WASHINGTON — AAPI members of Congress are reacting along party lines to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife by U.S. forces.
Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena): “President Trump just bombed Venezuela and arrested its leader without any explanation to the American people and without authorization from Congress. Americans do not want another foreign regime change war launched in secret and without accountability. And Trump is setting an example to the world that it is acceptable for countries to unilaterally overthrow sovereign leaders.
“Congress must rein in this administration and stop it from dragging our country into another endless, unauthorized war.”
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Manhattan Beach): “The U.S. attack on Venezuela is illegal. Congress never authorized this use of force. I will vote to stop it.
“This is insane. Health care costs and food prices are surging. Trump’s response is we’re going to run another country. Batsh*t crazy.”
Rep. Mark Takano (D-Riverside): “President Trump is once again acting like a king. He just overthrew the Venezuelan government, dragging us into yet another foreign intervention without Congress’s approval. Republicans need to grow a spine and join us in demanding oversight and checking this imperial president.”
Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Sacramento): “Sending U.S. forces into another country without congressional authorization or notification to remove its government constitutes an unauthorized act of war by the President. This action demands accountability.
“Military conflict should be a last resort, not an impulsive tool of foreign policy. Acting without congressional authorization is illegal, reckless, and risks entangling the United States in a broader conflict that doesn’t make America or the world safer. After repeatedly denying any intent to pursue regime change through military action, the Trump Administration has now done exactly that — without approval and without a plan.
“Nicolás Maduro has inflicted incalculable harm on his people in pursuit of personal enrichment. Acknowledging his illegitimate reign and corruption does not excuse the method by which he was removed. The means used are illegal and establish a dangerous precedent.”
Rep. Young Kim (R-Anaheim Hills): “Maduro was a brutal dictator and indicted narco-terrorist responsible for flooding our country with deadly drugs and contributing to countless American deaths. The Venezuelan people have suffered under his illegitimate rule for long enough. I’m glad he will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law and look forward to hearing more from the administration in the coming days and hours.”
Rep. Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield): “The United States has long pursued accountability for Nicolás Maduro, who was indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice in 2020 for his many crimes including narco-terrorism and drug trafficking as the head of the Cartel de los Soles.
“Maduro’s arrest represents a meaningful step toward justice for the death and destruction that his transnational drug trafficking networks have inflicted on hundreds of thousands of American families in communities across our country.
“I commend President Donald J. Trump and our brave men and women in uniform for bringing Maduro into custody. I look forward to him standing trial in the Southern District of New York. Today marks a future of freedom for the people of Venezuela and a safer United States of America.”
Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii): “At a time when Americans can’t afford rent, healthcare, or groceries, the Trump Administration found time and money for regime change in Venezuela, risking a war that Americans don’t want. Before we spend another dollar on this reckless conflict, the American people deserve answers, including what this administration’s exit strategy is. Americans wanted help and hope in 2026, not another war.”
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.): “Maduro is an illegitimate dictator. That fact alone does not give Trump and his administration the authority to invade Venezuela, kidnap him in the middle of the night, and force regime change — something the U.S. has tried and failed to do many times over.
“This was an illegal and unconstitutional attack, undertaken by Trump without any authorization from Congress, and with no plan for the future.
“If this were truly about stopping drug trafficking, Trump would not have recently pardoned the former Honduran President Juan Orland Hernandez, who had been sentenced to 45 years in prison for his role in a drug trafficking scheme that smuggled 400 tons of cocaine into the U.S.
“Congress alone has the power to authorize war. Republicans need to step up to do their constitutional duty and join Democrats in ensuring that Congress reasserts our authority. The implications otherwise are dire; any rogue leader of any country can decide who they want to take out at any time.
“The American people have said over and over again that they do not want another war. Trump lied to the American people when he said that he would get us out of endless wars and instead would focus on making life affordable for Americans. Nothing could be further from the truth.
“This is once again about oil, power and greed — not bettering the lives of Americans or leading the world towards diplomacy and peace.
“Congress must intervene before Trump’s actions further destabilize the region.”
Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii): “Nicolas Maduro should be held accountable for his actions, but Donald Trump’s unilateral decision to overthrow his regime does nothing to make our country safer. Instead, without any authorization from Congress or any clear plan for what comes next, Trump is plunging our nation into a conflict that could put American lives at risk while destabilizing the region and our relationships with our allies.
“Trump’s characteristically chaotic suggestion that the U.S. is ‘going to run’ Venezuela indefinitely, without any details, shows his disregard for the consequences of decades of misguided American intervantion around the world. Trump promised to ‘end forever wars’ and not engage in regime change. As usual, he says one thing and does another.
“Today, the American people and the world are left with more questions than answers. What comes next for Venezuela? Will Trump invade another sovereign country? Is there any limit to the lawlessness of the Trump regime?
“I call on the Republicans in Congress to join us in holding the Trump regime accountable for its refusal to obey the rule of law and demanding the answers the American people deserve.”
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.): “Donald Trump’s reckless and unconstitutional operations in Venezuela — including this morning’s arrest of a foreign leader — are not about enforcing law and order because if they were, he wouldn’t hide them from Congress.
“Maduro was unquestionably a bad actor, but no president has the authority to unilaterally decide to use force to topple a government, thrusting us and the region into uncertainty without justification, a defined end-state or a real plan for preventing the instability that could come next.
“His actions continue putting American troops, personnel and citizens at risk both in the region and around the globe. None of that serves our nation’s interests.”
Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.): “Secretaries Rubio and Hegseth looked every senator in the eye a few weeks ago and said this wasn’t about regime change. I didn’t trust them then and we see now that they blatantly lied to Congress.
“Trump rejected our constitutionally required approval process for armed conflict because the administration knows the American people overwhelmingly reject risks pulling our nation into another war.
“This strike doesn’t represent strength. It’s not sound foreign policy. It puts Americans at risk in Venezuela and the region, and it sends a horrible and disturbing signal to other powerful leaders across the globe that targeting a head of state is an acceptable policy for the U.S. government.
“This will further damage our reputation – already hurt by Trump’s policies around the world – and only isolate us in a time when we need our friends and allies more than ever.”