While some California Democratic lawmakers condemned Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro’s capture by American forces, local Venezuelans in Southern California celebrated.
President Donald Trump announced early Saturday morning that Maduro and his wife were captured and removed from their home country by U.S. forces after the military carried out what he described as a “large scale strike.” Following the announcement, some Democratic California lawmakers took to X to push back against the operation, claiming it “further erodes America’s standing.”
On the morning of the announcement, Democratic California Sen. Adam Schiff posted multiple times about Maduro on X, initially calling the operation a “brazen illegal escalation.”
“Nicolás Maduro was a thug and an illegitimate leader of Venezuela, terrorizing and oppressing its people for far too long and forcing many to leave the country,” Schiff wrote. “But starting a war to remove Maduro doesn’t just continue Donald Trump’s trampling of the Constitution, it further erodes America’s standing on the world stage and risks our adversaries mirroring this brazen illegal escalation.”
“The President has vowed that this is not the end of our engagement in Venezuela, saying that ‘we’ll be involved in it very much,’” Schiff added. “Congress must bring up a new War Powers Resolution and reassert its power to authorize force or to refuse to do so. We must speak for the American people who profoundly reject being dragged into new wars.”
Former House Speaker and Democratic California Rep. Nancy Pelosi also weighed in, criticizing President Trump and his administration and claiming he disregarded Congress’ Article I war powers.
“Venezuela is ruled by an illegitimate regime, but the Administration has not made the case that an urgent threat to America’s national security existed to justify the use of U.S. military force,” Pelosi wrote. “President Trump has made no secret of his intentions to effectively abolish the Congress, and that pattern continues today with his flagrant disregard for the Article One war powers of Congress which is essential to our constitutional system of checks and balances.”
“Congress must be fully and immediately briefed on the strikes and regime change in Venezuela, the objectives and extent of this operation, and how the Administration intends to prevent further regional fallout,” Pelosi added.
Democratic California state Rep. Sara Jacobs additionally chimed in Saturday, accusing Trump of “kidnapping” Maduro and calling on Congress to be briefed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“Kidnapping President Maduro in a regime change operation won’t help protect the American people. It won’t actually mitigate drug trafficking in the United States: Venezuela plays virtually no role in producing or trafficking fentanyl,” Jacobs wrote.
“I strongly urge President Trump to abstain from further unauthorized actions and any occupation of Venezuela. Next week, the Senate will vote on a resolution to block U.S. military action against Venezuela absent authorization by Congress, and the House must do the same,” Jacobs continued. “And the American people deserve answers, so Congress must be briefed by Secretary Rubio, Secretary Hegseth, and our intelligence leaders as soon as possible.”
Since President Trump’s first administration, he and other officials have pressured agencies to obtain information on Maduro. The effort intensified in August 2025 after Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the Department of Justice and State Department would offer a $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of the Venezuelan socialist dictator.
The increased pressure followed widespread unrest in Venezuela in 2024, when mass protests erupted after Maduro declared himself president following the 2024 election. At the time of the July 2024 vote, Maduro’s opposition claimed independent polling showed it won 70% of the vote, defeating him.
Leaders around the world weighed in on Venezuela’s election integrity, with former Secretary of State Antony Blinken stating in 2024 that the U.S. had “serious concerns that the result announced does not reflect the will or the votes of the Venezuelan people.”
Despite criticism from Democratic lawmakers over President Trump’s decision to have Maduro brought to the U.S., Venezuelans in Southern California celebrated the operation over the weekend.
Chino, California, cook Gabriel Breceno told CBS News that when news of Maduro broke, he not only called his family still living in Venezuela but also thanked Trump for doing the “best thing for the country.”
Breceno, according to the outlet, came to the United States in 2023 seeking a better future to help his family after being born and raised in Venezuela. Breceno also told CBS News that he hopes the rest of Maduro’s cabinet will follow and be removed from power.
At the same market where Breceno works, the owner told the outlet that many Venezuelan customers have been coming into the store since Maduro’s capture and openly celebrating.
“Oh, they’re all excited. They want to throw parties, they’re happy, they just can’t believe it finally happened,” she told CBS News. “They never thought that they would see it in their lifetime.”
Similarly, Pasadena, California, Venezuelan restaurant owner Yesika Baker told NBC4 that they invited “every single person to celebrate.”
“We are so happy,” Baker said.
Celebrations continued throughout the day, with dozens gathering to wave flags and mark the historic moment, according to NBC4.
“It was so amazing seeing something that we prayed for years,” Tania Llavaneras told the outlet. “A free Venezuela, hopefully, we’re on our way to that with Maduro being captured.”
Since Maduro’s capture, the Venezuelan dictator and his wife have been set to make their first appearance in a New York courthouse Monday. They are both charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons offenses.
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