Top Republicans praise Venezuela operation as some lawmakers question legal authority

After months of growing concerns among some members of Congress about the Trump Administration's strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean Sea, lawmakers return to Washington to an escalating conflict following U.S. strikes in Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.

President Trump announced early Saturday morning that Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are on a U.S. Navy ship en route to New York, where they will face trial on drug, arms and conspiracy charges. Trump said the U.S. will "run" Venezuela until there is a "safe, proper and judicious transition."

The White House briefed some Congressional leadership after the operation began, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters, adding that Congress could not be notified in advance because it would have endangered the mission.

"Congress has a tendency to leak," Trump told reporters on Saturday. "This would not be good."

Top Congressional Republicans praised Trump, even as they said some say they still have questions about how the operation unfolded and what will happen next.

"President Trump's decisive action to disrupt the unacceptable status quo and apprehend Maduro, through the execution of a valid Department of Justice warrant, is an important first step to bring him to justice for the drug crimes for which he has been indicted in the United States," Senate Majority Leader John Thune wrote in a statement.

"I spoke to Secretary Rubio early this morning, and I look forward to receiving further briefings from the administration on this operation as part of its comprehensive counternarcotics strategy when the Senate returns to Washington next week," Thune wrote.

Republicans respond

In recent months, some Congressional Republicans have expressed reservations about the Trump Administration's actions in Latin America. The Administration has carried out 35 strikes on alleged drug boats, killing at least 115 people since early September.

Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, wrote in a statement that the operation will be positive for Venezuelans and the region.

"My main concern now is that Russia will use this to justify their illegal and barbaric military actions against Ukraine, or China to justify an invasion of Taiwan," Bacon wrote. "Freedom and rule of law were defended last night, but dictators will try to exploit this to rationalize their selfish objectives."

Early this morning, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) initially expressed questions about the constitution justifications of acting without a declaration of war or authorization of force from Congress.

But Lee later said he spoke to Rubio who told him that, "the kinetic action we saw tonight was deployed to protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant."

"This action likely falls within the president's inherent authority under Article II of the Constitution to protect U.S. personnel from an actual or imminent attack," Lee wrote.

Democrats demand briefings and justification

But Congressional Democrats redoubled criticism of the Trump Administration's actions and questions about the legal authority to intervene without Congressional approval.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-NY, released a statement on Saturday calling for the House and Senate to be briefed "immediately" with "compelling evidence to explain and justify this unauthorized use of military force should be presented forthwith."

Jeffries called Maduro "a criminal and authoritarian dictator" and said he "is not the legitimate head of government" but said Trump had a constitutional responsibility to follow the law and "has not sought congressional authorization for the use of military force and has failed to properly notify Congress in advance of the operation in Venezuela."

"Pursuant to the Constitution, the framers gave Congress the sole power to declare war as the branch of government closest to the American people," Jeffries said.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said his bipartisan resolution barring intervention in Venezuela without Congressional approval, could come up for a Senate vote this week. A similar Senate resolution previously failed to attract enough Republican votes.

"Where will this go next? Will the President deploy our troops to protect Iranian protesters? To enforce the fragile ceasefire in Gaza? To battle terrorists in Nigeria? To seize Greenland or the Panama Canal?" Kaine wrote in a statement. "It is long past time for Congress to reassert its critical constitutional role in matters of war, peace, diplomacy and trade."