After President Donald Trump approved an operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro without seeking Congressional approval, Representative Ritchie Torres from New York announced plans to introduce legislation aimed at preventing such actions. He emphasized that criminal charges should not serve as a substitute for the Congressional authorization required for military force.
In a statement, Torres said, “I will propose legislation ensuring that the president doesn’t misuse indictments to bypass Congress. The legal process for foreign leaders cannot turn military actions into law enforcement operations and should not replace the Constitution’s requirement for Congressional authorization.” He made his views known in an article published on Saturday.
Torres was part of a larger group of Congressional members who criticized Trump’s strategy to detain Maduro in Venezuela without Congressional consent. He remarked, “The U.S. Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war. No one individual should have the authority to initiate a regime change war without Congressional backing.” He further noted, “Principles should not be sidelined for the sake of power, and the rule of law must take precedence over military force. History cautions us that wars for regime change, even when well-meaning, can lead to unforeseen consequences and greater instability.”
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently commented that the U.S. operation was simply the arrest of fugitives indicted by the Department of Justice, asserting that the military’s involvement was appropriate.
When asked whether Congress had been informed prior to the operation, Trump responded, “Congress tends to leak information, which is not ideal.”
