Overview
- Overnight strikes targeted Venezuelan anti-air and other military sites in the Caracas area to shield U.S. personnel involved in the mission, according to officials.
- Trump announced that Nicolás Maduro and his wife were seized and flown out of the country, a claim Venezuela rejects as it demands proof of life.
- Democratic lawmakers call the action unconstitutional without authorization and urge impeachment proceedings or swift steps to curb presidential war powers.
- Republicans including Sen. Mike Lee argue the operation likely fits the president’s Article II authority to protect U.S. forces, citing briefings from Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
- The White House has not released its full legal rationale, with a reported but classified OLC memo cited in prior maritime strikes, while Maduro has faced U.S. narco‑terrorism charges since 2020.