Alon Ben-Meir
Trump’s invasion of Venezuela to seize its oil under the pretense of combating drug trafficking is an act of piracy that shatters what’s left of America’s moral, legal, and ideological standing under Trump, while violating international law and every norm of conduct
A Global Piracy For All To See
Trump’s actions in Venezuela are morally calamitous, showing a perilous disregard for human dignity and the rights of ordinary Venezuelans to be free from external forces. Although Maduro is a corrupt autocrat who has often ruled by decree, no country has the right to snatch the head of state of another country under any circumstances, let alone taking such a brazenly monstrous act expressly for the purpose of exploiting a country’s natural resources.
On legal grounds, Trump’s action is an impudent overreach that undermines the rule of law and violates the UN charter. On ideological grounds, it represents an ominous deviation from democratic principles, embracing authoritarian tactics that must be soundly rejected. Trump’s actions in Venezuela starkly betray the fundamental ideals of global solidarity and justice and represent a complete inversion of what the international community should stand for—mutual respect for territorial integrity and the pursuit of conflict resolution peacefully.
It is unfathomable how a US president would announce unashamedly to the nation and the world that the US has invaded Venezuela, captured its president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, who will both be indicted for drug trafficking, and that the US would now “run the country.” In reality, which Trump explicitly explained, the US will now control all of Venezuela’s oil deposits—the largest in the world—and American oil companies will take over, reap the profits, and share them with the US government.
Trump’s claim that this will stop the smuggling of drugs to the US is hypocritical at best. The fact is that he just pardoned a convicted drug trafficker and former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, and that Venezuela is not a predominant supplier of narcotics to the US compared to its neighbors. Plain and simple, this is a high noon robbery for the whole world to see. Trump’s moral bankruptcy is on full display in 2026, another year that will live in infamy.
Dire International Repercussions
Has anyone in Trump’s wicked administration told him that what he has done is not just immoral, illegal, and runs contrary to everything that America stands for, but will have severe long-term international repercussions for the US? Being incapable of grasping the dire implications of his evil act, Trump should have been told that, at a minimum, his lawlessness will:
1. Accelerate Latin American backlash and regional realignment away from Washington, with governments invoking non-intervention norms, freezing cooperation, and exploring new security and economic arrangements with Brazil, Mexico, or extra-hemispheric blocs.
2. Deepen China–Russia strategic coordination in the Western Hemisphere, including expanded military, energy, and technology partnerships with governments alarmed by the US’ “hegemonic” behavior and looking for counterbalancing patrons.
3. Erode US credibility on international law and weaken Washington’s ability to marshal coalitions on Ukraine, Taiwan, and future crises, as critics cite Venezuela to dismiss US appeals to the UN Charter.
4. Increase diplomatic and legal isolation in multilateral forums, including hostile resolutions at the UN, pushback in the OAS, and renewed calls to constrain US veto power and use of force doctrines.
5. Risk heightened lawfare and universal jurisdiction cases against US officials in foreign courts, plus renewed campaigns to bring US conduct under the ICC’s scrutiny despite US hostility to The Hague.
6. Fuel refugee and migration surges through the region, straining neighboring states and feeding narratives that US militarism directly generates hemispheric humanitarian emergencies.
7. Inflict long-term reputational damage, framing the US as a predatory administrator of another country’s oil, complicating energy diplomacy, green transition negotiations, and global South perceptions of any US economic initiatives.
Measures the Democrats Must Pursue
Congressional Democrats and governors of blue states, and the growing number of Republican officials who have become disillusioned with Trump’s failing policies, should take immediate measures to impede, if not prevent, Trump from proceeding with his ill-fated design for Venezuela. The fact that the Republican Party controls both Chambers should not discourage Democrats from acting quickly and fostering public discussion and dissent, especially now that mid-term campaigns are underway.
The Democrats must force immediate War Powers votes not only to terminate hostilities in Venezuela but also to prevent him from attacking another country, including Cuba and Colombia, which he already floated, and tie any defense or supplemental appropriations to strict prohibitions on further escalation. Even though the Democrats may not succeed, this will put the Republicans on the spot in trying to defend the indefensible and may encourage others to break ranks.
Second, the Democrats should aggressively launch public hearings and inspector general probes into the operation’s planning, legal rationale, and contracting, issuing subpoenas and contempt referrals for noncompliant Trump officials. Regardless of how limited the Democrats’ success would be, raising public awareness is critical, especially now that Trump’s popularity has hit a new nadir.
Third, they should file coordinated federal lawsuits challenging the operation’s constitutionality and seeking injunctions to block further military action absent explicit congressional authorization. Even though Trump may still defy Congress, rousing public debate during the midterm election would encourage more Republican Congressmembers to defect.
Fourth, Democrats should introduce binding legislation narrowing the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), codifying limits on unilateral regime-change operations, and requiring congressional approval for any “stabilization” or occupation of Venezuelan territory. This presents an opportunity to set more precise limits on their use of military force, ensuring that future use of force is more narrowly defined.
Fifth, Democratic governors should use state authority over National Guard deployments and refuse “voluntary” Guard participation in Venezuelan operations and litigate any federal attempts to federalize units for offensive missions. As is, Democratic governors are disgusted with Trump’s audacious dispatch of troops to their cities; they have an opportunity to deny him further control, especially because he cannot invoke the war act.
Finally, the Democrats should escalate political and electoral pressure by coordinating messaging, censuring resolutions, and pledging to condition future confirmations and treaties on the rollback of Venezuela policies and the restoration of congressional war powers.
The Public Must Sound the Alarm
The American public has a pivotal role to play in stopping Trump from further escalating the operation in Venezuela and even reversing it.
The American public should organize sustained, nonviolent protests, marches, and vigils explicitly demanding an end to the Venezuela operation and opposing US occupation or control of Venezuelan oil. Additionally, members of Congress should be flooded with calls, letters, district office visits, and town-hall pressure demanding votes to terminate hostilities.
Concerted effort should be made to support amplifying veterans’, military families’, and Venezuelan diaspora voices in media, op-eds, local forums, and social platforms to frame the war as immoral, illegal, and strategically disastrous. Likewise, channeling donations, volunteering, and forming antiwar coalitions that can organize lobby days, legal challenges, and national days of action against the intervention are critical.
Activists should leverage electoral power effectively by prioritizing anti-war candidates in primaries and general elections, and demand the resignation of local officials who are cheering on the invasion while pressuring city councils, universities, unions, and professional associations to pass resolutions condemning it.
Finally, I have a word or two for every federal, state and local Republican official who remains silent in the face of this travesty. Your silence is not patriotism; it is a betrayal of everything this great nation has stood for. Trump will sooner or later go, but you will have to live with shame for lacking the courage to take a stand when your country’s future is hanging in the balance.
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Dr. Alon Ben-Meir is a retired professor of international relations, most recently at the Center for
Global Affairs at NYU. He taught courses on international negotiation and
Middle Eastern studies.
