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Senior leaders from the White House went to Capitol Hill to justify one of the most audacious military operations in recent US history: the forcible capture of a current national leader from his own capital.

Details of the Raid Revealed to Senators

Key cabinet members, the attorney general, the CIA director, and the top military officer briefed all 100 U.S. senators on Operation Absolute Resolve, the lightning raid that extracted the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, from his home in Caracas and transported him to a detention facility in New York.

This briefing marked the initial instance the full Senate heard details of the early January operation, which involved elite American troops swooping into Venezuela before dawn to seize Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

A Plan Centered on Oil

Officials described a three-phase plan for Venezuela that was centered on oil: first, bringing order to the nation; next, creating opportunities for companies to operate in the Venezuelan market; and a final phase described as “one of transition.”

“We are going to take between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil,” one official stated. “We’re going to sell it in the marketplace at market rates, not at the discounts Venezuela was getting.”

Partisan Split Emerges in Washington

Apart from petroleum, the operation has split Washington along expected partisan divides. Republicans have rallied behind the portrayal of the raid as a simple arrest operation targeting an accused narcotics kingpin. Democrats warn of an illegal act of war that could plunge Venezuela into chaos and set a dangerous precedent for executive power.

“What we did is we took out an illegitimate president,” one Republican senator said. “He was never duly elected, so there can’t be a change in government if he should have never been put in place to begin with.”

Sequence of Events and Legal Proceedings

In the pre-dawn operation, special operations forces struck multiple targets across the country's north, captured Maduro and Flores, ferried them to a U.S. Navy ship, flew them to a stateside base, and then delivered them to authorities in New York. Days later, Maduro stood in federal court entering a denial to charges including “drug terrorism” conspiracy.

Democratic Skepticism and Public Unease

One Democratic senator emerged from the confidential briefing disbelieving, stating the administration is “going to take the oil through military might.”

“This is an insane plan,” the lawmaker said. “They are talking about taking the nation's petroleum resources under threat of force for an undefined period as leverage to control the nation's affairs.” The senator added that they “heard no detailed plan” for ensuring Venezuela’s future stability.

This criticism reflects broader public unease. Polls indicate a significant portion of the public believe the operation ought to have needed legislative authorization. Separate surveys found roughly three-quarters express concern the U.S. will become overly entangled in Venezuela. Overall sentiment echoes the partisan split on Capitol Hill.

“Across America, people are just saying what the hell is going on?” a senior Democratic leader stated. “We need answers as to how long this is going to last. We need answers on military presence, funding, and what guardrails are in place.”

Uncertain Future and Global Criticism

The question of the next steps in Venezuela remains unclear. Leadership has stated the U.S. would “manage” the country for an indeterminate time.

“The reality is the entire Maduro apparatus is still in place,” one analyst noted. “Everyone is in great admiration of the capacity of our military... but there is little clarity about the future plan.”

Global criticism has been rapid. Numerous nations have denounced the operation. At the United Nations, representatives from other major powers called for Maduro’s prompt freedom, while the U.S. justified the move as a precise police action.

Broader Strategic Focus

Republican lawmakers are also narrowing their sights toward Greenland, citing defense concerns.

“China and Russia are conducting activities near Greenland,” one GOP senator said. “In my view, we have a significant strategic stake in Greenland.”

The administration has maintained warships positioned off Venezuela’s coast and recently took control of Venezuela-linked oil tankers, indicating it has no intention to ease pressure.

“Our military is ready to persist in this,” a senior defense official told reporters. “We are an administration of action to advance our interests, and that is on clear view.”