From cocaine trafficker's pardon to Maduro charges: Nancy Pelosi calls Trump's move 'entirely hypocritical'

Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Saturday launched a scathing attack on President Donald Trump over the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. She called the administration's actions "entirely hypocritical" and accused the White House of bypassing constitutional limits on the use of military force.

Maduro, now in the US, has been charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the US.

Trump announced on Truth Social early Saturday that the US had "successfully carried" out a "large scale" strike against Venezuela and Maduro, "who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with US Law Enforcement".

"Venezuela is ruled by an illegitimate regime, but the Administration has not made the case that an urgent threat to America’s national security existed to justify the use of U.S. military force,” Pelosi said in a statement on X.

She accused Trump of sidelining Congress in matters of war and peace. "President Trump has made no secret of his intentions to effectively abolish the Congress, and that pattern continues today with his flagrant disregard for the Article One war powers of Congress which is essential to our constitutional system of checks and balances," Pelosi said.

Pelosi also pointed to what she described as a contradiction in the administration's justification for the operation. "If the President grounds his actions on the basis of drug trafficking charges, it is entirely hypocritical in light of his recent pardon of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández who was responsible for bringing more than 400 tons of cocaine in the United States in order to 'shove the drugs right up the noses of the gringos,'" she said.

She added that the administration's position on Maduro stood in stark contrast to Trump's past actions. "The Administration says Maduro will be tried for drug trafficking in a U.S. court - but Hernández was convicted of the same crime by an American jury and Trump pardoned him," Pelosi said.

Calling for congressional oversight, Pelosi said: "Congress must be fully and immediately briefed on the strikes and regime change in Venezuela, the objectives and extent of this operation, and how the Administration intends to prevent further regional fallout."

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said the escalation culminating in Maduro's capture amounted to a "dangerous precedent". The secretary general is "deeply alarmed by the escalation in Venezuela, culminating with today’s United States military action in the country, which has potential worrying implications for the region," a statement issued by his spokesperson said on Saturday.

Guterres said that "these developments constitute a dangerous precedent" and said he is "deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected."

China also issued a strong condemnation. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Beijing was "deeply shocked by and strongly condemns the US’s blatant use of force against a sovereign state and action against its President."

"Such hegemonic acts of the US seriously violate international law and Venezuela’s sovereignty, and threaten peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean region," the ministry said, adding: "China firmly opposes it. We call on the US to abide by international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and stop violating other countries’ sovereignty and security."

China shares a close strategic partnership with Venezuela, built on energy cooperation, and shared opposition to US and Western influence in Latin America. Over the past two decades, China has emerged as a major buyer of Venezuelan oil despite US sanctions, and as a key investor and lender, extending tens of billions of dollars in oil-backed loans.