Did the president need authorization from Congress to use U.S. military force against Venezuela?
- Publisher
- Just Security
- Published
- 2026-01-07
- Type
- analysis
- Link
- https://www.justsecurity.org/128211/congress-president-military-force-venezuela/
- Last checked
- 2026-10-26
- Rights
- reference only — we link and describe; we do not republish the text.
Cited in
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Defense and Security
Seizing a head of state without telling Congress: Operation Absolute Resolve, 75 dead, and a $4.7 billion bill
On January 3, 2026, 200 US special operators and 150 aircraft seized Nicolás Maduro in Caracas; about 75 people died, Congress was told afterward, a secret memo said no law bound the president, and Trump said the US would 'run' Venezuela.