The stunning events of early January 2026, when US forces conducted a military raid inside Venezuela, seized President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, and whisked them to New York to face federal charges, represent far more than a dramatic headline.

While the Trump administration portrays this as a “law enforcement" operation targeting narco-trafficking and corruption, in substance it is the most direct act of American intervention in Latin America in decades, with global ramifications that could reshape the contours of international order.

From Washington’s perspective, the capture of Maduro is a tactical triumph. Supporters of the operation point to Venezuela’s economic collapse under decades of authoritarian misrule, its deep links to organised crime, and the hope among some Venezuelan exiles that Maduro’s removal might open the door to political renewal. Indeed, in parts of Venezuela’s opposition community, there was relief at seeing the man widely blamed for economic mismanagement and repression finally face accountability.

Yet, the political and legal narrative crafted by the White House that this was simply an extension of domestic criminal justice cannot withstand scrutiny. Regardless of Maduro’s domestic record or US indictments, the use of military force inside a sovereign state without the United Nations Security Council authorisation, without the host nation’s consent, and without a clear imminent security threat to the United States, is a violation of core principles of international law. Article 2(4) of the UN Charter expressly prohibits the use of force against the territorial integrity........

© News18