Members of Congress representing North San Diego County reacted Saturday, Jan. 3, after the Department of Defense announced that American forces had captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife during a military operation in Venezuela.
On Sunday, about 50 people gathered for a protest organized by the Democratic Club of Carlsbad Oceanside at the corner Pier View Way and Coast Highway in Oceanside. Protesters carried signs such as “Congress: Stop Trump, Keep Our Troops Out Of Venezuela” and “No War For Oil.”
Rep. Mike Levin (D-49th District), whose district includes parts of Oceanside, Carlsbad and Encinitas, issued a statement acknowledging Maduro’s removal while criticizing how the operation was carried out. Levin called Maduro “an illegitimate authoritarian ruler” who oversaw widespread repression and economic collapse, but he also said that outcome does not excuse what he described as a lack of constitutional process.
He thanked U.S. service members and intelligence personnel for their work and said he was relieved no American troops were killed, while warning that the administration failed to seek authorization from Congress before launching the operation.
Levin also raised concerns about the administration’s public statements following the operation, particularly comments suggesting the United States was now “running” Venezuela. He said governing another country would amount to an act of war or occupation under both U.S. and international law, requiring clear legal authority and congressional approval, neither of which he said had been provided.
“The President stated that the United States is now ‘running’ Venezuela. Under the Constitution and international law, administering or governing a foreign country constitutes an act of war and occupation, not a law-enforcement action,” Levin said in his statement. “Such an undertaking requires explicit congressional authorization and clear legal authority. Neither has been provided. No indictment gives an American president unilateral power to assume control of another country.”
Rep. Darrell Issa (R-48th District), whose district includes inland North County communities including portions of San Marcos and Escondido, took a different tone.
In a statement posted on social media, Issa praised the operation and framed Maduro’s capture as a major step toward restoring stability in the Western Hemisphere. He said the removal of Venezuela’s leadership was long overdue and credited the administration with decisive action.
“Our elite military have again performed brilliantly with total effectiveness, and minimum loss of life. They are the best-trained, best-equipped, and bravest in the world,” Issa wrote. “Once again, @realDonaldTrump has taken strong action to protect America’s homeland from neighboring threats of narcoterrorism and the scourge of deadly narcotics. The Trump Administration has my full support.”
The Department of Defense (now referred to as the Department of War by the Trump Administration) stated that the operation was the result of months of planning and coordination with U.S. intelligence agencies. According to a Defense Department news release, the mission targeted senior Venezuelan leadership and was carried out by U.S. military forces operating under presidential orders.
Officials described the capture as part of a broader effort to address regional security threats and destabilizing activity tied to the Maduro government.
A separate statement released by the White House listed quotes from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who defended the administration’s actions and said the United States would not tolerate threats to regional security.
“This is the Western Hemisphere. This is where we live — and we’re not going to allow the Western Hemisphere to be a base of operation for adversaries, competitors, and rivals of the United States,” Rubio told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.”
Within Congress, Levin and other lawmakers are calling for immediate briefings and a full explanation of the legal and strategic justification behind the mission.
This report was partially written using artificial intelligence, then edited and fact-checked against source material. View our AI policy on the About Us page.
