LIVE: URGENT REPORT ON VENEZUELA INVASION | The Weekend Show

The US military's air strikes on Venezuela and the capture of President Nicholas Maduro are definitively categorized as an act of war, not a law enforcement 'raid.' This operation violated international law and US constitutional law because it lacked authorization from the United States Congress. The guest, Fred Wellman, a combat veteran, emphasizes the gravity of deploying military force, highlighting the real-world consequences of bombs and casualties.

Fred Wellman states, 'This is an act of war. Seizing the leader of a foreign nation... We conducted an act of war against a foreign nation without authorization by the United States Congress.' He also notes, 'We started conducting combat operations against the country of Venezuela back in September when we started blowing up boats in the open ocean. That is an act of war.'

Congress is severely criticized for its failure to exercise its constitutional duty of oversight regarding military actions. The Republican-majority Congress is labeled a 'doormat' for allowing the executive branch to operate with unchecked power, making decisions about war and occupation without legislative input. This inaction creates a dangerous precedent where one man and one party control all levers of government.

Wellman asserts, 'Congress was not involved in any way. So, they're left scrambling to TV to try and guess what the goal was here.' He adds, 'what we see is the United States Congress, I call it the Republican doormat Congress, has absconded from their duty, their constitutional duty, and have forsaken that for Trump to have more power.'

The US invasion of Venezuela, particularly given the administration's prior pardoning of similar criminals (like the president of Honduras), strips the US of any moral higher ground. This unilateral action sets a dangerous global precedent, giving license to other authoritarian regimes (e.g., Russia in Ukraine, China in Taiwan) to disregard international law and invade sovereign nations under similar pretexts, threatening the collapse of the existing world order.

The host states, 'What it also does is it gives license to other dictators around the world... what now is to stop Vladimir Putin from going in and taking Vladimir Zalinski and installing himself... Or for China to do the same with Taiwan.' Wellman confirms, 'We've lost all moral higher ground. We've lost all any kind of judgment of other countries when we decide who's a criminal and who's not.'

Concerns are raised about the US military's willing participation in these illegal acts. The firing of military lawyers and the quiet retirement of dissenting officers suggest a culture of compliance over constitutional duty. This behavior is seen as damaging not only to the current military's integrity but also to future generations of leaders, as it normalizes the disregard for legal and ethical boundaries.

Wellman states, 'I'm troubled by our United States military so gleeully participating in these illegal acts. At what point does that cross a line?' He also notes, 'He fired the lawyers first... you only fire the lawyers when you want people to get out of your way when you break the law.'