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Trump admin briefs Congress on future of Venezuela after Maduro's capture

Trump defended the operation and said Congress knew what was happening, without saying whether members had advance notice.

Trump admin briefs Congress on future of Venezuela after Maduro's capture
Image · Daily Mail

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This article1 analysis · Oct 12, 2026

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455 stories · 54–55 · updated Oct 13, 2026

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Daily Mailvia Daily Mail
Jan 5, 2026
tl;dr

Trump administration officials briefed congressional leaders after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Lawmakers differed over the operation and the administration’s handling of congressional notification, while questions remain about Venezuela’s future.

Community verdict

54 VOTES
How does this story look for
Donald Trump R · President of the United States

Counts every outlet’s report of this story. See all 8

● OPEN
Votes cast on this page

Votes cast on this page: ▲ 0 · ◆ 0 · ▼ 0

People in this story

SWIPE →
Donald Trump
R · President of the United States

President who directed the capture of Maduro and defended the administration’s actions

PRIMARY SUBJECT
Mike Johnson
R · LA-4

Speaker of the House defending the administration’s Venezuela operation

Johnson's version of this story ↗
Chuck Grassley
R · IA · SEN

Senate Judiciary Committee chairman who objected to being excluded from the briefing

John Ratcliffe
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

CIA director who attended the congressional briefing

Attorney general who attended the congressional briefing

Pete Hegseth
R · Secretary of Defense

Secretary of Defense who attended the congressional briefing

John Thune
R · SD · SEN

Senate Majority Leader included in the congressional briefing

John Fetterman
D · PA · SEN

Senator commenting on the possibility of a better future for Venezuela

Richard J. Durbin
D · IL · SEN

Senate Judiciary Committee ranking member who objected to being excluded from the briefing

House Minority Leader included in the congressional briefing

Brian J. Mast
R · FL-21

House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman who described the briefing and Venezuela’s contacts with the United States

Chuck Schumer
D · NY · SEN

Senate Minority Leader commenting on Maduro’s capture and the uncertainty over what follows

Marco Rubio
Secretary of State

Secretary of State whose position on elections in Venezuela was relayed by Mast

Rand Paul
R · KY · SEN

Senator questioning whether the operation amounted to an act of war

ALSO MENTIONED  Barack Obama, Former president mentioned in a comparison with Republican criticism of his actions in Libya; Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who attended the briefing; Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s acting leader, described as being in communication with the United States; Nicholas Maduro, Venezuelan president captured by U.S. forces

Part of a bigger story

8 OUTLETS
U.S. Operation Captures Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro

Outlets agree that a U.S. operation captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro under President Donald Trump. Left-leaning outlets focus on Marjorie Taylor Greene’s criticism that the operation diverts attention from domestic concerns. Center outlets emphasize lawmakers’ differing views of the operation’s legality, congressional involvement, and Venezuela’s future.

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