CBS News‘ 60 Minutes is airing a new segment on Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro after his capture and detainment by the United States government. With the change, the report will take over a previous slot at 7:30 p.m. ET and 7 p.m. PT, following the NFL game between the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles tonight.
Previously, the timeslot was held by the newsmagazine’s coverage of Boom Chicago, an in-the-know improv comedy space in Amsterdam; the program will now air at a later date. The 60 Minutes segment, titled “Maduro,” will explore the aftereffects of the U.S. military’s overnight strike on Venezuela and capture of its president and his wife, Cilia Flores. Correspondent Scott Pelley reports on the international maelstrom and the criminal charges the couple faces, which include narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the United States. The CBS News reporter interviews former DEA special agent Sandy Gonzalez, who helped lead the investigation that led to Maduro’s 2020 indictment; Roger Carstens, who was Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs under the previous Trump and Biden administrations; and Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz).
Maria Gavrilovic, Aaron Weisz, Nicole Young and Pat Milton produce the segment.
In the early morning hours Saturday, President Donald Trump oversaw strikes on Venezuelan soil in a proposed invasion of the South American nation. After toppling its leader, the POTUS has indicated his advisers, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, would be tasked with running the country.
As reasoning for the non-Congressionally approved move, Trump has cited Venezuela’s rich oil reserves and its alleged role in drug trafficking to the U.S. The tactical decision has drawn harsh criticism and protests for its dubious legality, as some Democrats have branded the military incident an Iraq War deja vu. The Senate is prepared to vote next week on a bipartisan war powers resolution to block the GOP leader from continuing his offensive in Venezuela.
In a new interview with recently minted CBS Evening News permanent anchor Tony Dokoupil, Hegseth remained vague about the government’s future plans and continued involvement in Venezuela; he maintained the rapidly unfolding situation was “the exact opposite” of the costly and unnecessary Iraq invasion and stated Congress will be “involved” moving forward. The DOD official also insisted Maduro’s capture did not necessitate informing the legislative branch, but was rather a “law enforcement exercise.”
Tonight, 60 Minutes will also air its programs as previously scheduled, including “Here Come the Humanoids,” about AI-powered and human-like robots, and a segment about record-breaking U.S. women’s figure skating champ and 2026 Olympic gold favorite Alysa Liu.
