U.S. Capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro: Considerations for Congress

December 1, 2025Updated January 6, 2026 (IN12618)

On November 29, 2025January 3, 2026, President Trump announced that the U.S. military had launched strikes across Venezuela that culminated in the capture and arrest of President Nicolás Maduro (2013-2026) and his wife Cilia Flores in an operation that resulted in few U.S. casualties. Maduro and Flores were transferred to New York to face narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and weapons charges. Maduro's ouster came after months of U.S. lethal strikes on vessels allegedly transporting drugs for U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) tied to Maduro, seizures of vessels transporting sanctioned Venezuelan oil, and a drone strike that destroyed a port facility. President Trump said that the United States will "run" Venezuela until a transition takes place and that U.S. companies will pay to rebuild the country's oil infrastructure. He asserted that Maduro's vice president and oil minister Delcy Rodríguez, who is under U.S. sanctions for corruption, appears willing "to do what we think is necessary" as acting president. If not, he warned, she could "pay a very big price." Congressional responses to the U.S. capture of Maduro have varied. Some Members have supported the "decisive and justified" operation to bring Maduro to justice. Others criticized the lack of prior authorization or notification to Congress and warned of the risk of entangling U.S. forces in Venezuela. Both chambers have considered but not approved , President Trump announced the closure of Venezuelan airspace days after the State Department designated the Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns) a foreign terrorist organization (FTO). Some experts maintain the group is not a cartel but an informal network of corrupt Venezuelan military officials. U.S. officials assert the FTO designation enables "new options" for military action against the group and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, its U.S.-indicted leader. Critics argue that U.S. law does not explicitly authorize military action against an FTO. Since September, the U.S. military reportedly has launched 21 lethal strikes on vessels in international waters in the Caribbean near Venezuela and in the Eastern Pacific that reportedly have killed more than 80 people (see Figure 1). President Trump has said the strikes killed "narcoterrorists," some of which he linked to Maduro. The U.S. military also has amassed military assets in the Caribbean, reportedly to pressure Maduro to resign. President Trump has threatened strikes on Venezuelan territory but also has spoken to Maduro.

Congressional responses to the U.S. strikes have varied, with some Members expressing support and others questioning their legality. Members are seeking more transparency from the Administration, and House and Senate Armed Services Committee leaders have announced oversight plans, including investigations of reported U.S. follow-on killing of strike survivors. Since October, the Senate has considered but not approved two resolutions pursuant to the War Powers Resolution that would direct the President to terminate the use of the U.S. military for hostilities against certain FTOs (S.J.Res. 83 and H.Con.Res. 61) or with Venezuela (S.J.Res. 90) without congressional authorization. A similar resolution has been introduced in the House (H.Con.Res. 61).

U.S. Policy Toward Venezuela

and H.Con.Res. 64) without congressional authorization. The Senate may consider S.J.Res. 98, which would direct the President to remove U.S. forces from hostilities in Venezuela not authorized by Congress. Congress may consider other legislative and oversight actions.

U.S. Policy

Successive U.S. Administrations have employed various strategies to address authoritarian rule in Venezuela. NeitherNeither the first Trump Administration's sanctions strategy nor the Biden Administration's negotiated approach convinced Maduro to cede powerprecipitated a change in government. In January 2025, Maduro began a third term amid reports of postelection repression and, holding onto power despite election results indicatingsuggesting he lost the 2024 election. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado reportedly supports U.S. military action to Edmundo González. González became the opposition candidate after Maduro-aligned officials blocked the candidacy of opposition leader María Corina Machado; González has been in exile in Spain since September 2024. Machado, who escaped Venezuela in December 2025 to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, has supported U.S. military actions to oust Maduro.

Secretary of State Rubio has said that while restoring democracy remains a long-term goal, coercing the current government to address U.S. security, migration, and energy concerns is the immediate aim. President Trump has asserted that María Corina Machado "doesn't have the support" to lead Venezuela.

Security. The Trump Administration has stated that drug trafficking and terrorist groups led by to oust Maduro.

Figure 1. U.S. Strikes in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific

Source: Created by CRS. U.S. strikes information based on BBC map that sourced Armed Conflict Location & Event Data. Country boundaries from U.S. State Department.

The Trump Administration has asserted that drug trafficking and terrorism involving or associated with Maduro threaten U.S. national security. In October, the Administration reportedly informed Congress that U.S. forces are in a "non-international armed conflict" with drug cartels. Some experts and U.S. government lawyers reportedly challenged that justification. Venezuela is a major transit country for cocaine bound for Europe and the United States and a haven for criminal groups that traffic drugs in collaboration with corrupt officials. The country is not a source of fentanyl, the drug linked to most U.S. overdoses.

President Trump reportedly has authorized covert Central Intelligence Agency action in Venezuela and may order strikes inside the country that some maintain could successfully oust Maduro. A 2019 U.S. military exercise reportedly concluded that a U.S. intervention to oust Maduro likely would cause "chaos." According to some observers, criminal groups, Colombian FTOs, and others that have backed Maduro could become "insurgent guerrillas."

Some analysts argue that the threat of U.S. military action may either compel Maduro to accept a negotiated exile or encourage dissidents in the military to oust him. Under either scenario, observers question whether the political opposition could convince Venezuelan security forces to support a transition government or whether another authoritarian government could take power. Some suggest the Venezuelan opposition could offer amnesty to some Maduro officials and include them in a transition government. Maduro might seek to dissuade U.S. military action by offering the United States priority access to Venezuela's oil reserves.

International Reactions

U.S. military strikes against alleged drug vessels and threats to strike other Latin American countries (Colombia and Mexico) are prompting international debate. UN officials and some G7 leaders reportedly have asserted that the strikes violate international law. Organization of American States members are divided over the strikes, and the Dominican Republic postponed the Summit of the Americas, a heads of government meeting that was to discuss security cooperation.

Governments that work with the United States to interdict drugs and arrest suspected traffickers have reacted differently to the strikes. Brazil, Canada, France, Mexico and the United Kingdom have criticized the strikes. Other countries (the Dominican Republic and Trinidad) have supported the strikes and hosted U.S. troops. Some countries reportedly have suspended some intelligence-sharing with U.S. agencies amid concerns about violating international law. Colombian President Gustavo Petro called the United States guilty of "murder" after a Colombian fisherman reportedly died in a strike, but backed away from threatening to stop intelligence-sharing with the United States.

Most U.S. allies do not recognize the Maduro government as legitimate but reportedly have cautioned against efforts to militarily oust Maduro, predicting these efforts might destabilize Venezuela and fuel emigration. Venezuela has a porous border with Colombia, where violent clashes between illegally armed groups continue. As of May 2025, countries in the region were hosting 6.9 million Venezuelans.

Congressional Considerations

Congress has been broadly supportive of U.S. objectives of hastening a return to democracy in Venezuela and combatting drug trafficking to the United States. Members have disagreed on the policies to achieve those objectives, however, including the use of sanctions and U.S. military action. Some Members have endorsed the strikes to protect Americans from drug trafficking and terrorist groups; others have asked questioned the legal basis for the strikes and expressed concerns about destabilizing the region.

Members may continue to request or seek to compel the Trump Administration to provide information and to engage in consultations on its policy approach. Congress also may consider legislation to authorize or prohibit strikes and to provide or prohibit funding for certain military operations. Congress may hold hearings with official and/or private witnesses, direct inspectors general to conduct investigations, or otherwise seek public input on the strikes and their implications on U.S. policy toward Venezuela and broader relations with regional allies.

in Venezuela and beyond.

Migration. Political repression accompanied by an economic and humanitarian crisis fueled emigration of nearly 8 million Venezuelans during Maduro's presidency. This migration facilitated the spread of Tren de Aragua (TdA), a Venezuelan gang and U.S.-designated FTO. President Trump has accused Maduro of sending TdA members to conduct "irregular warfare" in the United States.

Energy. Venezuela has the world's largest proven oil reserves, but production has plummeted due to corruption, U.S. sanctions, and mismanagement. President Trump has repeatedly asserted that Venezuela stole oil and other resources from the United States. Secretary Rubio said that a U.S. "oil quarantine" of sanctioned shipments will continue as the United States leads efforts to rebuild the sector.

Some experts have disputed the Administration's claims about Venezuela, including those regarding the existence of a non-international armed conflict, Maduro's direction of TDA, and stolen oil.

The situation in Venezuela remains unstable and U.S. policy uncertain. While newly sworn-in Acting President Rodríguez and other Maduro allies, including some indicted in the United States in 2020 and in 2025, apparently remain united and have offered to cooperate with the United States, they reportedly do not exert full control over the country, particularly in regions where criminal groups and Colombian FTOs are active. A Biden Administration official who led Venezuela policy predicted that while "criminalized continuity" or a "managed transition" to democracy could occur, power struggles and/or clashes within Venezuela may result in "chaos" requiring U.S. intervention. Colombian guerrillas have reportedly vowed to challenge U.S. imperialism.

International Reactions

The U.S. military operation to capture Maduro has prompted international debate. The UN Secretary-General said that U.S. actions set a "dangerous precedent," while European Union officials urged restraint and respect for international law. The Organization of American States Secretary General called for a "peaceful way forward." China, Russia, Cuba, and Iran have condemned the action.

Latin American governments have expressed differing perspectives on the U.S. capture. Some, including those of the three most populous countries (Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia), have criticized the action. Others, such as the governments of Argentina, Ecuador, and Peru, have supported the move. The president of Panama, among other leaders, has called for Edmundo González to take power.

Congressional Considerations

Congress has supported past U.S. efforts to compel Maduro to cede power in order to hasten a return to democracy in Venezuela. Members have disagreed, however, on the second Trump Administration's policy goals and the legality of U.S. military strikes on drug vessels at sea, seizures of vessels transporting Venezuelan oil, and the military ouster of Maduro.

Members may continue to request or seek to compel information from the Trump Administration and to engage in consultations on its policy approach. Congress also may consider legislation to authorize or prohibit future military action or related funds for military operations in Venezuela. Congress could consider legislation to authorize aspects of U.S. policy or broad legislation to facilitate a democratic transition similar to the VERDAD Act (P.L. 116-94, Division J, Title I). Congress also could appropriate funds to support democracy or economic recovery that could be tied to congressional conditions. Congress may hold hearings, direct inspectors general to report on U.S. actions, and liaise with exiled opposition leaders.

(This product was formerly titled "Venezuela and U.S. Military Strikes: Considerations for Congress.")