Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Scott Peters (CA-50) issued the following statement after President Trump’s announcement that the U.S. conducted a large-scale military operation in Venezuela overnight, capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife:

“I was deeply alarmed to wake up to the news that the United States has invaded—and now taken over—Venezuela.

“Nicolás Maduro is an illegitimate dictator who has caused immense suffering for the Venezuelan people. But Venezuela does not pose a security cost to the United States that would justify this action. It seems to be a move on Venezuelan oil resources. We know from the pardon of former Honduran President Hernandez that bringing Maduro to justice on drug charges is a pretext.

“And while many Venezuelans and Americans hoped to see Maduro gone, we know that ‘running a country’ will have ongoing costs. We know that from the two decades and trillions of dollars we gave in the Middle East.  President Trump has now pulled the U.S. into another conflict that polling shows Americans overwhelmingly oppose. And after decades of endless wars, we do not need another one.

“In San Diego, a proud military community, we know better than most the costs of military action for our service members and their families back home. That’s why we are particularly suspicious of impulsive military decisions with unclear objectives. We are grateful that no U.S. service members were killed and that the mission went as planned, but we are concerned about the undefined mission ahead.

“From the President’s press conference, it’s clear that there is no strategy for going forward. Capturing a leader is not a plan. Without a defined endgame, this action risks prolonged instability, unpredictable escalation, and U.S. casualties on the ground.

“Congress is vested by the Constitution with the power to declare war, but Congress was not notified of this action ahead of time. Ordering a major military operation without Congress is not only dangerous but unconstitutional. That’s why I voted for the War Powers Resolution to reaffirm that the president does not have the authority to take military action in Venezuela.

“It’s time for the Administration to brief Congress on this action and the strategy going forward. Donald Trump continues to make our country weaker by losing friends and gaining enemies around the world. We need to prevent this from becoming another ill-conceived nation-building debacle.”

###