As news spread Saturday morning of the surprise capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, several Connecticut politicians are weighing in and condemning the U.S. special operation.
The operation to seize the Venezuelan leader began early Saturday morning as special forces launched a targeted operation in the capital of Caracas, according to the Associated Press. The operation resulted in the arrests of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who are now onboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Iwo Jima, officials said. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi says the pair will face narco-terrorism charges in U.S. courts.
U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal took to social media to criticize the operation as illegal. Murphy, in a post on X, said that Congress was not briefed on the operation beforehand and did not authorize the strikes. He criticized the Trump administration for its “illegal war” and as a distraction from the president being named in files with accused sex offender Jeffrey Epstein known as the “Epstein Files.”
“President Trump thinks he is above the law. He steals from taxpayers. He thumbs his nose at the law. And now, he is starting an illegal war with Venezuela that Americans didn’t ask for and has nothing to do with our security. How does going to war in South America help regular Americans who are struggling? How does this do anything about drugs entering the U.S. when Venezuela produces no fentanyl? What is the actual security threat to the United States? And happens next in Venezuela?” Chris Murphy said in a statement on X.
“He cannot answer these questions – and that’s why there was no briefing to Congress to explain this action, and no briefing scheduled. And Maduro’s illegitimate election does not give the president the power to invade without congressional approval, nor does it create a national security justification. That contention is laughable. This is about satisfying Trump’s vanity, making good on the long standing neocon grudge against Maduro, enriching Trump’s oil industry backers, and distracting voters from Epstein and rising costs,” he said.
U.S. Sen. Blumenthal echoed a similar statement saying that Congress only has the power to declare acts of war.
“If we’re starting another endless war, with no clear national security strategy or need, count me out. Maduro is a cruel criminal dictator, but President Trump has never sought approval from Congress for war as the Constitution requires – and our military deserves. We’ve seen several Administrations lead us into conflicts without objectives or timelines and with disastrous consequences. President Trump has also articulated no clear end game to prevent further chaos, violence, and bloodshed in Venezuela. The American people deserve—and Congress should demand—facts and clarity,” Blumenthal said in a statement.
U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, questioned the necessity of the strike and called for an immediate Congressional briefing.
“Maduro is an illegitimate ruler, but I have seen no evidence that his presidency poses a threat that would justify military action without Congressional authorization, nor have I heard a strategy for the day after and how we will prevent Venezuela from descending into chaos. Secretary Rubio repeatedly denied to Congress that the Administration intended to force regime change in Venezuela. The Administration must immediately brief Congress on its plan to ensure stability in the region and its legal justification for this decision.”
State Rep. Jillian Gilchrest, a candidate for Congress who is challenging longtime incumbent John Larson, called the operation “a dangerous abuse of power.”
“Starting a war without legal authority and abducting foreign leaders is a dangerous abuse of power. Congress needs to wake up before another generation of young Americans is sent to die in a fool’s war over oil,” Gilchrest said.
Stephen Underwood can be reached at [email protected]