New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani has called US operation in Venezuela as ‘act of war’, saying the operation violated federal and international law.
Mamdani stressed that the consequences of the operation extend beyond Venezuela, saying it could directly affect tens of thousands of Venezuelans living in New York.
Mamdani said he personally contacted President Donald Trump to express his opposition to what he described as a “regime change operation” in Venezuela following the overnight capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
“I spoke directly with the president to formally register my objection to this action,” Mamdani told reporters at a press conference on Saturday.
He said his concerns stemmed from what he views as an unlawful pursuit of regime change and actions that, in his opinion, violate both federal and international law, which he said must be applied consistently.
I was briefed this morning on the U.S. military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, as well as their planned imprisonment in federal custody here in New York City.
Unilaterally attacking a sovereign nation is an act of war and a violation of federal and…
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) January 3, 2026
Earlier, Mamdani had condemned the US military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the detention of Maduro and his wife, calling it “an act of war” and a “clear attempt at regime change.”
In a post on X, he said he had been briefed on the operation and on plans to transfer Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, to federal custody in New York City.
“Launching a unilateral attack on a sovereign country amounts to an act of war and breaches federal and international law,” Mamdani said, cautioning that the move represented a dangerous escalation in US foreign policy.
