Moylan seeks an account of any Guam, CNMI troops in the Venezuela attack

Guamanian service members have participated in U.S. military campaigns in the Middle East since 1991. Photo courtesy of Guam Army National Guard

 By Mar-Vic Cagurangan

More than 150 military aircraft formed a large-scale overnight operation that led to the extraction of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from Venezuela, war officials said.

“My immediate concern is for the people of Guam and the Commonwealth of 

the Northern Mariana Islands, especially the families of our servicemembers,” Guam Del. James Moylan said.

“At this time, my office has received no confirmation that any sons or daughters from Guam or CNMI have been deployed to Venezuela or are involved in this operation. I am actively seeking confirmation from the Department of Defense to ensure our community has clear and accurate information,” he added.

U.S. Rep. Ed Case, a Democrat from Hawaii, questioned the legality of the Venezuela raid, which he said placed the U.S. troops in harm’s way.

“The precedent of any president taking our country to war arbitrarily, single-handedly and without the approval of Congress has cascading effects that are far more dangerous,” Case warned.

At a televised press conference held at President Trump’s Florida compound Saturday, Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the mission, dubbed “Operation Absolute Resolve,” was the culmination of months of planning and rehearsal involving U.S. joint forces from multiple service branches.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announces the capture of  Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in Caracas. Photo courtesy of the Department of War

Moylan noted that Guam plays a vital role in America’s national security,

particularly in the Indo-Pacific. "Our people have a long and proud history of military service,” he added.

Guamanian service members participated in military campaigns, including Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and Operation Iraqi Freedom between 2003 and 2011 and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014.

“Any major U.S. military action abroad underscores the importance of transparency with Congress and with the American people, especially those communities that disproportionately serve,” Moylan said.

At the press conference, Trump said the Maduros will now face criminal court proceedings related to the U.S. Department of Justice’s 2020 indictment for multiple federal charges, including narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.  

However, Case said that, without an imminent threat to the U.S., the Venezuela incursion didn’t justify breaching the Constitution or circumventing the War Powers Resolution, which limits the president's authority to deploy U.S. troops in a conflict without congressional approval.

“Nicholas Maduro is an illegitimate and oppressive dictator and the people of Venezuela deserve better," Case said. "But that alone doesn’t justify an 

armed attack on a sovereign country and forced regime change in violation of international law."

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Trump said the U.S. will temporarily run Venezuela during the post-Maduro transition.

"We have a group of people running [Venezuela] until such a time it can be put back on track, make a lot of money for [Venezuelans] … give people a great way of life, and also [reimburse the] people in our country who were forced out of Venezuela," Trump said in a televised press conference.

Maduro's capture was reminiscent of the U.S. invasion of Panama in 1990 to extract the dictator, Manuel Noriega, who was charged with drug trafficking and other crimes.

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