New DOJ opinion offers legal justification for Maduro seizure, Trump officials tell Congress
Source: NBC News
Jan. 8, 2026, 1:28 PM EST
WASHINGTON — Trump administration officials briefed lawmakers this week on a new legal opinion justifying the operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who are facing narcotics charges in federal court in New York.
The opinion comes from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, according to lawmakers who spoke to NBC News. The lawmakers hadn’t seen details yet, but said it sought to give legal justification for the raid and capture. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the new opinion.
The office serves as a sort of in-house counsel for the federal government, providing legal justifications and opinions for the federal government. During the George W. Bush’s administration, it produced memos that provided the legal framework for the use of “enhanced interrogation techniques,” including waterboarding.
During Barack Obama’s presidency, the office determined the administration had been legally justified in targeting Anwar al-Awlaki, an American citizen and radical cleric who was killed in a 2011 drone strike. More recently, the office has justified the boat strikes that have killed dozens of individuals the administration has said were engaged in drug trafficking. The Justice Department didn’t immediately comment on the opinion.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/new-doj-opinion-offers-legal-justification-maduro-seizure-officials-te-rcna253008
= new reply since forum marked as read
