The US attack on Venezuela has prompted American Senator Brian Schatz, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to hit out at the Trump administration, warning that Washington has “no vital national interests in Venezuela to justify war.”
US President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social, has confirmed that Washington carried out large scale strike against the south American nation and that its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, “captured and flown out of the country”.
Washington has accused Maduro of running a “narco-state”, and of working with gangs designated as terrorist organisations. Maduro has denied these allegations.
In an X post, Schatz said the US “should have learned not to stumble into another stupid adventure by now,” adding that US President Donald Trump was “not even bothering to tell the American public what the hell is going on.”
How have other senators reacted?
Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona wrote on X: “This war is illegal.”
The senator, a US Marine Corps veteran who was deployed in Iraq, called it the “Second unjustified war in my life time.”
Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah also expressed scepticism, saying in a post on X: “I look forward to learning what, if anything, might constitutionally justify this action in the absence of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force.”
What happened in Venezuela?
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife have also been captured and flown out of the country, US President Donald Trump confirmed on Truth Social.
“This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter,” he said in a post on the platform.
The attack took place months after US military build-up in the region, with the deployment of aircraft and warships.
Trump has sought a “blockade” of Venezuelan oil, expanded sanctions against the Maduro government and staged more than two dozen strikes on vessels the US alleges were involved in trafficking drugs in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
Why was Venezuela attacked?
Trump ordered the attacks on military facilities like Fuerte Tiuna and La Carlota airfield in Caracas to dismantle drug operations linked to Maduro and his allies, following months of naval strikes on over 30 boats and seizures of oil tankers used for sanctioned oil and drug transport, according to New York Times.
US officials accused Maduro of deploying cocaine as a weapon against the US, with prior indictments for narco-terrorism and ties to gangs like Tren de Aragua.
Blasts, aircraft and black smoke could be seen across Caracas from about 2 am (0600 GMT) for roughly 90 minutes, according to Reuters.
Venezuelan citizens express shock
Across the city, Venezuelans expressed shock and fear as they captured video of billowing smoke and bright orange flashes in the sky. “My love, oh no, look at that,” said one woman in a video, gasping at blasts in the distance.