San Diego has mixed reactions to U.S. military operation in Venezuela

Reactions were mixed Saturday by San Diegans following the military action in Venezuela, in which that country’s President Nicolás Maduro was captured by the U.S. military and brought to New York to face drug charges.

Alejandra Herrera owns Encuento Cafe, an Old Town restaurant that serves Venezuelan food.

“We are very happy. We’ve been waiting for this for three years,” she told City News Service. “It’s something that we definitely needed.”

Herrera immigrated to the United States from Venezuela 11 years ago. “It’s going to be very difficult at the beginning,” she said. ” … We are grateful to the United States.”

Criseiea Waldenberg, president of Casa de Venezuela of San Diego, called it “one of the happiest moments of my life. Venezuela is FREE of this dictator!” she posted on Instagram. “Venezuelans tried the pacifist way for years with no results. A third of the population of Venezuela lives in exile, thousands have died, disappeared or are incarcerated.

Waldenberg’s statement continued. “Venezuelans will FOREVER be thankful to the USA for finally listening to their plea for help.”

However, Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-San Diego, stated her opposition to the operation on X.

“Kidnapping President Maduro in a regime change operation won’t help protect the American people. It won’t actually mitigate drug trafficking in the United States: Venezuela plays virtually no role in producing or trafficking fentanyl,” Jacobs said.

“I strongly urge President Trump to abstain from further unauthorized actions and any occupation of Venezuela. Next week, the Senate will vote on a resolution to block U.S. military action against Venezuela absent authorization by Congress, and the House must do the same,” Jacobs continued.

Rep. Mike Levin, D-Oceanside, also said President Donald Trump should have informed Congress prior to the raid.

“Nicolas Maduro was an illegitimate authoritarian ruler who dismantled Venezuela’s democratic institutions and presided over repression, corruption, and economic collapse. Millions of Venezuelans have paid the price, and their country is better off without him,” Levin said. “But that reality does not relieve the Trump administration of its constitutional obligations.

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Fallbrook, had a different take.

“Our elite military have again performed brilliantly with total effectiveness, and minimum loss of life. They are the best-trained, best- equipped, and bravest in the world,” Issa posted on X. “Once again, @realDonaldTrump has taken strong action to protect America’s homeland from neighboring threats of narcoterrorism and the scourge of deadly narcotics. The Trump Administration has my full support.”

After months of escalating tensions in which the U.S. conducted deadly strikes against alleged drug boats from Venezuela, seized an oil tanker and ordered a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers, the U.S. military launched the large-scale operation in Caracas overnight Friday and early Saturday.

Maduro, who is under federal indictment in the United States for allegedly running a cartel that has funneled drugs into the U.S., and his wife were taken from their home and were being transported aboard the USS Iwo Jima to New York to face charges.

At a news conference Saturday, Trump said the United States would “be running” Venezuela indefinitely until a “judicious” transfer of power could take place. He added that the United States would be taking over the country’s oil fields, increasing production and selling the oil to other nations, including China and Russia.

Venezuela contains the world’s largest proven oil reserves and used to be among its largest oil producers, but its production has fallen off drastically in the last couple decades.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters Saturday that the nature of the military operation, which officials planned for days but waited to launch until weather conditions were ideal, did not allow for congressional notification. Trump added that Congress was known to leak information, and that could have jeopardized the mission.

San Diego-based ships deployed to the Caribbean in late 2025 for Operation Southern Spear include the guided-missile destroyers USS Stockdale and USS Sampson, along with the cruiser USS Lake Erie. These vessels operated as part of a larger U.S. Southern Command buildup targeting drug cartels.

It was unclear what role they played in the operation.

The group Indivisible North County San Diego was planning a vigil at Camp Pendleton’s main gate at 3 p.m. Saturday to protest the U.S. operation. Other protests were planned in downtown San Diego and Barrio Logan.

Updated at 1:10 p.m. Jan. 3, 2025