The world watched in disbelief as US military forces stormed Venezuelan territory in the early hours of 2026 and abducted sitting President Nicolás Maduro. This act was not merely a foreign policy misstep. It was a flagrant violation of international law. And let’s be clear about one thing: this was not the United States acting as a lawful democracy. This was the Trump administration acting unlawfully while mis-using America’s name.

The distinction is of extreme importance.

Venezuela is a sovereign member of the United Nations. To seize its head of state by force—without consent, without UN authorization, without even congressional approval—was an illegal act under virtually every international and constitutional standard. Article 2(4) of the UN Charter prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. No Security Council resolution authorized this action. No imminent threat justified it.

The world responded accordingly. Nations across Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa condemned the operation. Spain, Mexico, Brazil, China, Russia, and even the United Nations Secretary-General labeled the act what it was: a violation of international law, a dangerous precedent, a kidnapping.

The Trump administration did not speak for the United States. It acted against it.

And yet, Donald Trump—flanked by civilian “advisors” and media personalities-turned-warmongers—defended it as a “law enforcement action.”

It was nothing of the sort.

This was not about counter-narcotics. This was not about defending American lives. This was about regime change—unilateral, unsanctioned, and unconstitutional. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, among others, correctly described the operation as unauthorized and un-American, pointing out that it bypassed Congress, violated the War Powers Resolution, and risked plunging a nation of 30 million into chaos.

Trump’s motives? Political theater, perhaps. Big Oil interests, likely. But justice? Security? Democracy? Not even close.

Those operating under the Trump administration’s orders—including US Navy units enforcing the unlawful blockade and the special forces executing the raid—must not be cloaked in the authority of the United States of America. These are not actions carried out on behalf of the American people, under lawful authorization or in defense of national interests. They are acting solely in service to Trump’s personal agenda. If their mission must bear a flag, let it be emblazoned not with the Stars and Stripes—but with the “Trump” brand. The

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