Top officials from the Trump administration appeared before a closed-door briefing of 100 US senators on Monday to defend the dramatic capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a weekend raid. Secretary of state Marco Rubio, defence secretary Pete Hegseth, attorney general Pam Bondi, CIA director John Ratcliffe and General Dan Caine, chair of the joint chiefs of staff, detailed Operation Absolute Resolve – the lightning operation that saw Delta Force swoop into Caracas and seize Maduro and his wife before flying them to a New York jail.
Republicans rallied behind President Trump’s description of the raid as straightforward law enforcement. Senator Markwayne Mullin argued Maduro was never legitimately elected, so the operation could not be considered regime change. Rubio outlined a three-phase plan focused on oil: stabilising Venezuela, granting US companies market access, and a transition period during which the US would take 30 to 50 million barrels of oil and sell it at market rates.
Democrats emerged from the session incredulous, warning of an illegal act of war. Senator Chris Murphy said the administration was “talking about stealing Venezuelan oil at gunpoint” and had no detailed plan for the country’s stability. Congressman Gregory Meeks compared Congress to the Russian Duma, saying the president was acting without consultation. The Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, demanded answers on troop levels, costs and guardrails.
The partisan divide reflected broader public unease: a Washington Post poll found six in ten Americans believe the operation required congressional approval, while a Reuters/Ipsos survey showed roughly three-quarters worried about deeper US involvement. About one-third approved, one-third disapproved and one-third were unsure.
Trump has said the US would “run” Venezuela for an unspecified period, but the administration has yet to clarify the endgame. The briefing, the first all-member session on the raid, did little to assuage bipartisan concerns over the precedent set by unilateral executive military action.
