New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has voiced strong opposition to the U.S. military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, characterizing the action as “an act of war and a violation of federal and international law.”

President Donald Trump announced Saturday morning that American forces had apprehended the Venezuelan leader during what he described as a “large scale strike.” The operation follows months of U.S. military actions against suspected drug vessels allegedly connected to the Maduro regime in Caribbean and Eastern Pacific waters.

In response to the capture, Mamdani revealed during a press conference that he had spoken directly with President Trump by phone to express his concerns. “I called the president and spoke with him directly to register my opposition to this act, and to make clear that it was an opposition based on being opposed to a pursuit of regime change, to the violation of federal international law, and a desire to see that be consistent each and every day,” the mayor stated.

The Venezuelan government issued a statement condemning the U.S. military action, claiming it was carried out to seize the country’s natural resources, particularly oil and minerals. The statement characterized the operation as “an attempt to impose a colonial war to destroy the republican form of government and force a ‘regime change,’ in alliance with the fascist oligarchy.”

Mamdani, a Democratic socialist who took office on January 1, later took to social media platform X to express additional concerns about how this “blatant pursuit of regime change” would impact New Yorkers, particularly Venezuelan residents of the city. “My focus is their safety and the safety of every New Yorker, and my administration will continue to monitor the situation and issue relevant guidance,” he wrote.

Political analysts have noted ideological parallels between Mamdani and Maduro, as both leaders advocate for wealth redistribution policies. Mamdani’s platform includes increased taxation of wealthy individuals and corporations to fund public services, while Maduro has implemented wealth redistribution through oil revenues and state control of resources.

During his campaign, Mamdani proposed public-run housing, childcare, transit systems, and city-owned grocery stores—policies that echo Maduro’s state-run food distribution, healthcare, and housing initiatives in Venezuela. However, experts point out a crucial distinction: Venezuela’s socialist model involves extensive nationalization and central economic control, which has been widely criticized for contributing to the country’s economic collapse and democratic backsliding toward authoritarianism.

The operation to capture Maduro has generated mixed reactions across the United States. In Washington, D.C., demonstrators gathered near the White House, with some Venezuelan-Americans displaying their national flag in apparent support of the action. Meanwhile, celebrations erupted among Venezuelan exile communities who have long opposed Maduro’s rule, which many international observers have characterized as increasingly dictatorial since he assumed power following Hugo Chávez’s death in 2013.

The U.S. has previously sanctioned Venezuela’s oil industry and numerous officials in the Maduro government, citing human rights abuses, anti-democratic actions, and alleged involvement in drug trafficking. Maduro has consistently denied these accusations, framing them as imperialist attacks on Venezuelan sovereignty.

The timing and specific legal justification for the military operation remain unclear, though the U.S. has previously indicted Maduro on narco-terrorism charges. Questions remain about where Maduro and his wife will be detained and what charges they might face in American courts.

Mayor Mamdani’s office did not respond to requests for additional comment on the situation or potential preparations for security concerns in New York City following the operation.