Rep. Jim Himes Criticizes U.S. Operation to Capture Maduro as 'Clearly Illegal'

Rep. Jim Himes, the leading Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, has condemned the recent U.S. military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, labeling it "clearly illegal under international law."

Speaking on "Face the Nation," Himes expressed concern over the precedent set by the operation, suggesting that it could embolden other nations to justify similar actions. He stated, "Russia and China just learned that all you need to do if you want to go into Estonia is to say that the leader of Estonia is a bad person."

The U.S. conducted airstrikes in Venezuela, leading to Maduro's capture early Saturday morning. He was subsequently transported to New York City, where he is scheduled to be arraigned on federal charges related to drug trafficking and associations with designated terrorist organizations. Maduro has denied these charges.

While President Trump and his administration have praised the operation, Himes criticized the lack of congressional consultation, emphasizing that the Constitution mandates legislative approval for military actions. He noted, "The Constitution is really pretty clear that the representatives of the people get to be consulted and ultimately approve military activity. That has not happened here at all."

Himes also highlighted the absence of communication from the administration to Democratic members of Congress regarding the operation, stating he had "zero outreach" and was unaware of any outreach to other Democrats.

The administration has defended its actions by citing the 2020 indictment against Maduro on charges related to drug trafficking and collaboration with terrorist organizations.

Reflecting on historical parallels, Himes cautioned against the initial euphoria following such military interventions, referencing past U.S. actions in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. He remarked, "What we learned the day after the euphoria phase is it's an awful lot easier to break a country than it is to actually do what the president promised to do, which is to run it."