Before his inauguration, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his city was one of "international law," and he wants to use that to not only arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but also as the basis for justifying a mob's descent on the Park East Synagogue. Mamdani argued that the Jewish organization that hosted a workshop on emigrating to Israel violated "international law" in an effort to minimize the threats of the antisemitic mob.
Of course, America is a sovereign nation, and Mamdani has no authority as the Mayor of New York to impose international law on his city or the country. Of course, it's long been the goal of socialists like Mamdani to undermine America's Constitution and her sovereignty by subjecting us to "international law," and New York is the proverbial camel's nose under the tent.
And now that the U.S. has deposed and arrested Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro, Mamdani is once again invoking "international law" to object to the military action.
I was briefed this morning on the U.S. military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, as well as their planned imprisonment in federal custody here in New York City.
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) January 3, 2026
Unilaterally attacking a sovereign nation is an act of war and a violation of federal and…
"I was briefed this morning on the U.S. military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, as well as their planned imprisonment in federal custody here in New York City," Mamdani wrote.
"Unilaterally attacking a sovereign nation is an act of war and a violation of federal and international law. This blatant pursuit of regime change doesn’t just affect those abroad, it directly impacts New Yorkers, including tens of thousands of Venezuelans who call this city home. 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," Mamdani continued.
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Why are Venezuelans living in New York, Mamdani? Because the socialists — of which Mamdani is a proud one — drove the nation into the ground. More than 70 percent of Venezuelans live in poverty now, even though the nation was once one of the richest in the world.
And Mamdani is just plain wrong.
The United States doesn't recognize Maduro as a legitimate head of state.
According to Cornell Law Professor Brian L. Cox, this means that the United States didn't violate the U.N. Charter or "international law."
"You're bound to hear a bunch of rhetoric in the next few days claiming this Maduro op violated @UN Charter. This note by @SecRubio is probably the most important point to keep in mind on that issue," wrote Cox.
"Remember, the cornerstone of the Charter, art. 2(4) (attached), prohibits threat or use of force in international relations. As Sec Rubio notes here, US gov't (and several others) don't recognize Maduro as the legitimate head of state. Absent that recognition, Maduro is merely the head of a criminal enterprise & is under indictment @TheJusticeDept," he continued.
You're bound to hear a bunch of rhetoric in the next few days claiming this Maduro op violated @UN Charter. This note by @SecRubio is probably the most important point to keep in mind on that issue.
— Dr. Brian L. Cox (@BrianCox_RLTW) January 3, 2026
Remember, the cornerstone of the Charter, art. 2(4) (attached), prohibits threat… https://t.co/0vJhWGK0xP pic.twitter.com/UGmNPSOcYQ
"This means the operation to arrest/detain him doesn't qualify as "international relations" under the circumstances. That is, relations between states," Cox added (emphasis original). "As such, the Maduro op doesn't implicate art. 2(4) of the UN Charter. It was a military operation in support of law enforcement activities, and not an "act of war" as some folks have suggested already in the last few hours. Just something to keep in mind in the days & weeks ahead as details of the op continue to emerge & legal considerations continue to be debated."
Last July, Maduro was also defeated in the election by the opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez. Despite losing the election, Maduro seized power. The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) issued a statement after the election, writing, "HRF considers the results announced by the Maduro-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE) patently fraudulent because they directly contradict the exit poll numbers documented by the unified democratic opposition — led by the illegally disqualified candidate María Corina Machado and her replacement, the unity candidate Edmundo González — which gave the democratic opposition candidate the victory with 70% of the national vote.
Even the Biden administration condemned the move. In November, the U.S. said it recognized Gonzalez as the "president-elect" of Venezuela, and then-Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called on the nation to "respect the will" of Venezuelan voters. In January, Blinken and the State Department decried Maduro's inauguration, calling it "illegitimate" and writing in a press release, "The Venezuelan people and world know the truth – Maduro clearly lost the 2024 presidential election and has no right to claim the presidency. The United States rejects the National Electoral Council’s fraudulent announcement that Maduro won the presidential election and does not recognize Nicolás Maduro as the president of Venezuela. President-elect Edmundo González Urrutia should be sworn in, and the democratic transition should begin. We stand ready to support a return to democracy in Venezuela."
Of course, like all Democrats and socialists, Mamdani is upset that one of his comrades is no longer in power and that President Trump pulled off a massive geopolitical win for the United States.
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