The U.S. House of Representatives defeated a bipartisan War Powers Resolution blocking unauthorized military action against Venezuela by a 211-213 vote with nine members not voting, according to an X post by @SA_Defensa between 3:46 AM and 4:15 AM UTC on December 18, 2025, in Washington, D.C. This occurs hours before President Donald Trump is expected to announce war plans in a 9:00 PM EST national address tonight, per Antiwar.com citing a Capitol Hill source. Antiwar.com reported that Tucker Carlson confirmed on the Judging Freedom podcast that members of Congress were briefed yesterday on an impending war to be announced tonight. The report follows Trump's Tuesday announcement of a total blockade on Venezuelan oil tankers and the seizure of a tanker carrying Venezuelan crude, as posted by X user @MarioNawfal referencing Antiwar.com. Military options briefed to Trump include strikes on government targets, special operations to kill or capture Nicolás Maduro, and larger deployments to seize airbases and oil fields, according to the Antiwar.com report. The administration stated its goal is to oust Maduro. An X post by @A_M_R_M1 stated that the Venezuelan military is preparing for potential confrontation, with Maduro expecting clashes with the United States to begin tonight. Venezuela requested a UN Security Council meeting for next Tuesday to address U.S. aggression, per Antiwar.com. This development aligns with prior X reports of Tucker Carlson claiming a war announcement tonight and a sanctioned tanker Xanthos Eos tracked near Caracas after departing Punta Cardón Port, as noted earlier on December 18.
