Politics

Ashley Moody defends legality of U.S. arresting Nicolás Maduro

Published

6 days ago

January 5, 2026

U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody is defending the legality of U.S. authorities arresting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Florida’s former Attorney General characterized the arrest in law enforcement terms and stressed the years of leg work predating indictments of the Venezuelan leader.

“In my past lives as a Judge, as a federal prosecutor, going after cartels, as the wife of a DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) agent, we are so proud of the men and women who worked so hard for this day to come,” the Plant City Republican said at a press conference in Doral.

She slammed criticisms from many Democrats in Congress questioning if the military strikes and capture of a foreign leader complied with international law.

“One thing that has been disheartening to me as one of the newest United States Senators is to hear some of my colleagues immediately start being the mouthpiece of a criminal, without understanding the historical facts that led us to this day, and without understanding the law that allows the United States to go after a drug trafficker,” she said.

U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat, is among those Democrats calling the action into question and suggesting it was an act of war, not a law enforcement operation.

“They’re saying they were going to occupy a foreign country. We’re going to run it from the United States,” Gallego told NBC News. “Therefore, it is illegal. Let us be clear, this is a war of choice. We’re lucky it has gone as well as it has so far.”

But Moody noted that the U.S. during President Donald Trump’s first administration secured indictments against Maduro and other figures in his government for playing an active role in international drug cartels.

“Do not become the mouthpiece of our foreign adversaries,” Moody said. “Shame on you.”

Moody said Venezuelan sovereignty wasn’t a concern in an operation to apprehend an international criminal who illegitimately clung to power.

Most international observers say Maduro did not legitimately win a 2024 re-election vote against opposition candidate Edmundo González. But his government threw out results and swore him into a new term last year.

“The Venezuelan people have lived under a dictator who is a criminal, a drug trafficker, who went through position after position in Venezuela and used those positions for his own profit, for his cronies, and he hides out in that government,” Moody said.

“He was never the legitimate leader. He is not the rightful President. Indeed, he is a criminal that has now been brought here to the United States to face justice as we should have been.”

Moody said she has personally spoken to DEA Administrator Terrence Cole, who said morale is high in the agency after years of making the case against Maduro.

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Politics

Gaming officials, sheriff’s investigators bust 3 suspected illegal gambling houses in Lake County

Published

1 hour ago

January 11, 2026

May Greene

Officials say illegal houses of gambling were broken up in Umatilla and Leesburg following complaints filed with law enforcement.

Three illegal gambling locations were shutdown this month by the Florida Gaming Control Commission (FGCC) and several law enforcement agencies in Lake County.

The joint investigative operation named “Calvin Coolidge” focused on the sites that were engaged in illegal gambling in Umatilla and Leesburg. FGCC officials said the investigation was launched after complaints and other research into reported illegal slot machines.

Following the execution of several search warrants, officials seized 231 gambling machines such as slot machines and some $157,000 in illegal gambling funds.

“These enforcement actions demonstrate our commitment to protecting Florida communities and preserving the integrity of the state’s gaming laws,” said FGCC Executive Director Alana Zimmer. “Illegal gambling operations undermine lawful businesses and exploit patrons. FGCC will continue to work proactively with law enforcement partners to shut them down.”

The lead law enforcement agency was the Lake County Sheriff’s Office who teamed up with FGCC investigators and targeted the House of Treasure on State Road 19 in Umatilla. There, investigators seized 56 illegal gambling machines and nearly $76,000 in cash from those machines. Three people were served notices to appear on charges of possession of slot machines and keeping a gambling house.

Two other sites in Leesburg, Hot Seats on U.S. 27, and The Hub on West Main Street, yielded more evidence. Investigators seized 77 illegal gambling machines at Hot Seats and $35,621 in suspected gambling machines. Two people were given notices to appear on the same charges of possession of slot machines and keeping a gambling house.

The Hub yielded more evidence including 98 illegal gambling machines and $46,597 in suspected illegal gaming proceeds. Another two people at The Hub were administered notices to appear on the same charges at the other locations in Lake County.

The FGCC has been stepping up more investigations into illegal gaming establishments in the state since early 2025.

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Politics

Erika Booth starts 2026 with commanding cash lead in HD 35

Published

4 hours ago

January 11, 2026

May Greene

Rep. Erika Booth is starting 2026 with a sizable financial edge in one of the most closely watched House races in the state.

Campaign finance reports show the St. Cloud Republican closed 2025 with $111,752 raised in her campaign account and an additional $98,971 on hand in Booth PAC for an overall total of $192,119 on hand.

Booth’s lone challenger so far, Eric Gray, is starting the year with significantly fewer resources. Gray, a Democrat, entered the House race in October after previously running for Orange County Commission. He showed $15,860 raised in his first reporting period and spent $11,957, leaving him with less than $4,000 on hand at the end of the 2025.

Republican leaders have already signaled HD 35 remains a priority district this cycle. Booth is expected to receive full support from House Speaker-designate Sam Garrison and the Florida House Republican Campaign Committee, the primary campaign arm for state House Republicans.

Before her election to the House, Booth spent more than 20 years working as an elementary school teacher and previously served on the Osceola County School Board.

Gray has spent decades leading nonprofit organizations in Orange County and has cited opposition to HB 1365, a 2024 homelessness-related measure sponsored by Garrison, as a central motivation for his campaign.

HD 35 covers parts of Orange and Osceola counties. According to the most recent L2 voter data, the district is home to 42,837 Republicans and 41,806 Democrats as well as 48,995 third- and no-party voters.

The incumbent won the seat in 2024, defeating Democrat Tom Keen 52%-48% in a rematch after Keen prevailed in a 2023 Special Election. At the top of the ticket, Donald Trump carried the district with 52% in 2024, while Gov. Ron DeSantis won it with 56% two years earlier.

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Politics

Gov. DeSantis names an appointment and reappointmen to the UWF Board of Trustees

Published

5 hours ago

January 11, 2026

May Greene

The appointment, Kevin Mason, is an alumnus of University of West Florida.

The University of West Florida (UWF) Board of Trustees is getting a new member while another is returning to the panel for continued service.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced this month that he’s appointed Kevin Mason to the panel that oversees policy for UWF. DeSantis also reappointed Paul Bailey to the Board of Trustees for the campus located in Florida’s Panhandle.

Mason is an alumnus of UWF where he earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration and management from the school. Mason is also steeped in business.

Mason is the CEO and Co-Founder of Acentria Insurance which is based in Destin. The company now has offices and services throughout the Southeast United States and has grown to about 50 locations. Mason was also a Producer and Managing Partner of the North Florida Operations for the Insurance Office of America.

Bailey will return to the board following the reappointment. Bailey is a lawyer for Welton Law Firm. Welton is based in Crestview and provides multiple legal services.

Bailey is also a registered firearms instructor with the National Rifle Association. He’s also an Adjunct Professor at Pensacola Christian College. Bailey earned his pre-law bachelor’s degree from that school and went on to get his law degree from Regent University.

The UWF Board of Trustees has 13 members that sit on the panel.The board is the governing body for the institution. Florida’s Governor appoints six of those members while the board itself votes on appointments for the other five members.

The President of the Faculty Senate occupies one of those seats while another is held by the President of the Student Government Association.

The UWF campus had a student enrollment of nearly 16,000 as of Fall Semester.

The appointment and reappointment named by DeSantis still have to get final approval by the Florida Senate.