By Peter Omopo
Republican lawmakers in the United States have said President Donald Trump has no intention of occupying Venezuela or engaging in nation-building efforts, following a classified congressional briefing on the administration’s policy toward the South American country.
House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana told reporters on Monday that the United States was not occupying Venezuela and had no armed forces stationed there. Johnson spoke after a closed-door briefing attended by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and other senior administration officials.
“We do not have U.S. armed forces in Venezuela, and we are not occupying that country,” Johnson said.
The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Representative Brian Mast, echoed the position, dismissing suggestions of a long-term military presence or nation-building agenda. According to him, the current administration does not resemble any previous protracted war effort under President Trump.
“They are not the protracted war administration,” Mast said, when asked how lawmakers would reassure Americans concerned about another “endless war” similar to the conflict in Afghanistan.
The comments follow President Trump’s decision to deploy U.S. forces to Caracas early Saturday to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who pleaded not guilty on Monday to narcotics-related charges in the United States. The operation triggered international reactions and criticism from some U.S. Democrats, who accused senior administration officials of misleading Congress about the scope and intent of the action.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the briefing left several unresolved issues, describing the administration’s broader strategy as unclear. He said he received no assurances that similar military operations would not be carried out in other countries.
Republicans, however, insisted the action was limited and aimed at safeguarding U.S. national security. Mast said the use of the military was focused on protecting the homeland and described the operation as a short-term law enforcement action.
The U.S. Senate is expected to vote this week on a resolution co-sponsored by Schumer that seeks to prevent further military action in Venezuela without congressional approval. Republican lawmakers argue that the weekend operation did not require such approval because of its limited scope.
The development has revived long-standing concerns in Congress over presidential authority to deploy military force without legislative consent. Similar objections have been raised in the past, including after U.S. forces were sent to the Caribbean months ago to target vessels suspected of narcotics trafficking.
The Trump administration has accused Maduro of leading a cocaine-trafficking network linked to international criminal organisations, including Mexico’s Sinaloa and Zetas cartels, Colombia’s FARC rebels and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang. Maduro has rejected the allegations, describing them as a pretext for U.S. interference and an attempt to gain access to Venezuela’s oil resources.
Meanwhile, U.S. oil company shares reportedly rose on Monday amid speculation that the developments could open access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
