Senior figures from the Trump administration have mounted a robust defence of the dramatic military operation that saw Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro forcibly removed from his Caracas home and taken to a New York jail cell. The unprecedented move has ignited a fierce partisan debate in Washington, with Democrats branding it an illegal act of war.
High-Stakes Senate Briefing
On the morning of 7 January 2026, a high-powered delegation including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe arrived on Capitol Hill. They briefed all 100 US senators on the details of Operation Absolute Resolve, the 3 January raid executed by Delta Force special operators.
The mission, conducted before dawn, involved US forces striking multiple targets in northern Venezuela. They successfully captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their residence, transported them to the USS Iwo Jima, and flew them to Stewart Air National Guard Base before their eventual delivery to New York for arraignment.
A Deep Political Divide
The briefing laid bare the stark political fault lines in Washington. Republican lawmakers have rallied behind President Trump's characterisation of the raid as a straightforward law enforcement action against an indicted drug trafficker. Maduro now faces charges of "narco-terrorism" conspiracy, cocaine importation, and weapons offences from a 2020 indictment.
"What we did is we took out an illegitimate president," stated Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin following the session. "He was never duly elected, so there can’t be regime change if he should have never been put in place to begin with."
In stark contrast, leading Democrats emerged from the confidential meeting expressing alarm and incredulity. Senator Chris Murphy told reporters the administration's plan involved taking Venezuelan oil "by force" as leverage, labelling the strategy "insane".
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer echoed these concerns, stating, "Across America, people are just saying what the hell is going on? We need answers as to how long this is going to last."
Uncertain Future and International Backlash
Secretary Rubio outlined a three-phase plan for Venezuela centred on its vast oil reserves. The first step involves stabilisation, followed by granting market access to companies, and finally a period of "transition". Rubio confirmed the US intends to take between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil to sell at market rates, rather than the discounted prices Venezuela previously offered.
However, the path forward remains deeply unclear. The Trump administration has stated the US will "run" the country for an unspecified time, while allowing Maduro's vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, to remain in a leadership role for now—a move that puzzles observers given her presumed loyalty to the ousted regime.
Internationally, condemnation has been swift. Nations including Brazil, China, France, Iran, Mexico, Russia, and Spain have denounced the operation. At an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Sunday, Russian and Chinese representatives demanded Maduro's immediate release, while the US defended its actions as targeted law enforcement.
The administration shows no sign of easing pressure, with the US Coast Guard seizing two Venezuela-linked oil tankers in separate operations. Defence Secretary Hegseth warned, "Our military is prepared to continue this. The president, when he speaks, he means it."
Public opinion mirrors the division in Congress. A recent Washington Post poll found more than 60% of Americans believe the operation should have required congressional approval, while a Reuters/Ipsos survey showed roughly a third of the public approving, a third disapproving, and a third unsure.
