newsmax reported the story.
For example, on Jan. 3, an X user claimed (archived) that Newsmax reported the story in a post that featured a screenshot with text reading as follows:
In a triumphant display of President Trump's unyielding resolve for national security, the Department of National Intelligence (DNI) under Director Tulsi Gabbard has revealed CIA intelligence exposing a desperate Democratic attempt to sabotage a U.S. military operation. A brave whistleblower from within the DNI provided documents to CBS News, showing how Democratic leadership, traced back to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' office, tried to tip off Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro about an impending capture mission. However, the warning arrived moments too late, Maduro was already in U.S. custody, being flown away in a military helicopter after a flawless operation. President Trump's strategic appointment of Gabbard has been key in unearthing this treachery, proving once again his administration's prowess in neutralizing threats both foreign and domestic.
(X user @Realpersonpltcs)
One prominent Facebook post (archived) also spread the matter with the following text:
Dear Mr President Donald J. Trump Donald J. Trump We the People of the United States demand the arrest of Hakeem Jeffries for treason. His actions by contacting Venezuela even though it was too late could have cost the lives of our men and women that were involved in this mission. By law this is treason when you turn on your government. ARREST HIM ASAP!!!!!
HOW MANY OF YOU AGREE????
Some users posted one of two headlines, reading either "Trump Administration Exposes Hakeem Jeffries' Failed Democratic Betrayal in Successful Maduro Capture" or "EXCLUSIVE: Trump Administration Busts Hakeem Jeffries' Failed Plot to Save Maduro!" Those many posts appeared on Facebook (archived), LinkedIn (archived), Threads (archived) and X (archived).
In short, none of this story was true. A stand-up comedian named Jonathan Gregory fabricated the idea that Jeffries attempted to tip off Maduro, that Trump's administration exposed Jeffries' efforts and that Newsmax reported the news. Gregory has sprinkled the word "satire" into made-up stories numerous times on his Facebook account, indicating his posts originated as satire.
Snopes contacted Jeffries and Gregory to ask if they wished to comment about this matter, including asking Gregory whether he used artificial-intelligence tools to write his stories. We will update this story if we receive further information.
In 2024, a Newsmax spokesperson told us of Gregory's stories in general, "The individual who posted this has had a habit of tagging Newsmax in his posts, when there is no relation to Newsmax regarding what he is posting."
Gregory's posts and video
On Jan. 3 — the day U.S. military forces captured Maduro — Gregory posted (archived) on Facebook, "Trump Administration Exposes Hakeem Jeffries' Failed Democratic Betrayal in Successful Maduro Capture." The story began with the same "triumphant display" paragraph later shared by the X user above.
The next day, Gregory posted about the story again, this time with a video on both Facebook and Instagram.
The text shared with the video post read as follows:
EXCLUSIVE: Trump Administration Busts Hakeem Jeffries' Failed Plot to Save Maduro!
In a shocking revelation from President Trump's DNI under Director Tulsi Gabbard, CIA intel exposes how House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries' office tried to tip off Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro about a U.S. capture mission. But the warning came too late, Maduro was already in custody, thanks to Trump's flawless military operation! This whistleblower bombshell highlights Democratic sabotage and the "enemy within," proving Trump's zero-tolerance stance against betrayal. As investigations ramp up, it's another massive win for national security! Watch the full breakdown now.
The caption ended with hashtags including "#Newsmax" and others. Other Gregory posts usually ended with "@newsmax," giving some readers the false impression the news network reported on the stories.
For further reading, we previously reported about whether the administration of former President Joe Biden put a $25 million bounty on Maduro.