BBC interviewed Mark Weller, director of the International Law Program at Chatham House, regarding the legality of the process by which Nicolás Maduro was removed and detained. Weller explained that the United States claims it can take legal action under its judicial system against drug trafficking, even when such activities involve foreign nationals. However, he questioned the legality of the operation that led to Maduro’s detention, describing the Friday night raid as an act of armed aggression.

Weller argued that there is no lawful justification for using force to detain someone in this manner and that the only legitimate procedure would have been through a United Nations mandate, which the United States did not have. He further described the idea that the United States could run Venezuela as a strange notion.

The discussion highlights ongoing international legal concerns surrounding the US approach to foreign interventions and the boundaries of jurisdiction in cross-border criminal enforcement.