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Senior leaders from the White House arrived on Capitol Hill to defend one of the boldest armed interventions in modern American memory: the seizure of a sitting head of state from his home city.

Operation Particulars Revealed to Lawmakers

Key cabinet members, the attorney general, the CIA director, and the chair of the joint chiefs briefed all 100 U.S. senators on the mission, the swift strike that extracted the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, from his Caracas residence and brought him to a detention facility in New York.

This briefing marked the first time the full Senate heard particulars of the 3 January attack, which involved U.S. special forces entering Venezuela before dawn to capture Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

A Plan Centered on Oil

Officials described a three-phase plan for Venezuela that revolved around oil: first, stabilization of the country; next, finding access for companies to enter the Venezuelan market; and a final phase described as “a transitional period.”

“We are going to take between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil,” one official stated. “We’re going to sell it in the marketplace at market rates, not at the discounts Venezuela was getting.”

Political Divide Emerges in Washington

Apart from petroleum, the operation has divided the capital along predictable lines. Republicans have rallied behind the portrayal of the raid as a simple arrest operation targeting an accused narcotics kingpin. Democrats warn of an unlawful military aggression that could destabilize the South American nation and establish a troubling new norm for unilateral presidential action.

“What we did is we took out an illegitimate president,” one Republican senator said. “He was never properly voted into office, so there can’t be regime change if he should have never been put in place to begin with.”

Sequence of Events and Legal Proceedings

In the early morning hours, special operations forces hit several locations across the country's north, captured Maduro and Flores, transported them to a U.S. Navy ship, flew them to a stateside base, and then delivered them to authorities in New York. Days later, Maduro appeared before a judge entering a denial to charges including “narco-terrorism” conspiracy.

Democratic Skepticism and Public Unease

One Democratic senator emerged from the closed-door session incredulous, stating the administration is “going to take the oil by force.”

“This is an reckless scheme,” the lawmaker said. “They are talking about taking the nation's petroleum resources at gunpoint for an undefined period as a bargaining chip to micromanage the country.” The senator added that they “heard no detailed plan” for ensuring Venezuela’s future stability.

This pushback reflects broader public unease. Polls indicate a significant portion of the public believe the operation should have required legislative authorization. Separate surveys found roughly three-quarters express worry the U.S. will become overly entangled in Venezuela. Overall sentiment echoes the partisan split on Capitol Hill.

“Across America, people are just saying what is happening?” a senior Democratic leader stated. “We need answers as to how long this is going to last. We need answers on military presence, financial cost, and what limits are in place.”

Unclear Path Ahead and International Condemnation

The question of what happens next in Venezuela remains unclear. Leadership has stated the U.S. would “run” the country for an indeterminate time.

“The reality is the entire Maduro apparatus is still in place,” one analyst noted. “Everyone is in awe of the capacity of our military... but there is no answer about what comes next.”

Global criticism has been rapid. Numerous nations have denounced the operation. At the United Nations, representatives from other major powers called for Maduro’s prompt freedom, while the U.S. justified the move as a precise police action.

Broader Strategic Focus

Republican lawmakers are also narrowing their sights toward Greenland, citing defense concerns.

“China and Russia are operating off the coast Greenland,” one GOP senator said. “In my view, we have a very keen interest in Greenland.”

The administration has maintained warships positioned off Venezuela’s coast and recently seized Venezuela-linked oil tankers, signaling it has no plans to reduce its stance.

“Our military is ready to persist in this,” a senior defense official told reporters. “We are an administration of deeds to advance our interests, and that is on clear view.”