Under this current Trump Administration, the U.S. has been deeply involved in foreign policy. Early in his second term, President Trump has used soft power to influence international relations through tariffs. Now, President Trump is shifting towards hard power, most notably the invasion of Venezuela. Maduro’s capture was illegal and a violation of international law, prompting the question ‘Can and will the U.S. be held before international law?’
On January 3rd, 2026, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were taken around 2:00 am Venezuelan time from the Presidential mansion in Caracas and taken to New York City in order to face the U.S. court system. Trump labeled the attack as a “law enforcement operation” so as to downplay the military aspects of the operation. However, labeling the operation as such does not confer legal or moral legitimacy under international law. In certain circumstances, U.S. criminal law can reach other countries in situations where harm is inflicted upon the U.S., occurring anywhere in the world. But the only way the U.S. is allowed enforcement jurisdiction in a separate sovereign country is if that country gives consent. Consent which was clearly not established prior to the capture of Maduro. President Trump argues that it was not an act of aggression against another country; it was an operation meant to arrest a suspected drug trafficker in the U.S. Because the Trump administration has labeled Maduro a U.S. drug trafficker, they argued that they did not have to inform Congress prior to the attack. By failing to notify Congress, the executive branch overstepped its authority.
Although Trump’s public stance is that the U.S. has just removed a dangerous drug trafficker, the reality comes down to oil resources and control over territory. In the initial press conference following Maduro’s abduction, Trump mentioned “oil” 27 times, signifying the main economic driver. Trump also laid out his plan for controlling more territory in the “Dondero Doctrine” which framed interventions as a modern evolution of the Monroe Doctrine— a document stating the U.S. controlled the Western hemisphere in 1823. Trump’s reasons for invading Venezuela and removing its president could be justified; however, it was undoubtedly illegal. Margaret Satterthwaite, a UN special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, states that a country cannot simply capture a foreign individual, bring them back to the U.S., and place them on trial for U.S. crimes. If the Trump administration were to take Maduro legally, they would need to approach Venezuela and seek consent to arrest Maduro as a harbored U.S. fugitive. This invasion and capture from the U.S. has also violated the U.N. Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity and political independence of any state. Although the Trump administration cited its own domestic law to justify the invasion, it can not override international law. The illegality of the attack on Venezuela is evident and the Trump administration should be required to answer to international law. Our country isn’t and should never be above the law.
