Protests break out in multiple cities across the US following the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026 local time. In Los Angeles, California, demonstrators took to the streets to protest US President Donald Trump's military actions in Venezuela and the detention of President Maduro and his wife. Photo: IC

US Democratic lawmakers on Saturday showed their anger and distress in the aftermath of the US raid and capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro early Saturday morning, Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday. 

They said that Congress had not been notified in advance and that US President Donald Trump's administration had previously lied to Congress about its goal in the oil-rich South American nation. Meanwhile, they demanded an immediate briefing on the operation and on the White House's next move, according to Xinhua. 

"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," US Senator Andy Kim wrote in a post on X. Last year, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told members of Congress that regime change in Venezuela was not their goal, Xinhua reported. 

Jason Crow, a Democrat on the House Armed Services and Intelligence committees, agreed: "The Trump Administration repeatedly lied to Congress and the American people about Venezuela. Over and over, officials testified that this was not about regime change."

Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that the Trump administration has "consistently misled" lawmakers, leaving Congress in the dark on any US "long-term strategy" concerning Venezuela.

Senator Chris Coons, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, also said that lawmakers were given "false" information by the administration. "A military operation to capture and overthrow a president - even an illegitimate one - is an act of war that must be authorized by Congress," he said.

Both House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Saturday criticized the Trump administration for not seeking congressional authorization before the reckless attack, demanding an immediate briefing.

"The Trump administration has not sought congressional authorization for use of military force and has failed to properly notify Congress in advance of the operation in Venezuela," Jeffries said in a statement.

"Too many questions remain unanswered," said Jeffries, calling for evidence to "explain and justify this unauthorized use of military force."

Other Democrats decrying what they see as a violation of Venezuela's right to self-determination, The Guardian reported. 

Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, said on X that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been indicted in the southern district of New York on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the US.

Senator Mark R. Warner, vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, suggested the raid might have violated the rule of law, WTXL ABC 27 reported. 

"When we abandon those principles, even in the name of confronting bad actors, we weaken our credibility, endanger global stability and invite abuses of power that will long outlast any single presidency," Warner said.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, offered a similar reaction, according to WTXL ABC 27. 

"The American people and Congress deserve transparency and real, concrete answers about what is happening in our own hemisphere," she said. "We need to hear directly from the president on why his varying justifications to date warrant dragging America into an armed conflict without a clear end. We need to know how President Trump will prevent Maduro's lieutenants and criminal gangs from filling the power vacuum that his unilateral action is likely to create."

Several countries have issued strong condemnations over the US for its attack on Venezuela. Venezuela denounced the US' "military aggression," after large explosions were heard and aircraft were seen over its capital Caracas earlier in the day.

China is deeply shocked by and strongly condemns the US's blatant use of force against a sovereign state and action against its president, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson made the remarks on the US military strikes on Venezuela.

Such hegemonic acts of the US seriously violate international law and Venezuela's sovereignty, and threaten peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean region. China firmly opposes it. We call on the US to abide by international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and stop violating other countries' sovereignty and security, the spokesperson said.

Global Times