Tony Dokoupil, recently named anchor of CBS Evening News, started two days ahead of schedule on Saturday, January 3, 2026, to cover a U.S. military raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Broadcasting from San Francisco, the debut featured a three-segment interview with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth as President Donald Trump announced the operation.
Tony Dokoupil's first broadcast as sole anchor of CBS Evening News aired earlier than the planned January 5 start, prompted by urgent developments in Venezuela. U.S. forces conducted a raid capturing President Nicolás Maduro, who faces U.S. criminal charges. Trump stated intentions to 'run the country' until a power transition.
From KPIX in San Francisco, Dokoupil delivered updates with correspondents Charlie D’Agata and Scott MacFarlane. Highlights included the extended interview with Pete Hegseth detailing the operation. Dokoupil closed with, “That’s another day in America and the world.”
Named anchor in December 2025 by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss to replace co-anchors Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson—who departed late last year—Dokoupil aims to revive the third-place program. His early debut postponed a planned U.S. tour to mid-week.
Other networks activated anchors: Tom Llamas (NBC), Bret Baier (Fox), Rachel Maddow (MSNBC) for coverage.