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President Obama Expresses Commitment To Using Federal Courts For Terrorism Prosecutions
ACLU Praises Statement But Says Military Commissions Should Be Completely Abolished
NEW YORK
President
Obama today voiced support for prosecuting terrorism suspects in
federal criminal courts while also calling for military commissions to
be used in some cases. To date, there have been more than 400
terrorism-related convictions since 9/11 in the federal courts, and
exactly four in the Guantanamo military commissions system.
The ACLU praised the president's
support for federal criminal courts and the rule of law, but also urged
the president to resist political pressure to try terrorism suspects in
the broken military commissions. The ACLU rejects the president's
assertion that there are some terrorism suspects against whom "there is
sufficient evidence to bring about a conviction" but who cannot be tried
in federal courts.
The following can be attributed to Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU:
"President Obama's recognition today
that federal courts are capable of prosecuting terrorism suspects is
welcome. Federal criminal courts are not only the right choice, but also
the effective one for successfully trying terrorism suspects. After
months of speculation as to whether the president still supports the use
of federal criminal courts for terrorism suspects, it is gratifying to
hear his renewed commitment.
"However, it is disappointing that
the president still continues to support the use of military commissions
at all. The commissions are riddled with constitutional and procedural
problems and their outcomes will always be subject to question. It is
time to shut down the broken military commission system for good so we
can get on with the business of achieving real and reliable justice."
The American Civil Liberties Union was founded in 1920 and is our nation's guardian of liberty. The ACLU works in the courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.
(212) 549-2666LATEST NEWS
WATCH LIVE: Trump Holds Press Conference After Illegal US Bombing of Venezuela, Abduction of Maduro
Trump said Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is being taken to New York to face fresh federal charges.
Jan 03, 2026
President Donald Trump is set to hold a press conference late Saturday morning at his Mar-a-Lago resort hours after US forces bombed Venezuela and abducted the nation's president, Nicolás Maduro, who is being taken to New York to face new federal charges.
The press conference is scheduled to begin at 11 am ET, and it comes as Trump is facing backlash at home and around the world for launching an illegal regime-change war.
Watch live:
In a Fox News appearance ahead of the press conference, Trump brushed aside criticism from Democratic lawmakers and others who said the US bombing of Venezuela and abduction of its president were illegal.
Democratic lawmakers expressing that view are "weak, stupid people," the president said, declaring that the actions he approved without congressional authorization and in violation of international law should be applauded.
“They should say, 'Great job,'” Trump said. “They shouldn’t say, ‘Oh, gee, maybe it’s not constitutional.’ You know the same old stuff that we’ve been hearing for years and years and years.”
Trump went on to declare that the US will "be involved" in Venezuela's political future following Maduro's abduction. Asked if he would throw his support behind right-wing opposition leader María Corina Machado, the US president said, "We have to look at it."
"They have a vice president, as you know," said Trump, referring to Delcy Rodríguez, who is next in line to take power.
An indictment unsealed Saturday morning shows that Maduro, his wife, and top Venezuelan officials will face federal drug trafficking and narcoterrorism charges.
The document characterizes Maduro as "previously the president of Venezuela."
CNN reported that the raid resulting in Maduro and his wife's capture was carried out by the US Army's elite Delta Force.
"The couple was captured in the middle of the night as they were sleeping," the outlet reported, citing unnamed sources. "A team of FBI agents was with the US special operation forces who carried out the capture."
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'This Is State Terrorism': Global Outrage as Trump Launches Illegal Assault on Venezuela
"It is brutal imperialist aggression," said former Bolivian President Evo Morales.
Jan 03, 2026
The Trump administration's military assault on Venezuela and apparent abduction of the country's president in the early hours of Saturday morning sparked immediate backlash from leaders in Latin America and across the globe, with lawmakers, activists, and experts accusing the US of launching yet another illegal war of aggression.
Latin American leaders portrayed the assault as a continuation of the long, bloody history of US intervention in the region, which has included vicious military coups and material support for genocidal right-wing forces.
"This is state terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people and against Our America," Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel wrote in a social media post, demanding urgent action from the international community in response to the "criminal attack."
Evo Morales, the leftist former president of Bolivia, said that "we strongly and unequivocally repudiate" the US attack on Venezuela.
"It is brutal imperialist aggression that violates its sovereignty," Morales added. "All our solidarity with the Venezuelan people in resistance."
Colombian President Gustavo Petro, one of the first world leaders to respond to Saturday's developments, decried US "aggression against the sovereignty of Venezuela and of Latin America." Petro said Colombian forces "are being deployed" to the nation's border with Venezuela and that "all available support forces will be deployed in the event of a massive influx of refugees."
"Without sovereignty, there is no nation," said Petro. "Peace is the way, and dialogue between peoples is fundamental for national unity. Dialogue and more dialogue is our proposal."
The presidents of Chile and Mexico similarly condemned the assault as a violation of Venezuela's sovereignty and international law.
"Based on its foreign policy principles and pacifist vocation, Mexico urgently calls for respect for international law, as well as the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, and to cease any act of aggression against the Venezuelan government and people," the Mexican government said in a statement. "Latin America and the Caribbean is a zone of peace, built on mutual respect, the peaceful settlement of disputes, and the prohibition of the use and threat of force, and therefore any military action puts regional stability at serious risk."
One Latin American leader, far-right Argentine president and Trump ally Javier Milei, openly celebrated the alleged US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, declaring on social media, "FREEDOM ADVANCES."
Leaders and lawmakers in Europe also reacted to the US bombings. Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister of Spain, issued a cautious statement calling for "deescalation and responsibility."
British MP Zarah Sultana was far more forceful, writing on social media that "Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reserves—and that’s no coincidence."
"This is naked US imperialism: an illegal assault on Caracas aimed at overthrowing a sovereign government and plundering its resources," Sultana added.
This story has been updated to include statements from the presidents of Chile and Mexico.
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Trump Claims Maduro 'Captured' as US Bombs Venezuelan Capital
"This goes beyond broken promises of peacemaking," said one expert. "Trump is launching an illegal assault on Venezuela."
Jan 03, 2026
US President Donald Trump claimed early Saturday that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was "captured and flown out of the country" after American forces bombed Venezuela's capital.
Maduro's alleged capture came after multiple explosions and sounds of aircraft were reported in Caracas, including at a military base at the center of the capital. Following the explosions, Maduro declared a state of emergency and accused the US of "military aggression." The Trump administration has accused Maduro, without evidence, of heading a drug cartel.
Vladimir Padrino, Venezuela's defense minister, said the US attacked both civilian and military sites, and that authorities are gathering information on casualties. Padrino said Venezuela would resist the presence of foreign troops and denounced US "imperialism" and "greed for our natural resources."
Venezuela’s attorney general, Tarek William Saab, said in televised remarks that "innocent victims have been mortally wounded and others killed by this criminal terrorist attack," and demanded proof that Maduro and his wife, who was also reportedly captured by the US, are alive.
Trump—who in recent months has repeatedly threatened to attack Venezuela, oust its president, and seize the nation's vast oil reserves—provided few details about the military assault, which followed a monthslong boat-bombing spree in international waters.
The US president did not receive congressional authorization for any of the strikes, and he said Saturday's operation was carried out in collaboration with American law enforcement. In 2020, during Trump's first White House term, Maduro was indicted on narcoterrorism charges by the US Justice Department, which at the time offered rewards up to $15 million for information leading to his arrest.
Trump said a press conference would be held at his Mar-a-Lago resort at 11 am ET on Saturday.
News of the US attack on Venezuela was met with immediate outrage.
"This goes beyond broken promises of peacemaking," said Nancy Okail, president and CEO of the Center for International Policy. "Trump is launching an illegal assault on Venezuela, pulling the US into another military adventure without authorization or a credible national security threat. Congress must act now to halt further military escalations."
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