U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Birmingham) condemned President Donald Trump Saturday over the successful military operation to capture the dictator of Venezuela.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured and arrested early Saturday morning after a “large scale strike” by the U.S. military.

“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country,” Trump said on Truth Social. “This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement.”

https://twitter.com/RepTerriSewell/status/2007500253877154111/photo/1

Sewell, who has been very critical of Trump’s actions against Venezuela since the beginning of his second term, released a statement on the operation.

“There is no doubt that Nicolás Maduro is an illegitimate and corrupt leader, but President Trump does NOT have the authority to unilaterally invade a sovereign country, capture its leader, and haul them back to the United States,” Sewell said. “His reckless actions threaten to further destabilize the region and put our troops in harm’s way while dragging us into another regime-change war against the will of the American people.”

Sewell echoed the sentiments of most in her Party that believe the president should have requested authorization from Congress before conducting an attack in the Latin American country.

“The fact that he did so without even briefing Congress, let alone seeking congressional approval—as required by the Constitution—is extremely alarming and sets a dangerous precedent,” she argued. “The Trump Administration must immediately explain to Congress and the American people why such an attack was justified and how it plans to ensure stability in the region.”

Maduro isn’t just a “foreign leader” in the eyes of the U.S. government, however. He’s been federally charged since 2020, and the State Department has publicly offered a reward tied to information leading to his arrest and/or conviction.

Trump said that Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has been sworn in as the country’s new leader, but also emphasized that the U.S. will “running it with a group, and we’re going to make sure it’s run properly.”

Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee