Following the U.S. military raid on January 3, 2026, that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on drug charges, American officials from both parties have voiced significant concerns over the operation's legality, constitutionality, and alignment with U.S. foreign policy principles, sparking intense debate.
The raid, detailed in prior coverage as Operation Absolute Resolve, involved U.S. special forces seizing Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in Caracas without fatalities. Maduro was flown to New York to face narco-terrorism and related charges, as President Trump announced U.S. administration of Venezuela pending a transition, echoing an updated Monroe Doctrine.
Republican responses were mixed despite broad praise for the action's decisiveness. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) called for congressional approval before commitments, questioning parallels to unstable outcomes in Iraq and Libya. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) decried it on X as violating 'America First' by fueling foreign wars. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) cited executive overreach on war powers, while Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) invoked risks from past interventions like Panama in 1989 and Iraq in 2003.
Democrats offered near-unanimous condemnation. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) accused Trump of reneging on no-regime-change pledges. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) warned of regional chaos, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) branded it 'imperialism' akin to Russia's Ukraine actions, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called it a distraction from domestic priorities like healthcare, referencing Trump's pardon of Honduran ex-President Juan Orlando Hernández on drug charges. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani directly urged Trump to halt it.
The move challenges MAGA supporters, clashing with Trump's non-interventionist rhetoric; analyst Mara Liasson highlighted strains with VP JD Vance, an Iraq veteran skeptic of entanglements. Venezuelan VP Delcy Rodríguez refused cooperation, demanding Maduro's release as the legitimate leader. Regional condemnations persist, raising doubts on sustainability amid Venezuela's military and criminal elements.
