🔗 Share this article

Senior leaders from the White House went to Capitol Hill to justify one of the most audacious armed interventions in modern American memory: the forcible capture of a sitting head of state from his own capital.

Operation Particulars Disclosed to Lawmakers

The secretaries of state and defense, the attorney general, the CIA director, and the chair of the joint chiefs briefed all 100 U.S. senators on Operation Absolute Resolve, the lightning raid that extracted the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, from his Caracas residence and transported him to a New York City jail cell.

This session marked the first time the entire chamber heard details of the 3 January attack, which involved elite American troops swooping into Venezuela in the pre-dawn hours to capture Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

A Plan Centered on Oil

Officials described a threefold process for Venezuela that was centered on oil: first, bringing order to the nation; next, finding access for companies to enter the Venezuelan market; and a final phase described as “one of transition.”

“We are going to take between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil,” one official stated. “We’re going to sell it in the marketplace at market rates, not at the discounts Venezuela was getting.”

Partisan Split Emerges in Washington

Apart from petroleum, the operation has split Washington along expected partisan divides. GOP lawmakers have united in support of the characterization of the raid as a straightforward law enforcement action targeting an accused narcotics kingpin. Opposition party members warn of an illegal act of war that could plunge Venezuela into chaos and set a dangerous precedent for executive power.

“What we did is we took out an leader without a proper mandate,” one Republican senator said. “He was never properly voted into office, so there can’t be regime change if he should have never been put in place to begin with.”

Operational Timeline and Court Case

In the pre-dawn operation, special operations forces hit several locations across the country's north, captured Maduro and Flores, transported them to a naval vessel, flew them to a U.S. air base, and then turned them over to authorities in New York. Days later, Maduro appeared before a judge entering a denial to charges including “drug terrorism” conspiracy.

Opposition Doubts and Public Unease

One Democratic senator emerged from the confidential briefing disbelieving, stating the administration is “going to take the oil through military might.”

“This is an reckless scheme,” the lawmaker said. “They are talking about taking the nation's petroleum resources under threat of force for an undefined period as a bargaining chip to micromanage the country.” The senator added that they “heard no detailed plan” for ensuring Venezuela’s stability.

This criticism reflects wider citizen anxiety. Polls indicate a significant portion of the public believe the operation ought to have needed legislative authorization. Separate surveys found roughly three-quarters express worry the U.S. will become overly entangled in Venezuela. Overall sentiment mirrors the political division on Capitol Hill.

“Across America, people are just saying what is happening?” a senior Democratic leader stated. “We need answers as to how long this is going to last. We need answers on troop levels, financial cost, and what guardrails are in place.”

Uncertain Future and Global Criticism

The question of the next steps in Venezuela remains murky. Leadership has stated the U.S. would “run” the country for an indeterminate time.

“The reality is the entire previous government structure is still intact,” one analyst noted. “Everyone is in great admiration of the capacity of our military... but there is little clarity about what comes next.”

Global criticism has been rapid. Numerous nations have denounced the operation. At the United Nations, representatives from other major powers called for Maduro’s immediate release, while the U.S. defended the action as targeted law enforcement.

Wider Security Concerns

Republican lawmakers are also turning their attention toward Greenland, citing national security concerns.

“China and Russia are operating off the coast Greenland,” one GOP senator said. “In my view, we have a significant strategic stake in Greenland.”

The administration has kept a naval fleet positioned off Venezuela’s coast and recently took control of Venezuela-linked oil tankers, indicating it has no plans to ease pressure.

“Our military is ready to persist in this,” a senior defense official told reporters. “We are an administration of action to advance our interests, and that is on full display.”