Trump grabs Venezuelan dictator Maduro in dramatic military operation

To no one’s surprise, Democrats reflexively condemned Trump’s daring midnight capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

If Joe Biden, who offered a $25 million reward for Maduro’s arrest, did what Trump did, the same politicians would stage a ticker tape parade.

Even though they act as if they do, their condemnation of Trump has nothing to do with the law. Instead, it stems from their disdain for a president they openly despise.

Irrationally, they oppose everything Trump does, even if it aligns with their previously expressed beliefs.

VENEZUELAN LEADER MADURO ARRIVED IN NEW YORK AFTER BEING CAPTURED BY US FORCES ON ALLEGED DRUG CONSPIRACY

Democrats almost unanimously condemned Trump’s action as “illegal,” “unfair” and “unconstitutional.” Many insisted that he needed permission from Congress.

None of these are true.

Inherent Constitutional Authority

USA’S CAPTURE OF MADURO WAS PUNISHED ON WORLD STAGES AFTER THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND SURGICAL VENEZUELA ATTACKS

The President is authorized by the U.S. Constitution as commander in chief of the armed forces to direct military action to protect Americans, advance U.S. interests, and defend our national security.

The drug scourge spreading from Venezuela has been poisoning our citizens for a long time. Our government estimates that approximately 200 to 250 metric tons of cocaine are shipped annually from the Latin American country. America is a preferred destination due to its prosperity.

On this basis alone the attack on Caracas was legal, justified and legitimate.

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For years, Maduro has led the infamous Cartel de los Soles, a violent drug cartel designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization responsible for murders, torture and crimes against humanity so horrific that even the United Nations has recognized them.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro speaks during the Meeting of Jurists in Defense of International Law held at the Eurobuilding Hotel in Caracas on November 14, 2025. (left); U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation during prime time in the White House Diplomatic Reception Room in Washington, DC, USA, on Wednesday, December 17, 2025. (right) (Federico Parra/AFP (left) via Getty Images; Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg (right) via Getty Images)

II of our Constitution. Section 2 of the article gives the president the authority to unilaterally order the armed forces to take military action. His command authority is supreme and he can conduct campaigns and deploy operations at his own discretion.

Short of a formal declaration of war, a president does not need to seek prior authorization from Congress to take action. This principle is part of our Constitution and has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court since the founding of our Republic.

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In more modern times, the president’s authority over armed actions has expanded even further. The cases involving Truman, Clinton, and Obama solidified the president’s authority to direct military operations without congressional approval.

Trump had every legal and constitutional right to defend the United States against the transportation of deadly illegal drugs and to arrest the man most responsible, who has been federally charged with numerous crimes.

And no, Trump did not violate the War Powers Act as some of his critics have claimed. The resolution, adopted in 1973, requires reporting to Congress within 48 hours of the deployment of forces to hostilities. It is not a ban on movement.

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In fact, this law implicitly recognizes that a president has inherent authority to use military force without specific congressional approval. Every American president since the end of World War II has done this. Trump is no exception.

Article “Take care of yourself”

The president has another power. II of the Constitution The “Take Care Clause” in Section 3 of the article obliges the president to “take care that the laws are faithfully executed.”

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Simply put, Trump is responsible for ensuring that all federal laws are enforced. This includes the capture, detention, and prosecution of wanted fugitives who are accused of crimes committed in the United States and must be brought to justice.

People react to the news that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was captured in Doral, Florida, near Miami, on January 3, 2026, following US military operations in Venezuela this morning. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arrived at a US military base on Saturday evening after being captured by US forces in Caracas. Maduro was seen surrounded by FBI agents as he descended the boarding stairs of a US government plane at a National Guard facility in New York state and was slowly escorted across the tarmac. (GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)

Ensuring Maduro’s arrest means enforcing all laws. The fact that a defendant is the de facto head of state in another country does not give him protection or immunity from the long arm of American law. This is not written anywhere.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described Maduro as a “fugitive from American justice.” Given his armed protection, military units were needed to effect his arrest. According to Trump, “the operation was conducted in conjunction with US law enforcement.”

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The situation was almost the same in 1990.

Then-President George HW Bush ordered the military to capture Panama’s corrupt dictator Manuel Noriega, who was accused of drug trafficking and endangering US citizens. After a surprise military operation in the nation’s capital, he was detained and sent back to the United States for trial.

Noriega’s legal team of defense attorneys vehemently opposed both his arrest and America’s legal authority to prosecute him. These maneuvers, along with various immunity claims, failed. He was convicted and imprisoned.

WHAT IS DELTA FORCE AND WHAT DOES IT DO? INSIDE THE ELITE US ARMY UNIT THAT CAPTURED MADURO

So we’ve seen this movie before. Maduro’s lawyers will also wage the same legal struggle. But if the past is prologue, there is little reason to believe the ending will be any different.

This leaves Trump’s opponents with the rather empty claim that his actions somehow violated the norms and traditions of international law. This is a common accusation that often lacks context.

Some point to Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter, which prohibits member states from “using force against the territorial integrity” of any state. However, the Charter provides for an exception for self-defence.

JONATHAN TURLEY: WHY MADURO’S CAPTURE DID NOT REQUIRE CONGRESSIVE APPROVAL

As the charges outlined in Madura’s indictment demonstrate, his actions as a narco-terrorist who flooded the United States with deadly drugs fully justify Trump’s actions as defensive in nature. Ongoing drug trafficking posed an imminent threat to the lives of American citizens.

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If there is a conflict between American law and international law, our president must comply with Article II of the Constitution. Its obligations under Article 2 shall take precedence over and take precedence over Article 2 of the UN Charter. Members of the United Nations can file as many complaints as they want, but the United States has veto power in the UN Security Council.

Most Venezuelans seem relieved that the long nightmare of tyranny, oppression and death at the hands of Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro is finally over. Its lands are rich in the world’s largest oil reserves.

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If free and fair elections are held as they should be, the impoverished citizens of this proud nation can share in a brighter future of freedom, economic recovery, and financial prosperity.

They’ll have President Trump to thank for that.

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