NYC mayor speaks with Trump, terms US military action in Venezuela ‘act of war’

Under the unforgiving glare of global scrutiny, New York City’s newly sworn-in mayor, Zohran Mamdani, stepped onto the international stage just days after taking office, openly confronting President Donald Trump over what he described as an “act of war” against a sovereign nation.

Speaking at a press conference, Mamdani revealed that he had spoken “directly” with Trump to register his opposition to the US military’s dramatic capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Calling the operation a unilateral assault on Venezuelan sovereignty, the mayor said he made his objections clear — and left it at that, declining to disclose the president’s response.

The extraordinary episode unfolded barely 48 hours after Mamdani’s swearing-in, thrusting the city’s new leader into a geopolitical storm. Early Saturday morning, he was briefed by senior officials, including his chief of staff and the police commissioner, on the capture of Maduro and Flores and their imminent transfer to federal custody in New York, where both have been indicted in the Southern District.

Mamdani warned that the implications of the move reverberate far beyond distant borders. “This blatant pursuit of regime change doesn’t just affect those abroad,” he said in a statement. “It directly impacts New Yorkers — including tens of thousands of Venezuelans who call this city home.” Emphasising the safety of immigrant communities, he vowed that his administration would closely monitor developments and issue guidance as needed.

“Unilaterally attacking a sovereign nation is an act of war and a violation of federal and international law,” the mayor said, framing his criticism in stark moral and legal terms.

US attorney general Pamela Bondi, however, struck a sharply different note. In a post on X, she confirmed that Maduro and Flores face sweeping charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation, and weapons offences involving machine guns and destructive devices. Hailing the operation, Bondi said the pair would “soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil,” praising Trump for demanding accountability and lauding the military for what she called a “highly successful mission.”

Adding to the growing chorus of concern in Washington, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, cautioned that even Maduro’s record as an “illegitimate dictator” did not grant the president unchecked authority to deploy military force.

“By acting without congressional authorisation and publicly asserting US control over another sovereign nation, President Trump is abusing presidential power and undermining the Constitution’s separation of powers,” Krishnamoorthi said. He demanded immediate disclosures on casualties, the safety of US personnel, and a full briefing to Congress.

Warning of far-reaching consequences, the lawmaker said claims that the United States would “run Venezuela” risked entangling the country in open-ended responsibility without public or congressional consent. Such actions, he argued, weaken the rule of law, embolden rival powers like Moscow and Beijing, erode America’s credibility and ultimately make Americans less safe.

As the dust settles on one of the most dramatic international interventions in recent memory, New York’s new mayor has made clear that his voice — and his city’s conscience — will not remain silent.

With PTI inputs