Panama and Venezuela, 36 years apart: How Bush and Trump used law to break law

The US conducted controversial military interventions in Panama (1989) and Venezuela (2026), capturing leaders Noriega and Maduro without Congressional approval, citing drug trafficking and protection of US citizens. Both invasions were widely criticized as violations of international law, with the UN and other global bodies condemning the actions, but facing US vetoes and limited consequences. Legal justifications for these interventions relied on Department of Justice opinions allowing extraterritorial arrests, even when contravening customary international law and without host nation consent.