Name: Closed-door Venezuela briefing: U.S. officials inform senators on raid
Uploaded: 2026-01-08T08:04:04.522Z
Duration: 2 min 15 s
Description: Top US officials brief senators behind closed doors on a deadly raid in Venezuela and defend the operation.

Top US officials brief senators behind closed doors on a deadly raid in Venezuela and defend the operation.

Washington

US officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, briefed all 100 senators in a closed-door session about the recent military operation in Venezuela, which resulted in the capture of Nicolas Maduro. The briefing, led by Senator Marco Rubio, provided detailed and classified information, impressing some Republican senators while leaving Democratic senators with questions about the operation's duration, cost, and the potential deployment of US troops.

The session also included news of the US seizing a Russian tanker in the Atlantic, drawing bipartisan reactions. The Trump administration aims to build congressional support ahead of a vote on the War Powers Resolution, which would require congressional approval for further US action in Venezuela, as stipulated by the Constitution.

Closed-door Venezuela briefing: U.S. officials inform senators on raid

High-profile briefing here in the halls of Congress with Marco Rubio leading the delegation from the administration. Also included Pete Hegseth who's of course the Defense Secretary and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This was to inform 100 senators behind closed doors about the military operation in Venezuela, how they captured Nicolas Maduro and of course plans for the future. Such an important question for so many senators. Now afterwards we spoke to John Kennedy the Republican senator from Louisiana. He says he was very impressed by what he heard. It was in my 10 years here it was probably the best briefing I've attended. It was very specific. It was very thorough. They told us things that were truly classified. Oftentimes they don't. For many Democratic senators there's still questions to be answered. How long will this operation last? How much will it cost? Will American troops actually be needed on the ground in Venezuela? The leader of the Democrats in the Senate Chuck Schumer says these questions need answers. This is fraught with peril. The American people, the public, not just in a classified room, the American people need answers. While the split is really along party lines with Republicans supporting everything that Donald Trump has done and Democrats asking many questions, they came to the Hill with news that the US had seized the Russian tanker in the Atlantic. That led John Fetterman, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, to praise what Donald Trump has done and says this teaches the Russians a lesson. Yeah I love it. I love it. Calling calling **** on the Russians, you know, on the dirty Russians. Absolutely, finally standing up and pushing back on Russia, you know. The Trump administration is hoping these briefings will get it even more support on Capitol Hill. That's important because the next thing up here is a vote on the War Powers Resolution, which essentially says that Donald Trump can't take further action in or on Venezuela without congressional approval, just like it says in the Constitution. Alan Fisher, Al Jazeera, Capitol Hill.

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