Russia and China featured prominently in the DNI's report, particularly with regard to cybercrime. China "presents a persistent cyber espionage threat and a growing attack threat to our core military and critical infrastructure systems,"Coats argued, adding that China has the potential to use private tech companies to carry out espionage against the US and allies.

Coats' fear is shared by the Pentagon - which banned Huawei and ZTE phones from US military bases last year - and by other intelligence chiefs, who accused the firms of spying on behalf of the Chinese government. Huawei has also been barred from participating in the US rollout of 5G networks, while Trump is reportedly considered barring US firms from using Huawei and ZTE equipment.

Russia, on the other hand, is accused of "aggravating social and racial tensions" online, in line with similar accusationsthat have been leveled at Moscow since the 2016 election.

"Moscow may employ additional influence toolkits-such as spreading disinformation, conducting hack-and leak operations, or manipulating data-in a more targeted fashion to influence US policy, actions, and elections," Coats said.

Though no doubt pleasing to the ears of Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia), the committee's ranking member and a major driver of the 'Russiagate' narrative, Coats's testimony offered no actual evidence for Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Just last month, the DNI sent a report to the White House admitting that, while Russia conducted "messaging campaigns"on social media during the 2018 midterms, the intelligence community "does not have intelligence that indicates any compromise of our nation's election infrastructure that would have prevented voting, changed vote counts, or disrupted the ability to tally votes."

On Monday Roger Stone told Judge Napolitano in a FOX Nation interview that his 72-year-old wife was also forced to stand outside barefoot and in her nightgown.

For some strange reason this was not aired on CNN who had a camera crew at Stone's home during the arrest.

The Gateway Pundit wrote CNN for comment - It would be completely irresponsible if they hid this from the American public.

Roger Stone: I was wearing a Roger Stone did nothing wrong T-Shirt. You can get those at 1776.shop. The proceeds go to my legal defense fund. I was wearing a pair of shorts but I was bare-footed. They said who else was in the house. I said my wife. They said, "Who else?" I said, "My wife. That's it." You sure? I said, "I'm positive plus two dogs and three cats." I'm a dog lover. I'm an animal lover. You can read my activities on animal welfare on Daily Caller. I was afraid they would go upstairs and my wife was not complying with an order she cannot hear.

Judge Napolitano: Did they take your wife out of the house, Roger?

Roger Stone: They did. I was made to stand in the street, handcuffed and in bare feet. They brought my wife out in her nightgown and also in bare feet to stand next to me even though she's not accused of any crime.

• A coincidence? Venezuela green lights Russia to mine gold, in a matter of days US attempts overthrow
• BoE refuses to return Venezuela's $1.2 billion in gold, US intends to use it to fund illegitimate Guaido
• Russian companies offered chance to mine gold in Venezuela

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov has dismissed charges by Venezuelan National Assembly member Jose Guerra that Moscow has tried to move 20 tonnes of gold to Russia.

"There is no such information," Peskov said in reply to a question.

He urged a very cautious attitude to various "fakes news".

• The Making of Juan Guaidó: How The US Regime Change Laboratory Created Venezuela's Coup Leader
• Trump betrays MAGA over Venezuela
• "Their future vassal": US meddling in Venezuela just like Iraq and Libya - Russian Foreign Ministry
• BoE refuses to return Venezuela's $1.2 billion in gold, US intends to use it to fund illegitimate Guaido

Sergey Lavrov slammed the US sanctions against Venezuela, calling them "cynical", as Washington froze the $7 billion assets of the state-run oil company PDVSA and its US subsidiary Citgo. Moscow's top diplomat implied that the White House is pursuing vested interests in Venezuela.

"US companies operating in Venezuela are excluded from the sanctions regime. Simply put they want to overthrow the government and gain profits at the same time," the Russian diplomat said.

Lavrov believes that what the US is doing is simply trying to confiscate Venezuela's money under the guise of sanctions, noting that the US "has experience" in such "illegal" affairs, giving Iraq, Libya, Iran, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Panama as examples.

Washington's sanctions were announced on Monday as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said they are meant to prevent a "further diversion" of Venezuela's assets by President Nicolas Maduro. Restrictions are to remain in force till "expeditious transfer of control to the interim president, or the subsequently democratically elected government" takes place.

Maduro slammed American authorities for "stealing" the company and demanded Donald Trump to keep his "hands off" Venezuela.