- Mamdani says the operation violated federal and international law.
- Warns that relocation could have direct consequences for Venezuelans in the United States.
- Mayor says he is monitoring the situation and may issue guidance if necessary.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he personally called President Donald Trump to object to what he described as a “pursuit of regime change” in Venezuela following the overnight capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
President Trump announced on Saturday that he was placing Venezuela under temporary US control after the US captured President Nicolas Maduro in a daring raid and took him to New York to face drug-trafficking charges.
“We will run the country until such time as we can make a safe, orderly and sensible transition,” Trump said during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. “We cannot take a chance on someone else taking over Venezuela who does not have the interests of Venezuelans in mind.”
Trump also said that as part of the takeover, major U.S. oil companies would move into Venezuela, which has the world’s largest oil reserves, and renovate severely deteriorated oil infrastructure, a process experts said could take years.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Mamdani said he had contacted Trump “directly” to make his position clear.
“I called the president and spoke to him directly to register my opposition to this action,” he said.
Mamdani said his objection was based on opposition to a “pursuit of regime change” and actions he believes are in violation of federal and international law, which he said should be applied consistently.
Earlier, the mayor described the US military operation that led to Maduro’s capture as “an act of war” and an “open pursuit of regime change.”
In a post on X, Mamdani said he had been briefed on the operation and on plans to detain Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in federal custody in New York City.
“Unilaterally attacking a sovereign nation is an act of war and a violation of federal and international law,” he said, warning that the move marked a dangerous escalation in US foreign policy.
Mamdani said the fallout from the operation would not be limited to Venezuela and could directly affect tens of thousands of Venezuelans living in New York.
“My focus is their safety and the safety of every New Yorker,” he said, adding that his administration will continue to monitor the situation and issue guidance if necessary.
His comments came after President Trump announced that US forces had carried out a “large-scale attack” in Venezuela, resulting in the capture of Maduro and his wife. Trump later said the pair were being flown to New York to face federal charges.
