In the immediate aftermath of the capture and extradition of strongman Nicolas Maduro and his wife, the situation on the ground in Venezuela has become increasingly  complicated. Only one network has accurately reported on the marauding pro-regime goon squad whose mission is to terrorize everyday citizens into compliance with the regime. Watch the report in its entirety as aired on the CBS Evening News on Tuesday, January 6th, 2026: FINALLY: A legacy media outlet properly identifies and reports on the pro-regime Colectivo goons, loosely modeled after Iran's Basij, that are currently terrorizing Venezuelans. Well done, @CBSEveningNews pic.twitter.com/OwsOGM4cUN — Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) January 7, 2026 TONY DOKOUPIL: CBS News correspondent Lilia Luciano is just across the border tonight from Venezuela. She is in the country of Colombia and she joins us now live. Lilia, good evening. LILIA LUCIANO: Good evening to you, Tony. Look, the further you get from Venezuela, the louder the celebrations. But inside the country, that is not an option because even though Nicolas Maduro is out, the regime is still very much there. There are these armed militias that are called collect Colectivos that have been canvassing the streets of Caracas and cities beyond. Only public displays of support for Maduro are tolerated, and any hint of support for the U.S. can be met with arrest. But it’s not just civilians that are on edge. Last night, gunfire rang out near the presidential palace, and it turns out that it was the military shooting down some commercial drones. And here at the border, you can feel the volatility. As you can see, there are these armored trucks that are here, part of a major deployment from the Colombian military, in order to prevent or to control any possible spillover of violence or migration. Tony. DOKOUPIL: Yeah, Lilia. You can feel it, you can see it as well. Thank you very much. Those of you who remember Iran’s 2009 Green Revolution will recall how citizens were terrorized by the Basij: marauding bands of thugs affiliated with the regime, who went around shooting protesters. The Colectivos operate based upon a similar model.  It is not uncommon to watch the Colectivos come down the mountains, resembling a large motorcycle caravan where everyone is armed. They were armed, by the way, after law-abiding Venezuelans were disarmed by the state following the death of Hugo Chavez. They are deployed, as are the Iranian Basij, when there is civil unrest due to protests against the government, and have a mandate to shut protests down by any means necessary. These Colectivos respond to Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, the regime’s chief goon. Cabello activated the Colectivos after Maduro was detained. This explains why the Venezuelan streets seem muted despite the forcible removal of the regime’s leader. CBS is the first among the network newscasts to bring this critical awareness to viewers, and for that they should be commended. Oliver Darcy might cry again. So be it.