Local lawmakers weigh in on law enforcement vs. military action debate following Venezuela strikes

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Congressional lawmakers are heading back to Washington D.C. this week following the controversial call by President Donald Trump to strike Venezuela and capture President Nicolas Maduro.

It was a crucial decision many lawmakers say the President made without consulting them.

Every congressional lawmaker representing the Michiana area spoke out on the strike over the weekend.

Some believe they should have been involved by giving the President congressional authorization, but others don't believe that was necessary.

"Let's be clear, there was no need for a declaration of War because this was not a military invasion; this was a law enforcement action," says Congressman Bill Huizenga (R), representing Michigan's 4th Congressional district. "That's literally why FBI agents were in the room reading him his rights as he was getting arrested."

Congressman Huizenga joined several other Republican leaders the commended President Trump's actions over the weekend.

Indiana Congressman Rudy Yakym responded on social media:

"Thank you President Donald J. Trump, Secretary of State Rubio and Secretary of War Hegseth for holding narco-terrorist and drug trafficker Nicolás Maduro accountable. God bless our troops and law enforcement who executed a decisive operation to protect Americans and uphold justice."

Across the aisle, Democrat lawmakers showed more concern about not being included in discussions beforehand.

In a statement, Michigan Senator Gary Peters responded in part:

"There's no question Nicolás Maduro is a dictator and a bad actor in the region, but that does not grant the Administration unilateral authority to wage war without Congressional authorization."

Indiana Congressman Frank Mrvan also saying in part:

"I believe that Congress must be consulted and included in any discussion involving this type of military or enforcement action."

Republicans and Democrats alike agree something needed to be done about Maduro and his dictatorship in Venezuela, but it comes down to how the administration went about it and whether lawmakers believe it was law enforcement or military action.

"We used military assets to enable the law enforcement agents like the FBI to go in and do their job," Huizenga says.

"I think it's clearly law enforcement action," explains Congressman Tim Walberg (R), representing Michigan's 5th district. "Using resources available to the Department of Justice as well as the DEA to bring into the possession of our country and this legal system, a person who was indicted back in 2020 continued to carry out the same actions that he was indicted for."

As members of Congress return to DC this week, they are expecting to be briefed on how the US will run Venezuela until a transition of power can happen.

"Tomorrow morning, we hope to hear from the President a little more of the background that went on in bringing out this positive outcome," Walberg says. Maduro now is in the hands of the law, and we will leave it to the courts to ultimately decide."

"I'm actually going back today, there's going to be a gathering tomorrow, a policy gathering, The President is going to be speaking. I'm very much wanting to have that discussion with what is coming next," Huizenga explains. "I believe that Maria Corina Machado and her supporters should be those folks that are in charge. If that means to redo an election, even though they had won it last time before Maduro overthrew that, I'm okay with that, I just believe it needs to happen in a timely manner."

Many Congressmen and women ABC57 reached out to Monday were unable to interview because they were busy traveling back to Washington DC.

You can find a full list of all of Michiana's congressional representatives' statements on the matter here.