US President Donald Trump has, according to Femi Falana, repeatedly acted outside the bounds of US law and international law, most recently by ordering military strikes in Venezuela and forcibly removing President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Trump has claimed that the couple would face federal charges in New York for terrorism and narcotics offenses.
Falana notes that this is not an isolated incident: in 2025, Trump launched attacks on Iran and militants in Nigeria without congressional approval, demonstrating a pattern of reckless unilateral military actions.
The legal expert argues that Trump’s seizure of Venezuela and installation of a transitional regime appears aimed at controlling the country’s oil and gas resources, constituting a blatant violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty.
Falana urges the US Congress to sanction Trump for these actions and calls on the US judiciary to reject his attempts to use domestic courts to undermine international law. He stresses that the abduction of a sitting foreign president is a clear breach of the United Nations Charter, demanding accountability from both the US and the international community.
The op-ed concludes by highlighting the UN’s responsibility to uphold international law and protect the sovereignty of nations like Venezuela, warning against hypocrisy and double standards in global governance
