Overview
- Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are in U.S. custody in New York to face narco‑terrorism conspiracy and related charges, according to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the operation a violation of the law for proceeding without congressional authorization and said the strikes hit civilian as well as military sites, while also condemning President Trump’s vow that the U.S. will “run” Venezuela.
- Democratic leaders demanded immediate Gang of Eight and full‑Congress briefings, saying the White House kept lawmakers in the dark, as the administration defended withholding notice to prevent leaks.
- Schumer said the Senate will take up a bipartisan War Powers Resolution next week to bar unauthorized hostilities in or against Venezuela, and co‑sponsor Tim Kaine is pursuing limits on funding for further military action.
- The administration cites Article II authority and casts the mission as a law‑enforcement arrest rather than an act of war, as Republicans largely back the capture publicly even as some seek detailed briefings on the operation.