Senior Trump administration officials briefed the full Senate on "Operation Absolute Resolve," the 3 January pre-dawn raid that captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and transferred him to U.S. custody. Republicans defended the operation as a law-enforcement action and outlined plans tied to seizing Venezuelan oil; Democrats warned it may constitute an illegal act of war with no clear stability plan. Polls show widespread public concern, while many international governments condemned the raid. Key questions remain about the duration and legal, diplomatic and humanitarian consequences of U.S. involvement.
Senate Briefed on Controversial Venezuela Raid — Republicans Back Trump, Democrats Warn of Illegal Act of War
The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, speaks alongside the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, in Washington on 7 January 2026.Photograph: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA
Senior Trump administration officials and allies appeared on Capitol Hill this morning to defend one of the boldest U.S. operations in recent memory: the pre-dawn seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from his Caracas residence and his transfer to U.S. custody.
Sen. Marco Rubio, commentator-turned-defense secretary Pete Hegseth, attorney Pam Bondi, former intelligence official John Ratcliffe and Gen. Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs' briefing team, briefed all 100 senators in a closed session on "Operation Absolute Resolve," the 3 January raid that reportedly involved Delta Force special operators.
What Officials Said
According to officials, the operation’s goals include stabilizing Venezuela, opening opportunities for U.S. and international companies to operate in its oil sector, and managing a transition away from the Maduro-era leadership. Senator Rubio described a three-phase approach tied to Venezuela’s oil: stabilization, market access, and transition. He said the administration intends to seize and sell "between 30 and 50 million barrels" of Venezuelan crude at market rates.
“We are going to take between 30 and 50m barrels of oil. We’re going to sell it in the marketplace at market rates, not at the discounts Venezuela was getting,” Rubio said.
Details Of The Operation
Officials described a multi-target special operations strike across northern Venezuela in the early hours of 3 January. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were reportedly apprehended at their residence, transported to the USS Iwo Jima, flown to Stewart Air National Guard Base and then delivered to federal custody in New York. Maduro later appeared in federal court and pleaded not guilty to charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, alleged cocaine importation and weapons offenses tied to a 2020 indictment.
Partisan And Public Reaction
The raid has sharply divided Washington. Republican lawmakers have rallied behind the White House framing the action as a law-enforcement operation to detain an indicted drug trafficker. Democrats called the move an illegal act of war that risks destabilizing Venezuela and setting a dangerous precedent for unilateral executive action.
“This is an insane plan. They are talking about stealing Venezuelan oil at gunpoint for a period of time, undefined as leverage to micromanage the country,” Senator Chris Murphy said after the classified briefing.
Public opinion appears unsettled: a Washington Post poll published Sunday found more than six in ten Americans felt congressional approval should have been required, and a Reuters/Ipsos survey reported broad concern that the U.S. could become too involved in Venezuela. The Reuters poll indicated roughly one-third approved, one-third disapproved and one-third were unsure.
International Response And Operational Outlook
International condemnation was swift. Brazil, Chile, China, France, Iran, Mexico, Russia and Spain publicly denounced the raid. At the U.N. Security Council, representatives from Russia and China demanded Maduro’s immediate release while U.S. officials defended the action as a targeted law-enforcement measure.
Administration officials signaled continued pressure: a U.S. naval presence remains off Venezuela’s coast, and the U.S. Coast Guard reported seizing two Venezuela-linked oil tankers in separate operations. Some Republican lawmakers also raised broader security concerns, citing strategic activity near Greenland as another area of interest.
Unanswered Questions
Key questions persist: how long will U.S. involvement last, what specific stability and governance plans exist for Venezuela, and what legal and diplomatic consequences will follow? Senate leaders across the aisle pressed for clearer plans, timelines, troop levels, and safeguards for both Venezuelans and U.S. interests.
Note: This article was edited for clarity, grammar and structure while preserving the essential facts reported about the Senate briefing and the operation.
Help us improve.
