Trump’s Venezuela Intervention
President Donald Trump has been paving the way for U.S. oversight in Venezuela for a while, even going as far as detaining dictator Nicolas Maduro and declaring himself the “acting” president of the nation.
This action signifies Trump’s most assertive intervention to date. It’s a foreign policy tactic where one nation intervenes in another’s affairs, echoing past military operations by the Trump administration. These include attacks on Islamic State members after a December 2025 ambush on U.S. forces in Syria, as well as strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities throughout 2025.
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Trump indicated that the U.S. will govern Venezuela for “much longer” than a year, though he added that “time will tell” how this unfolds.
Moreover, Trump announced a deal where Venezuela’s interim government would provide the U.S. with up to 50 million barrels of oil immediately.
Trump remarked, “We will rebuild in a very profitable way. We’re going to use oil and we’re going to receive oil. We’ll lower oil prices and give Venezuela the money it desperately needs.”
He also shared a post suggesting he has been the “Acting President of Venezuela” since January 2026.
This intervention follows the historical patterns of U.S. actions in Afghanistan post-9/11 and the 2003 invasion of Iraq, both of which resulted in prolonged U.S. engagements in those regions.
Katherine Thompson, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, noted that the current rhetoric surrounding illegal immigration differs from that used during earlier U.S. military actions aimed at promoting democracy. She expressed skepticism about achieving Trump’s goals without deploying U.S. troops for security, especially if the embassy in Caracas reopens.
Currently, there are no U.S. troops in Venezuela. Recently, the Senate introduced a war powers resolution that, if passed, would require Congressional approval for any U.S. military action in Venezuela.
Trump’s capture of Maduro has reportedly strengthened the enforcement of the Hostile Aliens Act. When asked about Trump’s “Acting President of Venezuela” claim, White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly expressed confidence in Trump’s historical significance for both the U.S. and Venezuela.
While Trump has been vocally critical of previous administrations’ Middle Eastern policies and has vowed to end “endless wars,” Democrats have warned that the U.S. risks entering complex, new conflicts. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer suggested the nation is heading toward new “endless wars.”
On January 3, Trump revealed that U.S. special forces executed a “major attack” in Caracas, leading to the capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. They were subsequently taken to New York to face drug charges in federal court.
This raid is part of Trump’s effort against drug trafficking, having conducted over 20 airstrikes against suspected traffickers in Latin American waters.
Notably, the Trump administration has never recognized Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, consistently labeling him as linked to drug trafficking. Trump had suggested earlier that it might be “wise” for Maduro to resign.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserted that the operation was not an “invasion” and thus did not require Congressional approval, framing it as a law enforcement action.
Conversely, some left-wing lawmakers have raised concerns over the legality of this operation, emphasizing that constitutional authority for war resides with Congress. Senator Jack Reed criticized the move as a significant constitutional flaw, arguing that it reflects an abuse of power without the public’s consent.
