Trump administration plans Congressional briefings on Venezuela strikes: House speaker

By Diyar Guldogan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US House Speaker Mike Johnson said Saturday that the Trump administration is working to schedule briefings for members of Congress following the US military strikes in Venezuela.

"The Trump Administration is working to schedule briefings for Members as Congress returns to Washington next week," Johnson said on the US social media company X.

His remarks came after President Donald Trump said early Saturday that the US "successfully" carried out a "large scale strike" against Venezuela, and that President Nicolas Maduro and his wife had been "captured and flown out of the country."

Johnson said he had spoken in the last several hours with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

"Today’s military action in Venezuela was a decisive and justified operation that will protect American lives,” he said.

"Nicolas Maduro is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans after years of trafficking illegal drugs and violent cartel members into our country -- crimes for which he’s been properly indicted in U.S. courts and an arrest warrant duly issued -- and today he learned what accountability looks like.”

The planned briefings come amid sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers, who argue the administration bypassed Congress and violated constitutional requirements governing the use of military force.

Trump earlier said Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were taken to a ship after their capture by US forces and were heading to New York.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said that Maduro and his wife Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York on multiple criminal charges, including "narco-terrorism."