The United States Attorney General, Pamela Bondi, has revealed that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons violations.
Bondi stated the captured leader would soon “face the full wrath of American justice” in U.S. courts and credited a “highly successful” military mission for his apprehension.
The charges, however, have been instantly eclipsed by a furious constitutional crisis in Washington. The operation that secured Maduro, involving missile strikes in Caracas in the early hours of Saturday, was conducted without congressional authorisation, prompting lawmakers from both parties to accuse President Trump of launching an illegal act of war.
“The President does not have the authority to declare war or undertake large-scale military operations without Congress. Congress must act to rein him in. Immediately,” declared Representative Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.).
The condemnation was bipartisan, with critics lambasting the unilateral action as a profound violation of the War Powers Resolution, which requires congressional notification and approval for sustained military engagements.
The human cost also framed the backlash. Reuben Galego, a former U.S. Marine and Iraq War veteran, stated, “No matter the outcome we are in the wrong for starting this war in Venezuela.”
President Trump is scheduled to address the nation from Mar-a-Lago, where he is expected to tout the capture as a major national security as victory.
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