TRUMP DRAWS SWIFT BACKLASH FROM DEMOCRATS OVER MADURO'S CAPTURE. (PHOTO)

 Trump draws swift backlash from Democrats over Maduro's capture

President Trump is facing swift criticism from congressional Democrats after ordering overnight strikes on military targets in Caracas, which led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Lawmakers argued that Trump bypassed Congress and overstepped his authority by launching the operation without prior authorization. The strikes targeted Venezuelan anti-air and other military installations, reportedly to protect U.S. personnel involved in Maduro’s capture. Republicans, however, defended the move, with Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) saying Trump “likely” acted under his constitutional authority to protect American forces abroad.

Democrats expressed concern over the legality and precedent of the operation. Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) called the strikes “not sound foreign policy” and warned that they could send a dangerous signal to world leaders that targeting a head of state is acceptable U.S. policy. Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.) acknowledged Maduro’s capture as a “major step” toward a free Venezuela but criticized Trump for not seeking congressional approval. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) emphasized that Congress had not authorized any military action, noting Venezuela posed no immediate threat to the U.S.

Both Soto and Kim highlighted previous testimony from Trump administration officials promising Congress would be consulted before any operations aimed at ousting Maduro. “Congress must now conduct extensive hearings on the attack and all efforts to restore democracy in Venezuela,” Soto said.

Republican lawmakers pushed back, highlighting Maduro’s criminal record. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) described Maduro as “an illegitimate dictator” involved in a “vast drug-trafficking operation” and noted he had been indicted in a U.S. court nearly six years ago for drug trafficking and narco-terrorism. Cotton urged Venezuela’s interim government to abandon criminal alliances and rejoin the “civilized world.”