Short Answer: The viral image claiming CBS News reported that Hakeem Jeffries' office tried to warn Nicolás Maduro is false. Searches of Google News, Yahoo News indexes and the CBS News site found no such reporting—only social-media copies of the claim. The confirmed capture of Maduro on January 3, 2026 and his later indictment are real events but are not corroborated by any CBS investigation linking Jeffries to a warning.
Fact Check: Viral Image Falsely Claims CBS Report That Jeffries Warned Maduro
Lead Stories says: No Such Report
A widely shared image claimed to show a CBS News report saying U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ office tried to tip off Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro before his capture. That claim is false: no CBS News article or video matching the image could be located in major news indexes or on the CBS News website.
What the Viral Image Said
The image circulated on X on January 3, 2026, and presented a dramatic narrative alleging that the Department of National Intelligence under Director Tulsi Gabbard uncovered documents—provided by a DNI whistleblower to CBS News—showing Democratic leadership, traced to Jeffries’ office, attempted to warn Maduro about an imminent U.S. capture operation.
Image source: Lead Stories screenshot of post at x.com/realpersonpltcs
Verification And Searches
Independent searches of Google News and Yahoo News indexes, as well as a direct search of the CBS News site, returned no report, article, or video that matched the wording or allegations in the image. Queries for the exact language displayed in the image produced only social-media reposts and copies of the fabricated image—no original CBS reporting.
Fact-checkers and archive checks did not locate any CBS News story that contained the language or claims shown in the viral picture.
What Is True — And What Isn’t Connected
It is confirmed that Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured by U.S. forces on January 3, 2026 and later transported to New York, where indictments on drug-related charges were filed. That verified event is separate from the viral image’s false claim; there is no evidence linking Jeffries’ office, a DNI whistleblower, or any CBS News investigation to an attempt to warn Maduro.
Bottom Line
The image claiming a CBS News report alleging that Jeffries’ office tried to tip off Maduro is fabricated. Major news indexes, the CBS News website, and fact-checking archives show no evidence that CBS or any mainstream outlet published such a report.
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