Washington, Jan 7 The US operation to seize Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was carried out without required congressional consultation and could set a dangerous precedent, a powerful Democratic senator said, even as he praised the military for completing the mission without American casualties.
Senator Mark Warner, chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said US forces performed “brilliantly” in extracting Maduro from his residence and bringing him into US custody. Warner described Maduro as a repressive leader and said the Venezuelan people had overwhelmingly voted against him in 2024.
But Warner, who is also co-chair of the Senate India Caucus, told reporters here that the way the operation was authorized and explained raised serious constitutional and strategic concerns.
He said Congress was not consulted before the raid and that Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to reach him only after the operation had already begun. Warner said that runs counter to long-standing practice, particularly for actions involving the use of military force.
“The Constitution gives Congress the authority to declare war,” Warner said, adding that major military actions are meant to be discussed in advance with lawmakers, even when secrecy is required.
Warner rejected the administration’s claim that the operation amounted to the execution of an arrest warrant.
“You don’t send Delta Force to execute a warrant,” he said. “You don’t launch 150 aircraft. You don’t keep a naval armada off the coast of a country for months. It doesn’t pass the smell test.”
He warned that the logic used to justify the Maduro seizure could have far-reaching consequences if adopted by other countries.
“If any nation can claim its laws allow it to seize another country’s leader, what stops Vladimir Putin from saying Ukraine’s president broke Russian law?” Warner asked. He also cited China’s long-standing claim that Taiwan is part of China.
“If we accept this standard, there is no international order left,” he said.
Warner questioned the administration’s stated motives, saying the operation appeared to be driven less by counter-narcotics concerns and more by control of oil resources.
He said suggestions that US troops could be deployed on the ground in Venezuela to secure oil facilities were troubling. Warner compared the situation to the US invasion of Iraq, where claims that oil revenues would offset costs did not materialize.
“We’ve seen this movie before,” he said.
Warner said Venezuela’s oil infrastructure has been badly damaged and would take years to restore, raising questions about how long the United States might remain involved.
He also criticised the administration for appearing to sideline Venezuela’s democratic opposition, including opposition leader María Corina Machado, while engaging with interim authorities seen as loyal to Maduro.
Despite his criticism, Warner said Maduro should now face trial in the United States.
“He’s a bad guy,” Warner said. “He drove Venezuela into the ditch. He should be held accountable.”
But Warner said accountability must come with transparency and adherence to constitutional norms.
“Our military did its job,” he said. “Now the administration needs to answer some very hard questions.”
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