Congressman Cohen’s Statement in Reaction to the Venezuelan Extraction Mission Overnight
MEMPHIS – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9), a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, made the following statement after reviewing news reports of the military-law enforcement extraction of Nicolas Maduro from Venezuela overnight:
“Nicolas Maduro and his wife were fugitives from justice and will now have their day in a U.S. court. Without question, Maduro is a bad guy and stole an election to stay in power and has engaged in activities that were deleterious to the United States.
“But this was an invasion to extract the president of a foreign nation by force and afterward to run the country. Capturing him was an act of war and only Congress can declare war. This action was unconstitutionally initiated.
“Trump has a way of shooting first and taking aim later, and I am concerned that this attack risks another open-ended conflict and could destabilize the entire region. My sense is that this is not what the American people can support. We’ve already seen enough ‘forever wars.’
“Trump has returned us to the era of ‘gunboat diplomacy’ and the Monroe Doctrine of the 19th century, both very unpopular with our Latin American neighbors. This is the 21st century.
“As a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I expect the Administration to brief Congress as soon as possible on the scope, legal basis, and objectives of these actions, as well as any potential risks to U.S. personnel, civilians, or regional stability. Congressional oversight is not optional -- it is a constitutional requirement.”
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