NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani says he spoke directly with Donald Trump to oppose the US capture of Venezuela’s president.
Maduro and his wife have been indicted in New York and are being brought to the city to face federal charges.
Lawmakers warn the operation lacked congressional authorisation and could undermine constitutional limits on military power.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he spoke “directly” with US President Donald Trump to oppose what he described as an “act of war” following the US military’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, according to PTI.
Speaking at a press conference, Mamdani confirmed that he personally contacted Trump to register his objection to the unilateral operation against Venezuela, a sovereign nation. “I registered my opposition. I made it clear and we left it at that,” Mamdani said, declining to disclose any details of the president’s response, PTI reported.
Maduro and Flores have been indicted in the Southern District of New York and are being brought to the city to face multiple criminal charges. The development comes just two days after Mamdani was sworn in as New York City mayor.
According to PTI, Mamdani said he was briefed on Saturday morning by senior members of his administration, including his chief of staff and the police commissioner, about the US military operation to capture the Venezuelan leader and his wife, as well as their planned detention in federal custody in New York.
In a statement, the mayor said the action would have direct implications for residents of the city, including Venezuelans living there. “Unilaterally attacking a sovereign nation is an act of war and a violation of federal and international law,” Mamdani said.
“This blatant pursuit of regime change doesn’t just affect those abroad, it directly impacts New Yorkers, including tens of thousands of Venezuelans who call this city home. My focus is their safety and the safety of every New Yorker, and my administration will continue to monitor the situation and issue relevant guidance,” he added.
US Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced on X that Maduro and Flores had been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Maduro faces charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the United States.
“They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts,” Bondi said, thanking Trump for “having the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American People” and praising the US military for conducting what she described as a “highly successful mission” to capture the two.
Meanwhile, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, raised constitutional concerns over the operation. While describing Maduro as an “illegitimate dictator” responsible for widespread suffering in Venezuela, Krishnamoorthi said this did not grant the president unchecked authority to deploy military force without congressional approval, PTI reported.
“By acting without congressional authorisation and publicly asserting US control over another sovereign nation, President Trump is abusing presidential power and undermining the Constitution’s separation of powers,” he said.
Krishnamoorthi added that the Trump administration must immediately clarify the status of US personnel involved, disclose whether there were any casualties, and provide a full briefing to Congress.
“The president has now stated that the United States will run Venezuela, committing the country to open-ended responsibility. Neither the American people nor Congress approved that course. This use of force and claimed control erode the rule of law, embolden Moscow and Beijing to push boundaries elsewhere, weaken America’s credibility, and ultimately make Americans less safe,” he said, according to PTI.
(With inputs from PTI)
