Washington: The U.S. Senate voted to limit President Donald Trump's power to conduct military operations in Venezuela, marking a significant step in congressional oversight of military actions. The newly passed bill requires congressional approval for any further military operations in the South American nation.

According to Thai News Agency, the Senate's resolution aims to restrict President Trump from initiating military actions against Venezuela without congressional consent. The procedural vote ended with a 52-47 result, showcasing a bipartisan effort as some Republican senators joined Democrats in supporting the measure. Virginia's Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, who introduced the resolution, emphasized the importance of seeking congressional approval before engaging in military actions.

This legislative move follows the recent arrest of Venezuelan President Nicol¡s Maduro by U.S. forces in a surprise military operation in Caracas. This operation caused a stir among international leaders and drew criticism from Democrats who accused U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other Trump administration officials of misleading them regarding plans for regime change in Venezuela.

While Republicans argue that the operation did not require prior congressional approval due to its short-term nature and law enforcement focus, others believe that seeking such approval could have risked leaking the operation. The Trump administration has accused Maduro of leading a cocaine trafficking network in alliance with various criminal organizations, charges that Maduro has consistently denied, attributing them to U.S. ambitions to exploit Venezuela's oil resources.