As a new year began, U.S. troops were deployed throughout the Caribbean, awaiting a final orders from President Trump. By early Saturday, U.S. officials indicated commandos had moved into a secured location in Caracas and had taken Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, into custody.
The troops were dropped by the helicopters onto the ground just after 1 a.m., as the U.S. cyber operatives were turning off the power in some sections in the Venezuelan capital. There were casualties on the side of the Venezuelan troops as the fighting ensued.
The couple was alleged to have been airlifted to the USS Iwo Jima, an American ship located off the coast of Venezuela, before they were handed over to the American custody in New York to answer charges of possible drug trafficking. Trump went on to indicate that the Venezuelan government would remain under American control until a safe transfer of power.
This statement spawned an immediate political response in the U.S. Senate.
Senator Bernie Sanders condemned Trump: “Trump has no business taking this country to war without congressional approval if need be. We must pass the War Powers Resolution. This operation is illegal. The President’s threat to dominate the hemisphere will result in a world that’s less safe and a weaker America.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate leader for the Democratic Party, termed Maduro an “illegitimate dictator,” but deemed the act as reckless since it lacked authorization from Congress and an appropriate plan. Schumer added the Trump administration told him it has no plans to take military action against Venezuela.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris called the move illegal and ill-advised, saying another endless war is sure to follow as a means of demonstrating power. The president is recklessly endangering troops and wasting billions of dollars of American money without a constitutional mandate.
Mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdanii, stated he was made aware there are plans to arrest Maduro and Flores, adding that a unilateral attack on another country will be an act of war.
