Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the U.S. military strike that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as a violation of law without congressional authorization, according to an ABC News post shared between 3:45 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. UTC on January 4, 2026. JD Vance defended the U.S. action in an X post during the 29-minute period, stating Venezuela facilitated cocaine trafficking that funds Latin American cartels, contributed to fentanyl flows, and expropriated U.S. oil property to fund narcoterrorism. Vance noted President Donald Trump's border closure addressed Mexican fentanyl sources. Richard Grenell denied a Miami Herald report claiming the White House rejected Maduro's offer, mediated by Qatar, to step down if charges were dropped and deputies assumed power, calling it a "made-up story" in an X post shared in the reporting window, per Jacqui Heinrich. A Reuters photo posted during this period shows Jesus Linares, 48, at his damaged apartment in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, following the U.S. strike that captured Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. An X post indicated a statement from Venezuela's military High Command was expected in the next few minutes as of 11:55 a.m. local time.
