A House GOP lawmaker is working to find more information after learning one of her constituents was possibly detained by Venezuela’s government.

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., told Fox News Digital she was ‘advocating for the State Department to assist’ with a U.S. citizen from her district who is possibly being held by the Latin American government.

‘My biggest issue at the moment is that I have a constituent that is suspected of being unlawfully detained by the Venezuelan government,’ Malliotakis told Fox News Digital.

She said she was appealing to the State Department to use its ‘leverage’ to get the man released.

The New York City-area Republican said he had likely been detained for ‘a couple of weeks,’ before Maduro’s ouster.

Malliotakis said his family suspected him of being unlawfully detained, but it’s not clear if he’s classified as such by the U.S. government.

Her office sent Fox News Digital a longer statement, ‘While we have not been contacted by the family of James Luckey-Lange, we learned about the situation from the media on Friday and immediately contacted the U.S. Department of State.’

‘For months, the State Department has advised American citizens not to travel to Venezuela, determining a very high risk of wrongful detention of U.S. nationals in the country. While we have not yet been able to confirm he has been detained, we are engaged, actively monitoring the situation, and have elevated our concern directly to the White House and the Secretary of State, and the State Department has been in contact with the family,’ Malliotakis’ office said.

‘It is our hope that our constituent will soon safely return to the United States.’

Fox News Digital reached out to the State Department for further information. A State Department spokesperson responded to the inquiry, ‘The United States has no higher priority than the safety and security of U.S. citizens. We are aware of reports of U.S. citizens detained in Venezuela. Due to privacy and safety concerns, we have nothing further at this time.’

Her comments came after a House-wide classified briefing on the government’s Venezuela operation on Wednesday, which was led by top Trump administration officials.

Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, were extracted after precision strikes in the capital city of Caracas and are currently facing trial on terrorism-related charges at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York.

A story published in the Staten Island Advance, a local outlet in Malliotakis’ district, cited the New York Post in naming Luckey-Lange as being potentially detained by Venezuela since arriving there in December.

The outlets reported that it’s not clear if he had a visa to enter Venezuela.

President Donald Trump said last weekend that the U.S. would ‘run’ the country until an adequate transition were to occur. 

Meanwhile, Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, was sworn in as acting president on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump affirmed on Wednesday that the U.S. would ‘always be there for NATO,’ while accusing the alliance of not sharing the same commitment to aiding the U.S.

‘We will always be there for NATO, even if they won’t be there for us,’ the president wrote in a lengthy Truth Social post.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt underscored Trump’s statement of commitment to NATO during a briefing on Wednesday. When pressed further about the issue, she underscored the increase in NATO allies’ spending that occurred as a result of Trump’s push.

The president claimed responsibility for strengthening NATO, saying that his work has served as the main deterrence for China and Russia.

‘Without my involvement, Russia would have all of Ukraine right now. Remember, also, I single-handedly ended 8 wars, and Norway, a NATO member, foolishly chose not to give me the Noble Peace Prize. But that doesn’t matter! What does matter is that I saved millions of lives. Russia and China have zero fear of NATO without the United States, and I doubt NATO would be there for us if we really needed them. Everyone is lucky that I rebuilt our military in my first term, and continue to do so,’ Trump said.

The president’s remarks come as his administration works to bring an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. Additionally, Trump has faced some pushback from NATO allies in recent days over his renewed calls for the U.S. to take over Greenland, something he has said is a matter of national security. It is unclear which issue was on his mind when he made the post.

The negotiations aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war remain active but have yet to reach the end stage of the deal-making process. On Tuesday, the U.K. and France signed a declaration pledging troops for Ukraine under a future peace deal and with security guarantees supported by the U.S. and allied partners.

The declaration was adopted in Paris by the Coalition of the Willing and sets out what leaders said was a framework for lasting peace between Ukraine and Russia set in international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter.

A key U.S. role is outlined in plans for a continuous, U.S.-led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism, with contributions from partners. The U.S. would participate in a special commission to manage ceasefire breaches, attribute responsibility and determine solutions.

Meanwhile, NATO allies have expressed concern as Trump appeared to renew his push for the U.S. to take Greenland. The president told reporters on Air Force One that the U.S. needed the self-governing Danish territory for ‘national security’ reasons.

‘We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it,’ Trump said.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Monday warned that Trump’s threats to annex Greenland could mean the end of NATO. Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster TV2 in an interview that Trump’s threats about Greenland should be taken seriously. Since then, several world leaders, including those hailing from NATO-allied countries, have expressed concern about Trump’s remarks on Greenland.

While there are no clear plans in the works for annexing Greenland, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller insisted in a recent interview that ‘nobody’ would fight the U.S. over control of the island, Axios reported.

Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey and Ashley Carnahan contributed to this report.

Congressional Republicans aren’t warming up to using military action to take a long-sought prize of President Donald Trump: Greenland.

The colossal, resource-rich arctic island reentered the Trump administration’s orbit following the successful capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. 

Top officials, like White House deputy chief of staff of policy Stephen Miller, reiterated earlier this week it was the position of the U.S. government that ‘Greenland should be part of the United States.’ 

While the GOP has largely championed the Trump administration’s recent military action in Venezuela, lawmakers aren’t keen on replicating the same tactics to capture the Danish territory. 

President Donald Trump has not made a push for military action there, but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not rule it out during a news briefing Tuesday.

‘All options are always on the table for President Trump as he examines what’s in the best interests of the United States,’ Leavitt said. ‘But I will just say that the president’s first option always has been diplomacy.’ 

Wednesday saw several Trump administration officials provide closed-door, classified briefings on both sides of the Capitol on the strikes, next steps and a possible exit strategy in Venezuela. 

Several Republicans would not say afterward whether the topic of Greenland came up in the meeting, and many reiterated that any military action would be taboo, given that the island is a territory of Denmark, a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ally.

‘To invade Greenland and attack its sovereignty, a fellow NATO country, would be weapons-grade stupid,’ Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told Fox News Digital. ‘President Trump is not weapons-grade stupid, nor is Marco Rubio.’

Miller’s comments triggered rebuttals from several of America’s European allies, who in a joint statement on Tuesday contended that Greenland ‘belongs to its people.’ 

Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., wouldn’t say whether Greenland, broadly or as a next likely target, was discussed in the classified briefing.

But he told Fox News Digital that the massive island, which could fit California, Montana and Texas combined, had been on his mind. 

‘I think that Greenland would be a huge asset to America,’ Marshall said. 

‘I don’t want any military operation in Greenland,’ he continued. ‘There’s no criminals there that I know of. I think it’s apples and oranges. It could be very critical to our national security. Going forward, I hope that we can work out a deal with Denmark.’

Despite the overseas saber-rattling, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said after the briefing he would be meeting with officials from Denmark next week, and he noted that it has ‘always been the president’s intent from the very beginning’ to buy the ice-encased island. 

‘He said it very early on,’ Rubio said. ‘I mean, this is not new. He talked about it in his first term, and he’s not the first U.S. president that has examined or looked at how could we acquire Greenland. There’s an interest there.’

Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is one of the few Republicans who has pushed back against the administration’s most recent strikes in Venezuela and previous strikes in the Caribbean against alleged drug boats. But he didn’t appear opposed to the notion of purchasing Greenland.

‘To acquire Greenland, the best way would be not to insult them,’ Paul said. ‘If I want to buy your country, I would think I would start out with flattery and not denigration.

‘I think Greenland would have to be encouraged to further their independence movement,’ he continued. ‘Then they would have to be encouraged that being part of the U.S. would have advantages. I think they would have to vote, basically, to become part of the United States.’

In the House of Representatives, a number of Republicans who spoke with Fox News Digital similarly said they recognized the security significance of Greenland but were hesitant when asked about the possibility of military force.

‘I understand the strategic importance,’ Rep. Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., told Fox News Digital. ‘I think (military force) is not an option in this case scenario.

‘The secretary of state has made it clear that the goal is to work with our ally toward a mutually agreeable solution.’

Rep. Derek Schmidt, R-Kan., said, ‘I don’t think we should use military force,’ adding ‘discussion’ about acquiring the territory ‘never hurts.’

‘Greenland is very important strategically,’ Schmidt said. ‘That’s not a uniquely American position, that’s a NATO position. Everybody recognizes that … but I think we need to work with our allies.’

Meanwhile, Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., was more critical of the prospect of U.S. ownership.

‘This is really dumb. Greenland and Denmark are our allies. There is no upside to demeaning our friends. But, it is causing wounds that will take time to heal,’ he wrote on X this week.

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., is predicting that the Cuban regime will fall, possibly in 2026 or 2027.

Scott had said during an appearance last year on ’60 Minutes’ that Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro’s days were ‘numbered,’ predicting that ‘whether it’s internal or external,’ something would ‘happen.’ 

He also predicted that the removal of Maduro would ‘be the end of Cuba.’

So far, the first part of the senator’s prediction has been fulfilled, as the U.S. captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and extradited him to New York last week. 

Scott stood by his prognostication during a Tuesday appearance on NewsNation, forecasting that the end of the ‘Díaz-Canel regime’ will ‘happen.’

‘Everything takes longer than you think,’ Scott said, noting that he thinks the Cuban regime will probably fall ‘maybe this year, maybe next year.’

‘So who knows when it’s gonna happen. But we’re gonna get democracy,’ Scott said.

President Donald Trump said during a Sunday gaggle aboard Air Force One that ‘Cuba is ready to fall.’

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., warned Iran’s leader that President Donald Trump will ‘kill’ him if the Iranian regime continues to kill protesters in the country.

Graham made the stark threat during a Tuesday night appearance on Fox News, referencing the anti-regime protests raging in Iran. As of Wednesday, at least 36 people have been killed and more than 2,000 have been detained in the unrest.

‘To the people of Iran: We stand with you tonight,’ Graham told host Sean Hannity. ‘We stand for you taking back your country from the Ayatollah, a religious Nazi who kills you and terrorizes the world.’

‘And to the Ayatollah: You need to understand, if you keep killing your people who are demanding a better life, Donald J. Trump is gonna kill you,’ he continued.

‘Help is on the way,’ he added in a message for Iranian citizens.

Graham’s comments come amid a heated back-and-forth between Trump and the ayatollah’s regime.

The president wrote on Truth Social, ‘If Iran shoots [sic] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go.’

Trump’s warning took on a new meaning for Iran following the historic U.S. mission in Venezuela that led to the capture and extradition of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

The head of Iran’s military threatened preemptive action in response to Trump’s ‘rhetoric’ on Tuesday. Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami made the threat while speaking to military academy students, saying, ‘The Islamic Republic considers the intensification of such rhetoric against the Iranian nation as a threat and will not leave its continuation without a response.’

‘I can say with confidence that today the readiness of Iran’s armed forces is far greater than before the war. If the enemy commits an error, it will face a more decisive response, and we will cut off the hand of any aggressor,’ he continued.

The Trump administration is taking aim at ultra-processed foods while reversing long-held U.S. government stances on red meat and saturated fats.

‘The Trump administration is now updating federal nutrition standards and guidelines to ensure that Americans have the most accurate, data-driven information supported by science and hard facts, not special interests or partisan ideology,’ White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Leavitt said that the guidelines would impact what is served in public schools, what American servicemembers eat and what food is distributed through government programs.

‘Faulty dietary guidelines of the past stack the deck against healthy eating and food options for everyday American families, which has fueled the chronic disease epidemic and jacked up the health care costs of households across the country,’ Leavitt added. ‘When these guidelines are followed, Americans will be saving themselves thousands of dollars. If we want to cut health care costs in our country, we must become a healthier country… A healthier America will lead to a more affordable America.’

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the new guidelines with an updated, inverted food pyramid. The top of the pyramid, which is now the wider part of the structure, is built on meat, fats, fruits and vegetables, while whole grains are at the narrow bottom.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made overhauling the U.S. food supply a crucial focus of his ‘Make America Healthy Again’ (MAHA) agenda, which is aimed at addressing chronic disease and childhood illnesses. The secretary has argued that the nation’s food practices have harmed Americans and led to skyrocketing healthcare costs.

‘The new guidelines recognize that whole, nutrient-dense food is the most effective path to better health and lower health care costs,’ Kennedy said. ‘Protein and healthy fats are essential, and were wrongly discouraged in prior dietary guidelines. We are ending the war on saturated fats.’

The HHS secretary railed against refined carbohydrates, food additives and added sugar, highlighting the health risks associated with sugar-sweetened beverages. Kennedy’s main message to Americans was to ‘eat real food.’

Kennedy framed the issue as not only one about health, but also one of national security.

‘If a foreign adversary sought to destroy the health of our children, cripple our economy, to weaken our national security, there would be no better strategy than to addict us to ultra-processed foods,’ he said.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins also joined the briefing. She praised Secretary Kennedy’s work and highlighted the role that farmers would play in making America healthy again.

‘We are finally putting real food back at the center of the American diet. Real food that nourishes the body, restores health, fuels energy and builds strength,’ Rollins said. ‘This pivot also leans into the abundant, affordable and healthy food supply already available from America’s incredible farmers and ranchers. By making milk, raising cattle, and growing wholesome fruits, vegetables, and grains, they hold the key to solving our national health crisis.’

FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary emphasized the harm that old guidelines did to the health of everyday Americans. He noted that protein guidelines in particular were far too low for America’s children.

‘We have 40% of our kids now with a chronic disease. It is not their fault. This is something that is the result of bad advice from the government and a medical establishment that for decades peddled research from a flawed 1960s model,’ Makary said. ‘This is not a willpower problem for our nation’s kids. This is something adults have done to kids, and we’re going to fix it.’

Makary agreed with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz that the best way for the U.S. to reduce drug spending is for Americans to focus on diet and health with the goal of not taking medications that they do not need.

The new guidance comes in stark contrast to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s report released in the final days of President Joe Biden’s term, which garnered criticism over a lack of directives on ultra-processed foods.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.